Tropospheric aerosol at Terra Nova Bay

Four aerosol sampling campaigns were performed in the summer season (November to February, 93/94, 94/95, 95/96, 97/98) with a 12 h sampling time at a coastal site near to the Italian base of Terra Nova Bay. Despite the low aerosol concentrations, PIXE analysis allowed in all campaigns a principal components analysis based on elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, K, Ca and Fe, in which three principal components (PC) contribute at least 95% of the total variance. Each one of the six elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, S and Fe is significantly (≥0.994) correlated to one of those PCs. This fact, together with the structure of the elemental profiles of the PCs, allows their geochemical identification with non sea- salt S, sea-salt and crustal aerosol.