AN IMPROVED WET DEPOSITION MAP OF THE UNITED-KINGDOM INCORPORATING THE SEEDER FEEDER EFFECT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN

Data of the mean annual rainfall at 4000 sites across the United Kingdom during the period 1986-1988 have been used. These were combined with measurements of the concentrations of principal ions in rainfall at 59 rural lowland sites. The data have been modified to account for the higher concentrations of ions dissolved in rain water measured in mountainous areas. This occurs due to the scavenging of polluted hill cap clouds by less-polluted raindrops. It was assumed that scavenged cloudwater concentrations were double those of the local rainfall. The results show that the annual deposition by rainfall of pollutant ions over high ground is much higher than had previously been thought. Relative to the original scheme, which assumed ion concentrations were constant with height, the new scheme calculated increases in deposition of up to 76%. Rainfall was found to be more polluted near the east coast of Britain. However, the highest annual pollutant deposition by rainfall occurred in the mountainous regions near the west coast, such as the Lake District and Snowdonia, due to the high rainfall in these areas.