Analysis of the Data of Long-term Monitoring of Atmospheric Mercury Content and Meteorological Parameters at Amderma Polar Station

F. F. Pankratov, A. V. Konoplev, A. Makhura, and O. V. Kats

Mercury is one of the most hazardous heavy metals and the mercury contamination is of serious danger for the Arctic environment. Mercury compounds are rather mobile and can easily migrate both to the water and to the air. Mercury is removed most intensively from the atmosphere during the polar springtime (so-called AMDE effect, i.e., the Atmospheric Mercury Depletion Event). This phenomenon was observed from the beginning of the polar sunrise till the end of the snowmelt, i.e., from April to early June. In 2000–2001, the depletion of atmospheric mercury was discovered in the Antarctic. In 2001, the mercury analyzer was installed at Amderma station located on the Yugor Peninsula, and AMDE cases were registered there during the measurements. The study in the Arctic region demonstrated that the effect of mercury depletion is observed at the rather limited space along the coast of the Arctic seas. The activation of AMDE is associated both with the intensive UV-radiation and with such meteorological parameters as temperature, wind speed and humidity in the surface layer that favors the mercury depletion in the atmosphere. This process is typical for the high latitudes only and is observed during about two-three months from the beginning of the polar sunrise until the end of the snowmelt.