Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry
We are motivated by both the accumulating evidence for the connection of solar variability to the chemistry of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere and recent finding that the Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) influx is associated with the solar northsouth asymmetry. We have analyzed the measured pH in precip...
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The Korean Space Science Society
2014-12-01
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Series: | Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences |
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Online Access: | http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n4/OJOOBS_2014_v31n4_325.pdf |
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author | Ga-Hee Moon Kyoung-Yoon Ha Seong-Hoon Kang Byoung-Ho Lee Ki-Beom Kim Jung-Hee Kim Heon-Young Chang |
author_facet | Ga-Hee Moon Kyoung-Yoon Ha Seong-Hoon Kang Byoung-Ho Lee Ki-Beom Kim Jung-Hee Kim Heon-Young Chang |
author_sort | Ga-Hee Moon |
collection | DOAJ |
description | We are motivated by both the accumulating evidence for the connection of solar variability to the chemistry of nitrogen
oxide in the atmosphere and recent finding that the Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) influx is associated with the solar northsouth
asymmetry. We have analyzed the measured pH in precipitation over the 109 stations distributed in the United States.
We have found that data of pH in precipitation as a whole appear to be marginally anti-correlated with the solar asymmetry.
That is, rain seems to become less acidic when the southern hemisphere of the Sun is more active. The acidity of rain is
also found to be correlated with the atmospheric temperature, while not to be correlated with solar activity itself. We have
carried on the analysis with two subsamples in which stations located in the east and in the west. We find that the pH data
derived from the eastern stations which are possibly polluted by sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides are not correlated with
the solar asymmetry, but with the temperature. On the contrary, the pH data obtained from the western stations are found
to be marginally anti-correlated with the solar asymmetry. In addition, the pH data obtained from the western stations are
found to be correlated with the solar UV radiation. We conclude by briefly pointing out that a role of the solar asymmetry
in the process of acidification of rain is to be further examined particularly when the level of pollution by sulfur oxides and
nitrogen oxides is low. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:52:27Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-b9b4ed885acf4686bf7f6dcb5cce949e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2093-5587 2093-1409 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:52:27Z |
publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
publisher | The Korean Space Science Society |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences |
spelling | doaj.art-b9b4ed885acf4686bf7f6dcb5cce949e2024-01-02T06:59:45ZengThe Korean Space Science SocietyJournal of Astronomy and Space Sciences2093-55872093-14092014-12-0131432533310.5140/JASS.2014.31.4.325Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South AsymmetryGa-Hee Moon0Kyoung-Yoon Ha1Seong-Hoon Kang2Byoung-Ho Lee3Ki-Beom Kim4Jung-Hee Kim5Heon-Young Chang6Daegu Science High School, Daegu 707-852, KoreaDaegu Science High School, Daegu 707-852, KoreaDaegu Science High School, Daegu 707-852, KoreaDaegu Science High School, Daegu 707-852, KoreaDepartment of Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, KoreaDepartment of Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, KoreaDepartment of Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, KoreaWe are motivated by both the accumulating evidence for the connection of solar variability to the chemistry of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere and recent finding that the Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) influx is associated with the solar northsouth asymmetry. We have analyzed the measured pH in precipitation over the 109 stations distributed in the United States. We have found that data of pH in precipitation as a whole appear to be marginally anti-correlated with the solar asymmetry. That is, rain seems to become less acidic when the southern hemisphere of the Sun is more active. The acidity of rain is also found to be correlated with the atmospheric temperature, while not to be correlated with solar activity itself. We have carried on the analysis with two subsamples in which stations located in the east and in the west. We find that the pH data derived from the eastern stations which are possibly polluted by sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides are not correlated with the solar asymmetry, but with the temperature. On the contrary, the pH data obtained from the western stations are found to be marginally anti-correlated with the solar asymmetry. In addition, the pH data obtained from the western stations are found to be correlated with the solar UV radiation. We conclude by briefly pointing out that a role of the solar asymmetry in the process of acidification of rain is to be further examined particularly when the level of pollution by sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides is low.http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n4/OJOOBS_2014_v31n4_325.pdfAcid precipitationsolar north-south asymmetrydata analysis |
spellingShingle | Ga-Hee Moon Kyoung-Yoon Ha Seong-Hoon Kang Byoung-Ho Lee Ki-Beom Kim Jung-Hee Kim Heon-Young Chang Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences Acid precipitation solar north-south asymmetry data analysis |
title | Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry |
title_full | Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry |
title_fullStr | Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry |
title_full_unstemmed | Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry |
title_short | Acidity in Precipitation and Solar North-South Asymmetry |
title_sort | acidity in precipitation and solar north south asymmetry |
topic | Acid precipitation solar north-south asymmetry data analysis |
url | http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2014/v31n4/OJOOBS_2014_v31n4_325.pdf |
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