210Pb deposition in the far East Asia: Controlling factors of its spatial and temporal variations

Abstract

In order to better understand the behavior of 210Pb deposition in Far East Asia, comprehensive data of monthly 210Pb deposition, which includes several time-series and spatial distribution data at 14 stations in Japan and 2 stations in Taiwan, were analyzed. Pb-210 deposition at most of the sites exhibited a typical seasonal change with higher values in winter and lower values in summer; especially, the greatest 210Pb deposition in the world occurred in winter at sites beside the Japan Sea. The deposition behavior of 210Pb in Far East Asia differed between winter and summer. The meteorological phenomenon peculiar to winter of the Japan Sea side, i.e., formation of the Japan Sea convergence zone, might cause the high 210Pb concentration in rainwater, as may heavy snowfall. The 210Pb concentration in rainwater showed long-term variability, although this differed between winter and summer. This long-term variability may be related to climatological factors such as El Niño.