Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Parametric sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of dimethylsulfide oxidation in the clear-sky remote marine boundary layer

• Main Authors: D. D. Lucas, R. G. Prinn
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Southern Ocean
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.130.405; http://www.atmos-chem-phys.org/5/1505/2005/acp-5-1505-2005.pdf

Abstract. Local and global sensitivity and uncertainty methods are applied to a box model of the dimethylsulfide (DMS) oxidation cycle in the remote marine boundary layer in order to determine the key physical and chemical parameters and sources of uncertainty. The model considers 58 uncertain parameters, and simulates the diurnal gas-phase cycles of DMS, SO2, methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and H2SO4 for clear-sky summertime conditions observed over the Southern Ocean. The results of this study depend on many underlying assumptions, including the DMS mechanism, simulation conditions, and probability distribution functions of the uncertain parameters. A local direct integration method is used to calculate first-order local sensitivity coefficients for infinitesimal perturbations about the parameter means. Key parameters identified by this analysis are related to DMS emissions, vertical