Premium
Photochemical production of carbonyl sulfide in seawater and its emission to the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Andreae Meinrat O.,
Ferek Ronald J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/91gb02809
Subject(s) - carbonyl sulfide , atmosphere (unit) , flux (metallurgy) , seawater , dimethyl sulfide , oceanography , subtropics , supersaturation , environmental science , sulfide , atmospheric sciences , temperate climate , diel vertical migration , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geology , meteorology , sulfur , ecology , physics , organic chemistry , biology
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) measurements in the surface waters of the temperate and subtropical North Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico showed COS to be supersaturated with respect to atmospheric equilibrium at almost all locations and times investigated. Its concentration follows a pronounced diel cycle which can be modeled using a simple equation which includes hydrolysis removal and photo‐chemical production. The concentration and ocean/atmosphere flux of COS depends strongly on marine productivity, the highest levels being found in coastal and shelf waters. Analysis of presently available data yields an estimate of 13 Gmol yr ‐1 (0.41 Tg S(COS) yr −1 ) for the total flux of COS from the oceans to the atmosphere.