Seasonality of sulfur species (dimethyl sulfide, sulfate, and methanesulfonate) in Antarctica: Inland versus coastal regions

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Preunkert, Suzanne, Jourdain, Bruno, Legrand, Michel, Udisti, Roberto, Becagli, Silvia, Cerri, Omar
• Other Authors: Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Firenze = University of Florence (UniFI)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: sulfur cycle; DMS; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; ice core; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-00381048; https://insu.hal.science/insu-00381048/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-00381048/file/2008JD009937.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD009937

International audience To gain a better understanding of sulfate and methanesulfonate (MS−) signals recorded in central Antarctic ice cores in terms of past atmospheric changes, an atmospheric year-round study of these aerosols was performed in 2006 at the Concordia station (75°S, 123°E) located on the high Antarctic plateau. In addition, a year-round study of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), the gaseous precursor of sulfur aerosol, was conducted in 2007. The DMS mixing ratio remains below 1 pptv from October to January and exhibits a maximum of 10 pptv during the first half of winter (from April to July). Surprisingly, the well-marked maximum of sulfur aerosol recorded in January at coastal Antarctic sites is observed at Concordia for sulfate but not for MS− which peaks before and after sulfate in November and March, respectively. This first study of DMS and of its by-oxidation aerosol species conducted at inland Antarctica points out the complex coupling between transport and photochemistry of sulfur species over Antarctica. The findings highlight the complexity of the link between MS− ice core records extracted at high Antarctic plateau sites and DMS emissions from the Southern ocean.