ALBERT

Description: A series of seven rainwater samples were collected in Wilmington, North Carolina USA originating from both continental and coastal storms and analyzed by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). This data set is unique in that it represents a detailed comparison of the molecular level composition of DOM in rainwater collected from distinctly different air mass back trajectories by FT-ICR MS. Approximately 25% of the roughly 2000 assigned CHO molecular formulas are unique to a single storm classification indicating the importance of air mass back trajectory on the composition of rainwater dissolved organic matter (DOM). Analysis of the unique molecular formula assignments highlighted distinct groupings of various bio- and geo-molecule classes with coastal storms containing unique formulas representative of lignin and cellulose-like formulas while continental storms had lipid-like formulas. A series of 18 distinct methylene oligomers were identified in coastal storms and 13 unique methylene oligomers in continental storms, suggesting oligomer formation is ubiquitous in rainwater albeit different for each storm classification. Oligomers of small acids and C3H4O2 were detected in both storm types indicating their processing may be similar in both back trajectories. Condensed aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in continental storms with phenol moieties that are not as oxidized as similar compounds detected in aquatic DOM.

Description: Sequential sampling of rainwater from Hurricane Irene was carried out in Wilmington, NC, USA on 26 and 27 August 2011. Eleven samples were analyzed for pH, major ions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hurricane Irene contributed 16% of the total rainwater and 18% of the total chloride wet deposition received in Wilmington NC during all of 2011. This work highlights the main physical factors influencing the chemical composition of tropical storm rainwater: wind speed, wind direction, back trajectory and vertical mixing, time of day and total rain volume. Samples collected early in the storm, when winds blew out of the east, contained dissolved components indicative of marine sources (salts from sea spray and low DOC). The sea-salt components in the samples had two maxima in concentration during the storm the first of which occurred before the volume of rain had sufficiently washed out sea salt from the atmosphere and the second when back trajectories showed large volumes of marine surface air were lifted. As the storm progressed and winds shifted to a westerly direction, the chemical composition of the rainwater became characteristic of terrestrial storms (high DOC and NH4+ and low sea salt). This work demonstrates that tropical storms are not only responsible for significant wet deposition of marine components to land, but terrestrial components can also become entrained in rainwater, which can then be delivered to coastal waters via wet deposition. This study also underscores why analysis of one composite sample can lead to an incomplete interpretation of the factors that influence the chemically divergent analytes in rainwater during extreme weather events.

Description: This work reports the first comprehensive analysis of methanol concentrations in rainwater. Methanol concentrations measured in 49 rain events collected between 28 August 2007 and 10 July 2008 in Wilmington, NC, USA, ranged from below the detection limit of 6 nM to 9.3 μM with a volume-weighted average concentration of 1 ± 0.2 μM. Methanol concentrations in rainwater were up to ~200 times greater than concentrations reported previously in marine waters, indicating wet deposition as a potentially significant source of methanol to marine waters. Assuming that these methanol concentrations are an appropriate proxy for global methanol rainwater concentrations, the global methanol wet deposition sink is estimated as 20 Tg yr−1, which implies that previous methanol budgets underestimate removal by precipitation. Methanol concentrations in rainwater did not correlate significantly with H+, NO3−, and NSS, which suggests that the dominant source of the alcohol to rainwater is not anthropogenic. However, methanol concentrations were strongly correlated with acetaldehyde, which has a primarily biogenic input. The methanol volume-weighted concentration during the summer (2.7 ± 0.9 μM) was ~3 times that of the winter (0.9 ± 0.2 μM), further promoting biogenic emissions as the primary cause of temporal variations of methanol concentrations. Methanol concentrations peaked in rainwater collected during the time period 12 p.m.–6 p.m. Peaking during this period of optimal sunlight implies a possible relationship with photochemical methanol production, but there are also increases in biogenic activity during this time period. Rain events with terrestrial origin had greater concentrations than those of marine origin, demonstrating the significance of the continental source of methanol in rainwater.

