Comparison of Size Changes of Asian Dust Particles Caused by Sea Salt and Sulfate

Abstract

Atmospheric particles were collected in southwestern Japan during dust storm events in spring 2000, and the samples were treated with water-dialysis. In this study, size change of dust particles before and after dialysis is discussed with respect to their sea salt and sulfur contents. It is confirmed that size increase of dust particles has a strong correlation with their sea salt content but is independent from their non-sea-salt sulfur content. This suggests that the growth of dust particles in size during their dispersion in the marine atmosphere is dominated by the combination with sea salt rather than by other processes such as surface uptake of sulfate.