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Have the Number Of Coastal or Easterly
Precipitation Events in Southeastern NY Increased
and How Does This Affect the Overall Trend in Precipitation Chemistry?
Victoria R. Kelly*, Kathleen C. Weathers
and Gary M. Lovett
Institute of Ecosystem Studies Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545
| An increase in the number of storms in the northeastern
US that come from the east could have a strong influence on precipitation
chemistry in that region. At our research site in southeastern New York,
most storms come from the west, traveling through areas heavily populated
by coal burning power plants and carrying pollutants that cause acid rain.
On average, easterly and coastal storms have a higher pH and lower concentrations
of sulfate and nitrate than storms that come from the west. The trend
in precipitation concentrations of hydrogen ion, sulfate and nitrate since
1984 at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a decreasing one that corresponds
to a decreasing trend in emissions of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.
If the number of easterly storms increases, the trend in average precipitation
sulfur and nitrogen could take more of a downward trend than expected
based on changes in sulfur and nitrogen emissions alone. In this paper,
we examine the change in precipitation chemistry together with an analysis
of storm direction during the period 1984-2006 to determine whether the
changes in precipitation pH, sulfate and nitrate could, in part, be because
the path of storms has changed and not only as a result of reductions
in sulfur and nitrogen emissions.
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