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Global Climate Change Digest
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FROM VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2, FEBRUARY 1992

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
CLOUDS AND THE SULFUR CYCLE

Item #d92feb16

"Seasonal Variations of Dimethylsulfide Emissions and Atmospheric Sulfur and Nitrogen Species over the Western North Atlantic Ocean," H. Berresheim (Atmos. Sci., Georgia Inst. Technol., Atlanta GA 30332), M.O. Andreae et al., Tellus, 43B(5), 353-372, Nov. 1991

Measurements of atmospheric DMS, SO2, aerosol methanesulfonate (MSA), nss-SO42-, NH4+, NO3- and other major ions were made over an entire year. DMS was also measured in surface seawater, and dimethylsulfoxide and other trace compounds measured in rainwater samples. The annual DMS flux, highest in fall, is negligible compared to the sulfur from North America during westerly winds, but may dominate the sulfur budget in easterly winds. The yield of MSA from DMS oxidation may be similar in both air masses. Aerosol particles were mainly acidic with NH4+/nss-SO42- ratios of 1-2 mol/mol.

Item #d92feb17

"Measurements of Aitken Nuclei and Cloud Condensation Nuclei in the Marine Atmosphere and Their Relation to the DMS-Cloud-Climate Hypothesis," D.A. Hegg (Dept. Atmos. Sci., Univ. Washington, AK-40, Seattle WA 98195), L.F. Radke, P.V. Hobbs, J. Geophys. Res., 96(D10), 18,727-18,733, Oct. 20, 1991.

New airborne measurements provide quantitative support for some facets of the DMS-cloud-climate hypothesis. They suggest that layers of high concentrations of Aitken nuclei near the tops of marine clouds are due to photochemical nucleation, and show a significant correlation between cloud condensation nuclei in the boundary layer and mean cloud droplet concentration in stratus clouds topping a marine boundary layer.

Item #d92feb18

"Seasonal Relationship Between Cloud Condensation Nuclei and Aerosol Methanesulfonate in Marine Air," G.P. Ayers (Div. Atmos. Res., CSIRO, Priv. Bag 1, Mordialloc 3195, Australia), J.L. Gras, Nature, 353(6347), 834-835, Oct. 31, 1991.

In an attempt to evaluate the link between DMS and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) implied by the DMS-cloud-climate hypothesis, nine years of data are presented which show a seasonal relationship between CCN and methanesulfonate, an easily sampled oxidation product of DMS. Results confirm that DMS emissions strongly influence CCN concentrations, but at low concentrations of methanesulfonate, there may be a different source of CCN.

Item #d92feb19

"Sulfur Isotope Measurements of Submicrometer Sulfate Aerosol Particles over the Pacific Ocean," J.A. Calhoun (Lab. Glac. & Geophys. de l'Environ., BP 96, 38402 St.-Martin-d'Heres Cedex, France), T.S. Bates, R.J. Charlson, Geophys. Res. Lett., 18(10), 1877-1880, Oct. 1991.

Measurements of stable sulfur isotopes in submicrometer aerosol particles from the South Pacific were used to test the hypothesis that the primary source of atmospheric nss-SO42- is marine emissions of DMS. The observed isotopic fractionation between seawater SO42- and nss-SO42- supports this hypothesis.

Item #d92feb20

"A Global Three-Dimensional Model of the Tropospheric Sulfur Cycle," J. Langner (Dept. Meteor., Stockholm Univ., S-106 91 Stockholm, Swed.), H. Rodhe, J. Atmos. Chem., 13(3), 225-263, Oct. 1991.

The model treats the emission, transport, chemistry and removal processes of DMS, SO2 and SO42-. Oxidation of DMS by OH radicals together with a global emission of 16 Tg DMS-S yr-1 from the oceans yields marine boundary layer DMS concentrations consistent with observations.

Item #d92feb21

"Continuous Determination of Dimethylsulfide at Part-per-Trillion Concentrations in Air by Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry," T.J. Kelly (Battelle, 505 King Ave., Columbus OH 43201), D.V. Kenny, Atmos. Environ., 25A(10), 2155-2160, 1991.

Item #d92feb22

"Determination of Aqueous Dimethyl Sulfide Using Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry," R.G. Ridgeway Jr., A.R. Bandy (Dept. Chem., Drexel Univ., Philadelphia PA 19104), D.C. Thornton, Marine Chem., 33, 321-334, 1991. Describes this new purge and trap method and measurements using it in the northeastern North Atlantic Ocean in spring.

Item #d92feb23

"Measurements of Atmospheric Dimethyl Sulfide and Carbon Disulfide in the Western Atlantic Boundary Layer," D.J. Cooper (Sch. Marine/Atmos. Sci., Univ. Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami FL 33149), E.S. Saltzman, ibid., 153-168. The magnitude of diurnal variations found in shipboard measurements appears to be controlled by local meteorology, although rapid daytime oxidation is suggested in some cases.