Measurements and modelling of marine salt transportation and deposition in a tropical region in Brazil

This work presents results of marine salt deposition in a marine atmosphere zone in a tropical region in the northeast of Brazil. A general model that represents marine aerosol behaviour in coastal regions is applied. Results show that marine salt deposition data are strongly influenced by wind speeds above the critical value of 3.0 m/s. The effect of the distance from the sea on marine salt data is also observed. This effect is better represented when changes in marine aerosol composition, while being transported inland, are taken into account. Deposition parameters obtained from the model application at a Brazilian site show good agreement with data from other countries. Parametric equations to represent the behaviour of each model parameter are proposed for the studied region and form a specific model that is more accurate than the simple empirical relations previously used. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.