Global distribution of sulfur compounds in the troposphere estimated in a height/latitude transport model

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC085iC12p07401· OSTI ID:5674700

Rodhe, H; Isaksen, I

A global two-dimensional time-dependent model has been used to estimate the tropospheric distributions of sulfur compounds resulting from natural emissions of H/sub 2/S or DMS and from man-made emissions of SO/sub 2/. Comparisons of observations of H/sub 2/S, DMS, SO/sub 2/, and SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ remote areas with the model estimates indicate that the global flux of H/sub 2/S and DMS, taken together, amounts to at most a few tens of tg s/yr. The present man-made emissions of SO/sub 2/ (about 80 tg s/yr) can account for a dominant part of the SO/sub 2/ and SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ observed in the lower troposphere of the northern hemisphere. On the other hand, neither natural emissions of H/sub 2/S and DMS at the surface nor man-made emissions of SO/sub 2/ seem to be able to explain the relatively high values of SO/sub 2/ observed in the middle and upper troposphere in both hemispheres. Our calculations indicate that a relatively long-lived precursor must be involved as a source for this SO/sub 2/. The amount of SO/sub 2/ produced by the oxidation of CS/sub 2/ and OCS does not seem sufficiently high. Average residence times in the atmosphere for H/sub 2/S, SO/sub 2/, and SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ have been estimated to about 1, 1.5, and 5 days, respectively. If only higher portions of the troposphere are considered, the residence times increase considerably.

• OSTI ID: 5674700
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 85:C12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
GLOBAL ASPECTS
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TROPOSPHERE
CHALCOGENIDES
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MASS TRANSFER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)