Open AccessThe rates of sea salt sulfatization in the atmosphere and surface snow of inland Antarctica
Author(s) -
Iizuka Yoshinori,
Tsuchimoto Akira,
Hoshina Yu,
Sakurai Toshimitsu,
Hansson Margareta,
Karlin Torbjörn,
Fujita Koji,
Nakazawa Fumio,
Motoyama Hideaki,
Fujita Shuji
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2011jd016378
Subject(s) - sea salt , snow , firn , snowpack , sea ice , sea salt aerosol , geology , sulfate , chloride , aerosol , seawater , ice core , atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , oceanography , chemistry , meteorology , geomorphology , geography , organic chemistry
Most of the aerosol particles present in the surface snow and ice of inland Antarctica come from primary sea salt (sodium chloride) and marine biological activity (methansulfonic and sulfuric acids). Melted water from surface snow, firn, and Holocene ice contains mainly sodium, chloride, and sulfate ions. Although it is well known that sea salt aerosols react rapidly with sulfuric acid, a process known as sulfatization, it is not known when this process takes place. In this research we undertake to measure the proportion of sea salt aerosols that undergo sulfatization in the atmosphere and surface snow, as opposed to deeper ice, in order to understand the suitability of sea salt aerosols as a proxy for past climates in deep ice cores. We directly measure the sulfatization rates in recently fallen snow (0–4 m in depth) collected at the Dome Fuji station, using X‐ray dispersion spectroscopy to determine the constituent elements of soluble particles and computing the molar ratios of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. We estimate that about 90% of the initial sea salt aerosols sulfatize as they are taken up by precipitation over Dome Fuji or in the snowpack within one year after being deposited on the ice sheet.