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Variation of sea salt aerosol pH with relative humidity
Author(s) -
von Glasow Roland,
Sander Rolf
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012387
Subject(s) - relative humidity , aerosol , sea salt , salt (chemistry) , aqueous solution , sea salt aerosol , phase (matter) , seawater , environmental chemistry , environmental science , humidity , atmospheric sciences , mineralogy , chemistry , geology , oceanography , meteorology , physics , organic chemistry
Calculations of the pH of sea salt aerosol particles show that the pH decreases with increasing relative humidity and therefore increasing liquid water content of the particles. We show that this puzzling effect is a result of the high concentration of chloride in the particles and the phase partitioning of HCl between the gas and aqueous phase, that makes the gas phase act as a reservoir for acidity for the sea salt particles. Implications for the marine boundary layer are briefly discussed.