LONG-RANGE POLLUTANT TRANSPORT INTO THE R USSIAN ARCTIC

From synoptic maps of the 850-hPa isobaric surfaces, 1220 daily six-da y-traveltime trajectories of air mass transport into the Russian Arcti c (Sevemaya Zemlya Archipelago and Wrangel Island) in spring (March an d April) were analyzed over ten years (1981-1990). It was found that a bout 65% of air in spring was transported into the two sites from the continents and the other 35% is approximately apportioned between ocea nic and Arctic air masses. The total amount of air transported into th e two sites from Eurasia is greater than that from America (49% and 18 %, respectively). With the close contributions of Asia and the Arctic Ocean, air is mainly transported from Europe and the Atlantic to Sevem aya Zemlya and, on the contrary, from America and the Pacific Ocean to Wrangel Island. A positive trend (from 10% to 20%) of the contributio n of Europe to the air masses in both sites was revealed, which may se rve as evidence for a change from a meridional atmospheric circulation to a zonal one in the Northern Hemisphere.