Meteorological factors influencing the 7Be and 210Pb concentrations in surface air from the southwestern Iberian Peninsula

During a seven-year period (April 2004–July 2011), the 210Pb and 7Be activity concentrations in surface air were determined at El Arenosillo, located on the coastline of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. The 210Pb and 7Be activity concentrations have been classified in four ranges according to the values of percentiles, 0–P10 (lowest concentrations), P10–P50 (intermediate concentrations), P50–P90 (high concentrations), and P90–Maximum (peaks of concentrations). mputation of both backward trajectories and cluster techniques has been used for identifying the types of air masses that arrive at the sampling station for each range of 210Pb and 7Be activity concentrations. Meteorological parameters, such as the wind roses and daily cycles of specific and relative humidity, and the potential temperature have been calculated (or measured) for each one of the sampling periods and grouped according to the ranges of 210Pb and 7Be activity concentrations. sults indicate that different synoptic patterns are associated with different 210Pb and 7Be activities in this area, which indicates the differences between the arrival of maritime and continental air masses based on the 210Pb and 7Be activities. In addition, the study on the evolution of air masses from the lowest and highest ranges of 7Be/210Pb confirms that both radionuclides can be used as two independent atmospheric transport markers.