Aqueous-phase chemical processes in deliquescent sea-salt aerosols: a mechanism that couples the atmospheric cycles of S and sea salt

The model simulates the scavenging of soluble and reactive gaseous species by the sea-salt aerosols, the chemical reactions of these species and sea-salt ions in the deliquescent solution, and changes in the aerosol composition that occur as a result of these processes. The oxidation of dissolved SIV by O3 in sea-salt aerosols is found to proceed at rates approaching 0.1 eq L-1 hr-1 and appears to be sufficiently rapid to qualitatively explain the observations of nss-SO=4 in sea salt aerosols over the North Atlantic Ocean. The calculations suggest a removal mechanism for atmospheric S that is largely controlled by the alkalinity of seawater and the flux of this alkalinity into the atmosphere in sea salt. -from Authors

Duke Scholars

Author William Chameides Earth and Climate Sciences