PNNL

Abstract

The oceans contribute to aerosol particles in the atmosphere through two different physical mechanisms: first by the production of sea spray aerosol (SSA), and second by emitting gases that condense to produce secondary marine aerosol (SMA). These aerosol emissions include three types of chemical compounds: salt particles account for >90% of the mass, most of which is >1 µm dry diameter; sulfate particles are 1 µm film drops can form by ligament fragmentation. SMA particles include contributions from marine biogenic gas emissions, including dimethylsulfide, isoprene, amines, and monoterpenes. The role of particles from the ocean in the atmosphere varies by region and by season, but since atmospheric concentrations of ocean-derived 1 µm particles. The current best estimate of SSA flux of 5000 Tg/yr can be used to calculate SSA-related carbon flux as 35 TgC/yr, by approximating 1 µm particles (as 90% of SSA flux with no organic carbon). SMA is estimated to contribute 0.6 TgC/yr as DMS, 0.6 TgC/yr as amines, and an additional trace amount from isoprene and monoterpenes for a total of 1 µm SSA mass size distributions, the relative contributions of SSA and SMA to large number concentrations of particles