Natural Factors Controlling the Temporal Variability of the Major-Element Chemical Composition of Mineral Aerosols over the Northern Caspian

This paper considers characteristic features of the composition and distribution of chemical elements in aerosols over the Northern Caspian, which can be used for a more reliable prediction of possible negative consequences of atmospheric pollution related to the beginning of the large-scale exploitation of oil and gas deposits in the shelf zone of the Caspian Sea. It was shown that the contents of aerosols, their grain-size composition, and major-element composition change under the influence of (1) transboundary transport of terrigenous dust by air masses, (2) variations in the intensity of turbulent and convective mixing in the near-surface atmosphere, and (3) variations in air humidity.