The dispersion of secondary pollutants and volcanic SO
2 over the Kyushu area during a spring-time high pressure system was analyzed based on comprehensive observational data. The clockwise air circulation within the high pressure system trapped the air pollutants which resulted in both long-range transport from the Asian continent to Japan and local transport of domestic pollutants. Airplane and surface observations show narrowly peaked SO
2 concentration from Mt. Sakurajima volcano during conditions when Kyushu is located at the western boundary of the high pressure system. At the same time, high O
3 concentration exceeding 80 ppb were observed over most of Japan (especially the western part). O
3 concentration and specific humidity were inversely correlated which indicates strong intrusion of stratospheric O
3 into the lower troposphere. The data analysis revealed that the photochemical 0
3 production due to the anthropogenic NO
X emission was about 10-20%. HNO
3, nitrate and aldhyde were high concentrations when high local production of O
3 was observed.
Conversion rates from SO
2 to SO
42-were determined based on surface observation data trajectory analysis and revealed values of about 2.5%/hour.
The present study shows that dispersion pattern of pollutants over Kyushu are very complicated when spring-time high pressure conditions prevailed. The long-range transport from both the mainlad Asia and Japan, as well as volcanic SO
2 plume transport and stratospheric 0
3 intrusion into the lower troposphere combine to be responsible for the observed high concentration of secondary pollutants.
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