Case Study of an Unusual Long-Range Sulfur Transport Episode

Abstract

Observations of extremely high fine particulate sulfur concentrations during early April 1983 in the western United States are linked to a strong cyclone over the midwestern United States. The strong winds around this cyclone circulated polluted midwestern air as far west as the Pacific Coast. A retrograding upper wave pattern was conducive for this polluted air to move southwestward. Both a long-range trajectory analysis and a subjective evaluation of synoptic conditions confirm this hypothesis.