Temporal variations in acid precipitation over New York State—what the 1965–1979 USGS data reveal

During the period from 1965 to 1979, the USGS collected rainfall samples throughout New York State. pH, sulfate, nitrate and calcium levels were measured, among other species. The statistical nature of the variation of these quantities with time was examined in this study. A preliminary step involve...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric environment 1983, Vol.17 (6), p.1063-1072
Main Authors: Bilonick, Richard A., Nichols, Duane G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:During the period from 1965 to 1979, the USGS collected rainfall samples throughout New York State. pH, sulfate, nitrate and calcium levels were measured, among other species. The statistical nature of the variation of these quantities with time was examined in this study. A preliminary step involved using ion balances and electrical conductivities to remove inconsistent measurements, which successfully reduced the amount of noise in the data. The time series analysis method of Box and Jenkins was applied; the results indicate that the long-term mean levels of hydrogen, sulfate, nitrate and calcium ion in the bulk (wet plus dry) precipitation samples were essentially constant. Use of the Box-Jenkins method was appropriate because samples that were collected close together in time were clearly more alike than those far apart, indicating autocorrelation. An analysis that fails to take this dependency into account could lead to incorrect conclusions.
ISSN:0004-6981
1352-2310
DOI:10.1016/0004-6981(83)90329-3