Fog and rain water chemistry in the western Mediterranean basin (Valencia region, Spain)

The present study attempts to characterize the chemistry composition of fog and rain water in the eastern region of the Iberian Peninsula (Valencia, Spain). This research is based upon a network of seven cylindrical fog water collectors distributed over 4 coastal- and 3 inland-mountain ranges. The fog and rain water samples were collected during the 9-month study-period April-December 2008. The fog and rain water samples were analysed for pH, Cond. and Alk., and the following ion concentrations: Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , Cl - , NO3 - and SO4 2- . The stations also collected other atmospheric measurements such as 10-min temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, fog and precipitation. In addition, the HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) model was used for each fog event in order to know the origin and the pathway of air masses during the previous five days. Preliminary results show two main origins of the air masses, one of them associated with recirculation processes over the Mediterranean Sea, whose fog water samples were more contaminated, and other associated with advection from the Atlantic Ocean, whose fog water samples were cleaner. The chemical composition of the fog and rain is of crucial importance for future applications of water.