Two approaches to determining the sea-to-air flux of dimethyl sulfide: Satellite ocean color and a photochemical model with atmospheric measurements
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)
- Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA)
Two estimates of the ocean-to-atmosphere flux of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) are presented to determine the feasibility of using remotely sensed data to map the marine sources of a photoreactive trace gas. First, an empirical relationship between chlorophyll a and DMS in surface seawater is used with NASA coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) data for chlorophyll a pigment to derive a mean DMS flux for a region in the tropical North Atlantic for October 1980. This is compared with the sea-to-air flux derived from a one-dimensional photochemical model that reproduces boundary layer concentrations of O{sub 3}, CO, NO, and hydrocarbon s measured on a cruise at the same location and time (Meteor 56/1). Both evaluations of DMS fluxes are in the range (2-7) {times} 10{sup 9} molecules DMS cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1} and agree well with fluxes based on the seawater DMS concentration given by Barnard et al. (1982) for the Meteor cruise. The applicability of the results to strategies for satellite remote sensing of the tropospheric sulfur cycle is discussed. For some species (e.g., DMS) surface sensing of sources is feasible, but only in regions and seasons where phytoplankton pigment is a meaningful marker for biogenic emissions. The general applicability of ocean color to DMS determination awaits the development of an algorithm that can extract distributions of DMS emitting species from the optical signal. For other sulfur constituents (e.g., SO{sub 2}, COS) atmospheric measurements are appropriate for determining tropospheric distribution. Wind, moisture, cloud, precipitation, and temperature data are also required for complete characterization of the marine sulfur cycle.
- OSTI ID:
- 5325281
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:D12; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540110
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
AIR
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ATLANTIC OCEAN
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBON OXYSULFIDE
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLOROPHYLL
CLOUDS
COLOR
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDS
GASES
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOISTURE
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
POLLUTION SOURCES
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITES
SEAS
SEAWATER
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR CYCLE
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE WATERS
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
WIND