This report is directed to scientists interested in the long-range atmospheric transport and transformation of sulfur compounds. Statistical and climatological analyses of historical data and the results of two long-range transport studies are presented. The two long-range atmospheric transport field studies were conducted over a 300-sq km area of the southern United States centered on the Tennessee Valley region. The first study was conducted during the spring of 1976, and the second was conducted during the summer of 1977. The field study region contains seven large coal-fired power plants and one large city. Results indicate that the predominant flow and mass transport direction is from the southwest to the northeast. Also, aerometric measurements obtained by aircraft and ground sampling compared favorably with results obtained with an analytical transport-transformation model developed for this study. Results indicate that, during prevailing southwesterly airflow, large sulfur influxes are present. These influxes, which are at the same order of magnitude as the Tennessee Valley regional emission fluxes, can only partly be explained by upwind anthropogenic sources. Natural source emissions are hypothesized to account for about half of this sulfur.

Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Office of Energy, Minerals and Industry, Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory by Tennessee Valley Authority, Office of Natural Resources, Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Milestone report. June 1980. Bibliography: p. 82-85. "PB81-14734 0."