Abstract
NATURAL enrichment has been reported for Zn, Cd, Pb and S in Greenland snow dated between AD 1170 and the 1800s using Al as the reference element for the Earth's crust1. In other studies, not on the determination of enrichment, other elements were analysed in polar ice which had been deposited before man's disturbance of the natural atmospheric composition2,3. Data on Al or other crustal reference elements such as Si and Sc were unavailable for these latter ices. However, their Mn content had been determined, and we show here by the analysis of recent precipitation in the Alaskan Arctic that Mn also serves as an indicator of the weathered lithospheric dust component. This enables the data to be re-examined to assess the degree of enrichment of yet another group of elements: Hg, As, Sb, Se and Cu. This evaluation indicates that the atmosphere is naturally enriched from several units to several orders of magnitude above average crustal abundances, with the elements in the approximate order: Na
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
Purchase on Springer Link
Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Herron, M. M., Langway, C. C. Jr, Weiss, H. V. & Cragin, J. H. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 41, 915–920 (1977).
Weiss, H. V., Koide, M. & Goldberg, E. D. Science 172, 261–263 (1971); 174, 692–694 (1971).
Weiss, H. V., Bertine, K., Koide, M. & Goldberg, E. D. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 39, 1–10 (1975).
Weiss, H. V. & Crozier, T. E. Analytical chim. Acta 58, 231–233 (1972).
Taylor, S. R. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 28, 1273–1285 (1974).
Weiss, H. V. & Bertine, K. Analytical chim. Acta 65, 253–254 (1973).
Murozumi, M., Chow, T. J. & Patterson, C. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 33, 1247–1294 (1969).
Cadle, R. D., Warburg, A. F., Pollock, W. H., Grandrud, B. W. & Shedlovsky, J. P. Chemosphere 6, 231–234 (1973).
Goldberg, E. D. Nature 260, 128–129 (1976).
Lewis, B. G., Johnson, C. M. & Delwiche, C. C. J. agr. Food Chem. 14, 638–640 (1966).
Beauford, W., Barber, J. & Barringer, A. R. Science 195, 571–573 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
WEISS, H., HERRON, M. & LANGWAY, C. Natural enrichment of elements in snow. Nature 274, 352–353 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274352a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274352a0
This article is cited by
-
Main pollution sources of central Arctic revealed by lead and its isotopic ratios recorded in snow
Chinese Science Bulletin (1998)
-
Trace-element studies in a remote scottish upland catchment
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution (1988)
-
Lead concentration changes in Antarctic ice during the Wisconsin/Holocene transition
Nature (1986)
-
Historical changes in anthropogenic lead fallout in southern Ontario, Canada
Hydrobiologia (1982)
-
Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in central Ontario
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution (1981)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.