Factors influencing the seasonal variation in particulate nitrate at Cheju Island, South Korea

The seasonal variation in measured particulate nitrate at Cheju island, South Korea, is analyzed and shown to exhibit high concentrations from February to June and in October, and low values from July to September. Total nitrate concentrations, which are not monitored, are estimated with a gas–aerosol equilibrium model with two-size bins. The total nitrate concentrations are shown to be maximum in June and minimum in August, and these differences are associated with air–mass trajectories. The fraction of particulate to total nitrate is estimated and shown to be sensitive to the total nitrate concentrations and the coarse-mode composition that is dominated by non-volatile species. The particulate nitrate fractions are found to vary within a relatively narrow range around the annual-mean value, indicating that the particulate nitrate concentrations behave similarly to the total nitrate concentrations. Exceptions are found for April, June and July. For April the largest particulate nitrate fraction is found in association with very high concentrations of nss-calcium, an indicator of mineral aerosol. The smallest particulate nitrate fractions occur in June and July and are the result of a combination of low concentrations of nss-calcium, sea salt and total nitrate, and high concentration of nss-sulfate.