[1] Bromoform (CHBr 3 ) is the largest single source of atmospheric organic bromine and therefore of importance as a source of reactive halogens to the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The sea-to-air flux, originating with macroalgal and planktonic sources, is the main source for atmospheric bromoform. We review bromoform's contribution to atmospheric chemistry, its atmospheric and oceanic distributions and its oceanic sources and sinks. We have reassessed oceanic emissions, based on published aqueous and airborne concentration data, global climatological parameters, and information concerning coastal and biogenic sources. The goals are to attempt an estimate of the global source strength and partly to identify key regions that require further investigation. The sea-to-air flux is spatially and temporally variable with tropical, subtropical and shelf waters identified as potentially important source regions. We obtain an annual global flux of bromoform of $10 Gmol Br yr À1 (3-22 Gmol Br yr À1 ). This estimate is associated with significant uncertainty, arising from data precision and coverage, choice of air-sea exchange parameterizations and model assumptions. Anthropogenic sources of $0.3 (to 1.1) Gmol Br yr À1 (as CHBr 3 ) can be locally significant, but are globally negligible. Our estimate of the global oceanic source is three to four times higher than recent estimates based on the modeling of atmospheric sinks. The reasons for this discrepancy could lie with the limited regional and temporal data available and the broad assumptions that underlie our flux calculations. Alternatively, atmospheric sink calculations, often made on the basis of background CHBr 3 levels, may neglect the influence of strong but highly localized sources (e.g., from some coastal and shelf regions). The strongly variable and poorly characterized source of CHBr 3 , together with its short atmospheric lifetime, complicates model-based estimation of the distribution of reactive Br resulting from its atmospheric degradation. An integrated program of marine and atmospheric observations, atmospheric modeling and mechanistic studies of oceanic bromoform production is required to better constrain present and future Br delivery to the atmosphere.
Volatile halogenated organic compounds containing bromine and iodine, which are naturally produced in the ocean, are involved in ozone depletion in both the troposphere and stratosphere. Three prominent compounds transporting large amounts of marine halogens into the atmosphere are bromoform (CHBr3), dibromomethane (CH2Br2) and methyl iodide (CH3I). The input of marine halogens to the stratosphere has been estimated from observations and modelling studies using low-resolution oceanic emission scenarios derived from top-down approaches. In order to improve emission inventory estimates, we calculate data-based high resolution global sea-to-air flux estimates of these compounds from surface observations within the HalOcAt (Halocarbons in the Ocean and Atmosphere) database (https://halocat.geomar.de/). Global maps of marine and atmospheric surface concentrations are derived from the data which are divided into coastal, shelf and open ocean regions. Considering physical and biogeochemical characteristics of ocean and atmosphere, the open ocean water and atmosphere data are classified into 21 regions. The available data are interpolated onto a 1°×1° grid while missing grid values are interpolated with latitudinal and longitudinal dependent regression techniques reflecting the compounds' distributions. With the generated surface concentration climatologies for the ocean and atmosphere, global sea-to-air concentration gradients and sea-to-air fluxes are calculated. Based on these calculations we estimate a total global flux of 1.5/2.5 Gmol Br yr−1 for CHBr3, 0.78/0.98 Gmol Br yr−1 for CH2Br2 and 1.24/1.45 Gmol Br yr−1 for CH3I (robust fit/ordinary least squares regression techniques). Contrary to recent studies, negative fluxes occur in each sea-to-air flux climatology, mainly in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. "Hot spots" for global polybromomethane emissions are located in the equatorial region, whereas methyl iodide emissions are enhanced in the subtropical gyre regions. Inter-annual and seasonal variation is contained within our flux calculations for all three compounds. Compared to earlier studies, our global fluxes are at the lower end of estimates, especially for bromoform. An under-representation of coastal emissions and of extreme events in our estimate might explain the mismatch between our bottom-up emission estimate and top-down approaches
Abstract. The climate active trace-gas carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is the most abundant sulfur gas in the atmosphere. A missing source in its atmospheric budget is currently suggested, resulting from an upward revision of the vegetation sink. Tropical oceanic emissions have been proposed to close the resulting gap in the atmospheric budget. We present a bottom-up approach including (i) new observations of OCS in surface waters of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and (ii) a further improved global box model to show that direct OCS emissions are unlikely to account for the missing source. The box model suggests an undersaturation of the surface water with respect to OCS integrated over the entire tropical ocean area and, further, global annual direct emissions of OCS well below that suggested by top-down estimates. In addition, we discuss the potential of indirect emission from CS 2 and dimethylsulfide (DMS) to account for the gap in the atmospheric budget. This bottom-up estimate of oceanic emissions has implications for using OCS as a proxy for global terrestrial CO 2 uptake, which is currently impeded by the inadequate quantification of atmospheric OCS sources and sinks.
Abstract. A latitudinal cross-section and vertical profiles of iodine monoxide (IO) are reported from the marine boundary layer of the Western Pacific. The measurements were taken using Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) during the TransBrom cruise of the German research vessel Sonne, which led from Tomakomai, Japan (42° N, 141° E) through the Western Pacific to Townsville, Australia (19° S, 146° E) in October 2009. In the marine boundary layer within the tropics (between 20° N and 5° S), IO mixing ratios ranged between 1 and 2.2 ppt, whereas in the subtropics and at mid-latitudes typical IO mixing ratios were around 1 ppt in the daytime. The profile retrieval reveals that the bulk of the IO was located in the lower part of the marine boundary layer. Photochemical simulations indicate that the organic iodine precursors observed during the cruise (CH3I, CH2I2, CH2ClI, CH2BrI) are not sufficient to explain the measured IO mixing ratios. Reasonable agreement between measured and modelled IO can only be achieved if an additional sea-air flux of inorganic iodine (e.g., I2) is assumed in the model. Our observations add further evidence to previous studies that reactive iodine is an important oxidant in the marine boundary layer.
Oceanic bromoform (CHBr3) is the major source of organic Br to the atmosphere and may be significant for ozone depletion through the contribution of reactive bromine to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere of the midlatitudes and tropics. We report the first analyses of boundary layer air, surface and deep ocean waters from the tropical Atlantic. The data provide evidence of a source of CHBr3 throughout the tropical open ocean associated with the deep chlorophyll maximum within the tropical thermocline. Equatorial upwelling carries the CHBr3 to the surface, adding to increased concentrations in the equatorial mixed layer and driving oceanic emissions that support locally elevated atmospheric concentrations. In air masses that had crossed the coastal upwelling region off NW Africa even higher atmospheric mixing ratios were measured. The observations suggest a link between climate, wind‐driven upwelling, and the supply of Br to the upper atmosphere of the tropics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.