Evidence for the climate role of marine biogenic sulfur

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:7195362

Bates, T S

The surface ocean plays an important role in the global biogeochemical sulfur cycle. Gaseous sulfur compounds emitted from the ocean are thought to be a major source of sulfate aerosol in the marine troposphere. Establishing the relationship between gaseous sulfur emissions, atmospheric sulfate concentrations, and aerosol particle populations is not only important in defining the ocean/atmosphere flux of sulfur, but also for the effects these particles may have on local cloud reflectivity, aerosol optical depth, and global climate. During 1982-1985, dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations were measured in over 1000 Pacific Ocean seawater samples. The data have been tabulated to take into account both regional and seasonal variations in concentration. These concentration data, combined with area-weighted summer and winter exchange coefficients, yield a net ocean to atmosphere DMS flux in the North Pacific Ocean of 0.12 {plus minus} 0.06 Tmol/a. Extrapolating this calculation by regional areas to the global ocean yields a net DMS flux of 0.50 {plus minus} 0.25 Tmol/a, less than earlier estimates of 1.2 Tmol/a, but still consistent with estimates of non-sea-salt sulfate deposition and model studies of the marine atmospheric sulfur budget. Using these regional and seasonal DMS concentration data, it appears that oceanic DMS emissions are positively correlated with atmospheric aerosol particle populations. Data support the hypothesis that oceanic DMS is the source of background marine sulfate aerosols formed from gas-to-particle conversions in the atmosphere.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7195362
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
CLIMATES
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
SEAS
SOLS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR CYCLE
SURFACE WATERS
WATER CHEMISTRY