Radon-222 measurements during the Tropoz II campaign and comparison with a global atmospheric transport model

The aim of the 222Rn measurements during the airborne campaign TROPOZ II, was first to help in the interpretation of the photochemical studies, and secondly to furnish a data set of 222Rn in the troposphere, for validation of atmospheric transport models. In this paper we present the 222Rn measurements, and their simulation with a 3-D atmospheric transport model based on observed winds. The 222Rn was measured using the active daughters deposit technique with isokinetic aerosol sampling. We have obtained 44 measurements distributed between 65° North and 55° South, from 1 to 11 km height. In 25% of cases, we found relatively high concentrations (> 300 mBq·scm) of 222Rn in the high troposphere (>8 km). The results of 3D simulations and the calculations of back-trajectories allow us to find the origins of the high 222Rn concentrations. The transport model reproduced most of the observed synoptic variations, but it overestimates the concentrations which implies a vertical transport of excessive velocity.