Formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in the snow cover at Murododaira, Mt. Tateyama, Japan

Abstract

. Introduction , , Koichi WATANABE , Daiki NISHIMOTO , Sachie ISHITA , Nagisa EDA Yoshitoshi UEHARA , Goichiro TAKAHASHI , Noriyasu KUNORI , Tomonori KAWAKAMI , Wataru SHIMADA , Kazuma AOKI and Kunio KAWADA Formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in the snow cover at Murododaira, Mt. Tateyama, Japan 33 s Bulletin of Glaciological Research ( ) Japanese Society of Snow and Ice Toyama Prefectural University, Kurokawa, Imizu, Toyama , Japan Earth Consultant Co., Ltd., Hibari, Imizu, Toyama , Japan Kasuya Research Forest, Kyushu University, Kasuya, Fukuoka , Japan University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama , Japan (Received February , ; Revised manuscript accepted April , ) cover was measured. Measurements of snow chemistry Measurements of the concentrations of formaldehyde (HCHO) and hydrogen peroxide (H O ) as well as major ions in the snow pit ( . m deep) at Murododaira (altitude, m), Mt. Tateyama near the coast of the Japan Sea in Central Japan, were performed in April . The peaks of HCHO corresponded to the high nssSO layers above a . m depth. The concentrations of deposited HCHO might have been relatively well preserved in the spring layers. HCHO with sulfate aerosols may be transported to Mt. Tateyama from the Asian mainland. The highest concentration of H O was detected in the granular snow (coarse grain, melt forms) layer. The concentrations of H O were low in the layers of compacted snow (fine grain, rounded grains) and solid-type depth hoar (faceted crystals). Post-depositional modification of H O may be more significant than that of HCHO in snow in an alpine region.