An atmospheric sulfur budget for eastern North America

Abstract

Atmospheric sulfur budgets for the eastern United States, eastern Canada and eastern North America are formulated, based on the fluxes: natural and man-made emissions, wet and dry deposition and atmospheric inflows and outflows. The uncertainty in each of these terms is examined and a best estimate is chosen for the budget calculations. In eastern North America, man-made emissions exceed natural ones by a factor of 10; wet and dry deposition over the region are approximately equivalent; and at least one-quarter of the emissions leaves the region via the atmosphere to the east. Within the Canadian and American portions of the region, significant deviations from the above occur and in addition, there is a significant exchange of material across the boundary separating the two countries. These preliminary budget calculations demonstrate that in eastern North America, as in western Europe, man's activity dominates the regional atmospheric sulfur cycle. © 1980.