[1] Simultaneous time series measurements of black carbon (BC), aerosol particle number (ANC), radon, and SEM-EDS analysis for total carbon were collected at the Brazilian Antarctic station Ferraz, northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula (62°05 0 S, 58°23.5 0 W) for the years of 1993, 1997, and 1998. A new data screening technique was applied in an effort to distinguish long-range from local contaminations of BC. Analyses of data revealed a small increase in BC concentration during winter-to-spring seasons. The mean annual BC concentration of 8.3 ng m À3 was consistent with global model estimates for this region. The intermittent coupling mechanism between the regional circulation of the low-level jets and the passages of the frontal systems explained the transport of BC from areas of burning biomass in Brazil to the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Principal component analysis applied to BC, Radon, ANC, and meteorological data presented significant factor loadings linking BC with 222 Rn and with wind velocity corroborating with this hypothesis.

The individual elemental composition of insoluble airborne particulates found in King George Island (KGI), Antarctic Peninsula (atmosphere, snow, firn and ice deposits) and in the atmosphere of Chilean Patagonia by SEM-EDS analysis identify probable sources and transport mechanisms for the atmospheric aerosols observed in these regions. Insoluble airborne particulates found in the snow, firn and ice in a core from Lange Glacier (KGI) call for significant crustal influence, mainly associated with aluminium potassium, aluminium calcium and magnesium iron silicates together with other aluminium silicates of calcium and magnesium, among rare others containing Ti, Ni and Cr. Our study suggests that 95% of the bulk mode insoluble particulates deposited in Lange Glacier can be explained by atmospheric transport from Chilean Patagonia. Cyclonic systems passing between southernmost South America and the Antarctic Peninsula are the most probable atmospheric transport mechanism, tracked by measurements of 222 Rn and Si.

The individual elemental composition of insoluble airborne particulates found in King George Island (KGI), Antarctic Peninsula (atmosphere, snow, firn and ice deposits) and in the atmosphere of Chilean Patagonia by SEM‐EDS analysis identify probable sources and transport mechanisms for the atmospheric aerosols observed in these regions. Insoluble airborne particulates found in the snow, firn and ice in a core from Lange Glacier (KGI) call for significant crustal influence, mainly associated with aluminium potassium, aluminium calcium and magnesium iron silicates together with other aluminium silicates of calcium and magnesium, among rare others containing Ti, Ni and Cr. Our study suggests that 95% of the bulk mode insoluble particulates deposited in Lange Glacier can be explained by atmospheric transport from Chilean Patagonia. Cyclonic systems passing between southernmost South America and the Antarctic Peninsula are the most probable atmospheric transport mechanism, tracked by measurements of 222Rn and Si.