Eric S. Gordon, Colby College

Date of Award

1996

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Chemistry Dept.

Advisor(s)

Thomas W. Shattuck

Second Advisor

D. Whitney King

Third Advisor

Thomas Poon

Abstract

Eight aerosol samples were collected from a height of 34 meters atop Petit Manan Light located 16 miles East of Bar Harbor, Maine between July 25, 1995 and August 1, 1995. Both coarse and fine fractions were collected on 8.0 and 0.2 micron polycarbonate membrane filters, respectively. The sampling station consisted of a sampling box as well as a weather station (with various instruments) to record weather data for help in the analysis. The samples were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Cluster analysis was perforned on the particles, grouping particles together with similar chemical compositions. Five of eight fine fraction samples were analyzed and 7782 particles were grouped into 24 clusters, with 208 particles left unassigned. Medium and long-range particle transport appear to account for nearly all observed particles. Winds were witnessed mostly from the west and northwest and contained anywhere from 25% -55% sulfur particles. Clusters representing transported clays, quartz and other crustal type particle sources were also found. Limited evidence for the sea-salt aging process and local particle production was found due to very low sodium chloride concentrations witnessed. Only sample 1 (7/29 AM) experienced winds from the east and had minimal sulfur type particles. Higher wind speeds (>12 mls) from the west were correlated with particle counts greater by half an order of magnitude than lower wind speeds (<7 m>/s).

Keywords

Aerosols -- Maine, Gulf of, Air quality -- Maine, Gulf of, Air -- Analysis, Scanning electron microscopes -- Technique

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