ACID PRECIPITATION IN THE NEW-YORK METROPOLITAN AREA - ITS RELATIONSHIP TO METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS

A study which examined the spatial, meteorological, and seasonal factors associated with precipitation pH in the New York Metropolitan Area has been completed. From 1975 through 1977, 72 events were studied. Among the eight sites in the study, there was some site-to-site variability. The mean pH was 4.28 and the lowest seasonal values occurred during the summertime. The storms were classified according to type for each event, and showers and thundershowers associated with cold fronts and air masses yielded the lowest pHs of 4.17 and 3.91, respectively. Closed low-pressure systems produced somewhat higher values. Air parcel trajectory analyses showed that these air mass and frontal storms were generally associated with winds from the west and southwest. These are the directions from which high emissions in the Northeast have their greatest impact on the New York Metropolitan Area. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.