Observations of the atmospheric sulfur cycle on SAGA 3

Journal Article · Mon Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JD02818· OSTI ID:83369

Huebert, B J; Howell, S; Laj, P ^[1]; Johnson, J E; Bates, T S; Quinn, P K ^[2]; Yegorov, V ^[3]; Clarke, A D; Porter, J N ^[4]

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1. Univ. of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI (United States)
2. NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Lab., Seattle, WA (United States)
3. State Committee for Hydrometeorology, Moscow (Russian Federation)
4. Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)

During the Soviet/American Gases and Aerosols (SAGA) 3 program in February and March 1991 the authors measured a wide variety of sulfur compounds simultaneously in the equatorial Pacific marine boundary layer. They made measurements of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide (DMS), sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}), and size-resolved aerosol non-sea-salt sulfate (NSS), and methane sulfonate (MSA). Some of the observed ratios contradict commonly held views of the marine sulfur cycle: the large DMS/NSS ratio implies that NSS may not be the primary product of DMS oxidation under some conditions. The authors also found much more DMS than SO{sub 2}, which may suggest that SO{sub 2} is not always an intermediate in DMS oxidation. The small SO{sub 2}/NSS ratio also supports the idea that most NSS was not formed from SO{sub 2}. Although the measured ratios of MSA/NSS were similar to previous observations in this region, much of the MSA was contained on supermicron particles, in contrast to both the NSS and the earlier MSA observations at higher latitudes. This implies that MSA/NSS ratios in ice cores may not accurately reflect the MSA/NSS ratios in their source areas. 51 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 83369
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: D9 Vol. 98; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
DIMETHYL SULFIDE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EQUATOR
PACIFIC OCEAN
SULFATES
SULFONATES
SULFUR CYCLE
SULFUR DIOXIDE