Quantifying the contribution of marine organic gases to atmospheric iodine

Charlotte E. Jones; Karen E. Hornsby; Roberto Sommariva; Rachel M. Dunk; Roland von Glasow; Gordon McFiggins; Lucy J. Carpenter

doi:10.1029/2010GL043990

Quantifying the contribution of marine organic gases to atmospheric iodine

Charlotte E. Jones, Karen E. Hornsby, Roberto Sommariva, Rachel M. Dunk, Roland von Glasow, Gordon McFiggins, Lucy J. Carpenter

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Abstract

Oceanic emissions of gaseous organic iodine-atom precursors have the potential to significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, however there is currently considerable uncertainty associated with quantifying their sources. We present sea-air fluxes calculated from simultaneous air and seawater measurements of a comprehensive range of volatile organic iodine compounds (VOICs), including CH3I and the less commonly reported dihalomethanes CH2ICl, CH2IBr and CH2I2, made during two cruises in the Atlantic Ocean between 15-58N. The combined dihalomethane flux provides a global iodine source (~0.33 0.19 Tg I y -1) comparable to that of CH3I, and a surface iodine atom source 3-4 times higher. However, a 1D atmospheric model reveals that, in the tropical east Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Cape Verde, even these combined VOIC fluxes are capable of supporting only ~10-25% of the observed IO levels, and suggests that a substantial (340-640 nmol I m-2 d -1) additional photochemical source of iodine is required.

Original language	English
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	37
Issue number	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043990
Publication status	Published - 2010

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Cite this

@article{5472a86f269243108c0bcfc666ba9b87,

title = "Quantifying the contribution of marine organic gases to atmospheric iodine",

abstract = "Oceanic emissions of gaseous organic iodine-atom precursors have the potential to significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, however there is currently considerable uncertainty associated with quantifying their sources. We present sea-air fluxes calculated from simultaneous air and seawater measurements of a comprehensive range of volatile organic iodine compounds (VOICs), including CH3I and the less commonly reported dihalomethanes CH2ICl, CH2IBr and CH2I2, made during two cruises in the Atlantic Ocean between 15-58N. The combined dihalomethane flux provides a global iodine source (~0.33 0.19 Tg I y -1) comparable to that of CH3I, and a surface iodine atom source 3-4 times higher. However, a 1D atmospheric model reveals that, in the tropical east Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Cape Verde, even these combined VOIC fluxes are capable of supporting only ~10-25% of the observed IO levels, and suggests that a substantial (340-640 nmol I m-2 d -1) additional photochemical source of iodine is required.",

author = "Jones, {Charlotte E.} and Hornsby, {Karen E.} and Roberto Sommariva and Dunk, {Rachel M.} and {von Glasow}, Roland and Gordon McFiggins and Carpenter, {Lucy J.}",

year = "2010",

doi = "10.1029/2010GL043990",

language = "English",

volume = "37",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "American Geophysical Union",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantifying the contribution of marine organic gases to atmospheric iodine

AU - Jones, Charlotte E.

AU - Hornsby, Karen E.

AU - Sommariva, Roberto

AU - Dunk, Rachel M.

AU - von Glasow, Roland

AU - McFiggins, Gordon

AU - Carpenter, Lucy J.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Oceanic emissions of gaseous organic iodine-atom precursors have the potential to significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, however there is currently considerable uncertainty associated with quantifying their sources. We present sea-air fluxes calculated from simultaneous air and seawater measurements of a comprehensive range of volatile organic iodine compounds (VOICs), including CH3I and the less commonly reported dihalomethanes CH2ICl, CH2IBr and CH2I2, made during two cruises in the Atlantic Ocean between 15-58N. The combined dihalomethane flux provides a global iodine source (~0.33 0.19 Tg I y -1) comparable to that of CH3I, and a surface iodine atom source 3-4 times higher. However, a 1D atmospheric model reveals that, in the tropical east Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Cape Verde, even these combined VOIC fluxes are capable of supporting only ~10-25% of the observed IO levels, and suggests that a substantial (340-640 nmol I m-2 d -1) additional photochemical source of iodine is required.

AB - Oceanic emissions of gaseous organic iodine-atom precursors have the potential to significantly affect atmospheric chemistry and climate, however there is currently considerable uncertainty associated with quantifying their sources. We present sea-air fluxes calculated from simultaneous air and seawater measurements of a comprehensive range of volatile organic iodine compounds (VOICs), including CH3I and the less commonly reported dihalomethanes CH2ICl, CH2IBr and CH2I2, made during two cruises in the Atlantic Ocean between 15-58N. The combined dihalomethane flux provides a global iodine source (~0.33 0.19 Tg I y -1) comparable to that of CH3I, and a surface iodine atom source 3-4 times higher. However, a 1D atmospheric model reveals that, in the tropical east Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Cape Verde, even these combined VOIC fluxes are capable of supporting only ~10-25% of the observed IO levels, and suggests that a substantial (340-640 nmol I m-2 d -1) additional photochemical source of iodine is required.

U2 - 10.1029/2010GL043990

DO - 10.1029/2010GL043990

M3 - Article

VL - 37

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

SN - 0094-8276

IS - 18

ER -