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Atmospheric bromine flux from the coastal Abu Dhabi sabkhat: A ground‐water mass‐balance investigation
Author(s) -
Wood Warren W.,
Sanford Ward E.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2007gl029922
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , abu dhabi , environmental science , flux (metallurgy) , bromine , atmospheric sciences , water vapor , meteorology , geology , geography , chemistry , archaeology , organic chemistry , metropolitan area
A solute mass‐balance study of ground water of the 3000 km 2 coastal sabkhat (salt flats) of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, documents an annual bromide loss of approximately 255 metric tons (0.0032 Gmoles), or 85 kg/km 2 . This value is an order of magnitude greater than previously published direct measurements from the atmosphere over an evaporative environment of a salar in Bolivia. Laboratory evidence, consistent with published reports, suggests that this loss is by vapor transport to the atmosphere. If this bromine flux to the atmosphere is representative of the total earth area of active salt flats then it is a significant, and generally under recognized, input to the global atmospheric bromide flux.