Browsing by Author "Soares, J. C."
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- Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols Using the Lisbon Nuclear MicroporePublication . Rita, E. M.; Alves, L. C.; Reis, M. A.; Rodrigues, A. F.; Fialho, Paulo; Soares, J. C.The nuclear microprobe installed at Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, in Lisbon, was used in the analysis of aerosols collected at the Azores islands. Samples from two different aerosol groups were analysed. One referred to aerosols that were carried from North America and the other one contained aerosols that were carried from the Sahara desert and crossed over Europe. Coarse and fine fractions were analysed for each aerosol group and two-dimensional elemental maps were constructed, which allowed the identification of several individual particles. For particles of interest, elemental spatial correlations and dimensions were determined and point analysis was also carried out (depth information was achieved by fitting Rutherford backscattering spectra). Some of these particles are quite interesting. For instance, in the fine fraction of the aerosols that were carried from North America, particles were found with Cu and Cl in the atomic proportion 1:2 and with dimensions 15 x 15 x 15 μm³, and in the corresponding coarse fraction a particle with K and S was identified, with dimensions 28 x 35 x 30 μm³. Some differences were found between the aerosols groups. One example of these are Ti particles (fine fraction) and Rb (coarse fraction) that were identified in one group (Sahara desert and Europe), but not in the other.
- Comparison of continental Portugal and Azores Islands aerosol during a Sahara dust stormPublication . Reis, M. A.; Oliveira, O. R.; Alves, L. C.; Rita, E. M.; Rodrigues, Félix; Fialho, Paulo; Pio, Casimiro; Freitas, Maria do Carmo; Soares, J. C.Airborne particulate matter plays an important role in the Earth's energy balance. One of the main reasons is that the real size of a significant number of the particles, mainly those of anthropogenic origin, is similar to the wavelength of visible light. Knowledge of the composition of such particles, as well as their dynamics and trajectories in the atmosphere is therefore very important. In the period from 23 February to 22 March 2000, a movement of airborne particulate matter going over Europe and towards Azores was identified based on satellite observation. This work presents a preliminary study based on PIXE and nuclear micro-probe analysis of samples collected during that period both in Portugal mainland and in Terceira Island in the Azores. Time-shifted correlation of sample composition and individual particle composition are presented and discussed. Results point to the possibility of inferring long-range transport of aerosol particles from the samples multi-element analysis, and to the existence of fractions of the North Atlantic aerosol identical at both Portugal mainland and Terceira Island.