Flame photometric analysis of the transport of sea salt particles

The method of flame scintillation spectral analysis has been adopted for the determination of the size distribution of sodium-containing particles. Near the seashore, these aerosols are identical to sea salt particles, amount to approximately 5% of the total Aitken particle count, and exhibit a power law distribution with β = 3.8. Measurements made at Mauna Loa Observatory (above the trade wind inversion) indicate a similar size distribution. However, only about 1% of the concentration is transported through the inversion, and removal efficiency tends to favor the removal of larger particles.