The Acidity of Scandinavian Precipitation

Abstract

Data on the pH of the total monthly precipitation at stations of a Swedish network for sampling and chemical analysis of precipitation and atmospheric aerosols during the year July 1953—June 1954 are presented and discussed, together with the pH data from the first two months of operation of a larger pan-Scandinavian net. It is found that well-defined regions of acidity and alkalinity relative to the pH of water in equilibrium with atmospheric carbon dioxide exist, and that these regions persist to such an extent that the monthly deviations from the pattern of the annual mean pH at each station are relatively small. The mean pH of the entire network shows a distinct annual cycle, with greatest acidity in winter and greatest alkalinity in late spring. Coastal stations unaffected by local pollution show persistently high acidity, while inland northern stations show equally persistent alkalinity. Some possible reasons for the observed distributions are considered.