Description: A series of seven rainwater samples were collected in Wilmington, North Carolina (USA), originating from both continental and coastal storms and analyzed by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). This data set is unique in that it represents a detailed comparison of the molecular level composition of DOM in rainwater collected from distinctly different air mass back trajectories by FTICR-MS. Approximately 25% of the roughly 2000 assigned CHO molecular formulas are unique to each storm classification indicating the importance of air mass back trajectory on the composition of rainwater dissolved organic matter (DOM). Analysis of the unique molecular formula assignments highlighted distinct groupings of various bio- and geo-molecule classes with coastal storms containing unique formulas representative of lignin and cellulose-like formulas, while continental storms had lipid-like formulas. A series of 18 distinct methylene oligomers were identified in coastal storms with 13 unique methylene oligomers in continental storms suggesting oligomer formation is ubiquitous in rainwater albeit different for each storm classification. Oligomers of small acids and C3H4O2 were detected in both storm types indicating their processing may be similar in both back trajectories. Black carbon (BC) was detected in continental storms with phenol moieties that are not as oxidized as aquatic DOM black carbon. The discovery of BC in continental rainwater has significant ramifications towards climate change, because atmospheric BC is such a potent chromophore that reemits absorbed sunlight at longer wavelengths thereby warming the lower atmosphere.

Description: This work reports the first detailed analysis of methanol concentrations in rainwater. Methanol concentrations measured in 49 rain events collected between 28 August 2007 to 10 July 2008 in Wilmington, NC, USA, ranged from below the detection limit of 6 nM to 9.3 μM with a volume weighted average concentration of 1.2 ± 0.2 μM. Methanol concentrations in rainwater were up to ~200× greater than concentrations observed in marine waters indicating wet deposition as a potential significant source to marine waters. Assuming these methanol concentrations are an appropriate proxy for global methanol rainwater concentrations the global methanol wet deposition sink is estimated as 20 Tg yr−1 which implies previous methanol budgets underestimate removal by precipitation. Methanol concentrations did not correlate with H+, NO3−, and NSS, which suggest that the dominant source of the alcohol to rainwater is not anthropogenic. However, methanol concentrations were strongly correlated with acetaldehyde which has a primarily biogenic input. Methanol volume weighted concentration during the growing season (1.5 + 0.3 μM) was more than double that of the non-growing season (0.7 + 0.1 μM), further promoting biogenic emissions as the primary cause of fluctuating methanol concentrations. Methanol concentrations peaked in rainwater collected between the time period 12:00–06:00 p.m. Peaking during this period of optimal sunlight implies a direct relationship to photochemical methanol production but there are also increases in biogenic activity during this time period. Rain events with terrestrial origins had higher concentrations than those of marine origin demonstrating the significance of the continental source of methanol in rainwater.

Description: Sequential sampling of rainwater from Hurricane Irene was carried out in Wilmington, NC, USA on 26 and 27 August 2011. Eleven samples were analyzed for pH, major ions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hurricane Irene contributed 16% of the total rainwater and 18% of the total chloride wet deposition received in Wilmington NC during all of 2011. This work highlights the main physical factors influencing the chemical composition of tropical storm rainwater: wind speed, wind direction, air mass back trajectory and vertical mixing, time of day and total rain volume. Samples collected early in the storm, when winds blew out of the east, contained dissolved components indicative of marine sources (salts from sea spray and low DOC). The seasalt components in the samples had two maxima in concentration during the storm the first of which occurred before the volume of rain had sufficiently washed out seasalt from the atmosphere and the second when the air mass dipped to low elevations over the Atlantic Ocean followed by rapid vertical mixing. As the storm progressed and winds shifted to a westerly direction, the chemical composition of the rainwater became characteristic of terrestrial storms (high DOC and NH4+ and low seasalt). This work demonstrates that tropical storms are not only responsible for significant wet deposition of marine components to land, but terrestrial components can also become entrained in rainwater, which can then be delivered to coastal waters via wet deposition. This study also underscores why analysis of one composite sample can lead to an incomplete interpretation of the factors that influence the chemically divergent analytes in rainwater during extreme weather events.