Year-round record of size-segregated aerosol composition in central Antarctica (Concordia station): Implications for the degree of fractionation of sea-salt particles

International audienceThe origin of sea-salt aerosol that reaches the high Antarctic plateau and is trapped in snow and ice cores remains still unclear. In particular, the respective role of emissions from the open ocean versus those from the sea-ice surface is not yet quantified. To progress on this question, the composition of bulk and size-segregated aerosol was studied in 2006 at the Concordia station (75°S, 123°E) located on the high Antarctic plateau. A depletion of sulfate relative to sodium with respect to the seawater composition is observed on sea-salt aerosol reaching Concordia from April to September. That suggests that in winter, when the sea-salt atmospheric load reaches a maximum, emissions from the sea-ice surface significantly contribute to the sea-salt budget of inland Antarctica. Citation: Jourdain, B., S. Preunkert, O. Cerri, H. Castebrunet, R. Udisti, and M. Legrand (2008), Year-round record of size-segregated aerosol composition in central Antarctica (Concordia station): Implications for the degree of fractionation of sea-salt particles