Simulated perturbation in the sea-to-air flux of dimethylsulfi de and the impact on polar climate

Marine biogenic emission of dimethylsulfi de(DMS)has been well recognized as the main natural source of reduced sulfur to the remote marine atmosphere and has the potential to aff ect climate,especially in the polar regions.We used a global climate model(GCM)to investigate the impact on atmospheric chemistry from a change to the contemporary DMS fl ux to that which has been projected for the late 21 st century.The perturbed simulation corresponded to conditions that pertained to a tripling of equivalent CO 2,which was estimated to occur by year 2090 based on current worst-case greenhouse gas emission scenarios.The changes in zonal mean DMS fl ux were applied to 50°S–70°S Antarctic(ANT)and 65°N–80°N Arctic(ARC)regions.The results indicate that there are clearly diff erent impacts after perturbation in the southern and northern polar regions.Most quantities related to the sulfur cycle show a higher increase in ANT.However,most sulfur compounds have higher peaks in ARC.The perturbation in DMS fl ux leads to an increase of atmospheric DMS of about 45%in ANT and 33.6%in ARC.The sulfur dioxide(SO 2)vertical integral increases around 43%in ANT and 7.5%in ARC.Sulfate(SO 4)vertical integral increases by 17%in ANT and increases around 6%in ARC.Sulfur emissions increases by 21%in ANT and increases by 9.7%in ARC.However,oxidation of DMS by OH increases by 38.2%in ARC and by 15.17%in ANT.Aerosol optical depth(AOD)increases by 4%in the ARC and by 17.5%in the ANT,and increases by 22.8%in austral summer.The importance of the perturbation of the biogenic source to future aerosol burden in polar regions leads to a cooling in surface temperature of 1 K in the ANT and 0.8 K in the ARC.Generally,polar regions in the Antarctic Ocean will have a higher off setting eff ect on warming after DMS fl ux perturbation.

Methane in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea: dynamics, distribution, and production

The Yellow Sea(YS)and East China Sea(ECS)are important marginal seas of the western Pacific.Understanding the dynamics of methane(CH_(4))in the YS and ECS are essential to evaluate the role of coastal seas in global warming.We measured dissolved CH_(4) at various depths in the water column of the YS and ECS during a cruise from March to April 2017.The concentrations of CH_(4) varied greatly in different water masses,suggesting that the hydrographic conditions can substantially aff ect the CH_(4) distribution.The CH_(4) budget in the shelf of the ECS,which was estimated with a box model,suggests CH_(4) consumption in the water column was the major sink(>95%),followed by a loss with a total of 2.2%CH_(4) released to the atmosphere.Overall a local CH_(4) production of 0.28 nmol/(L·d)was needed to maintain the CH_(4) excess.Results from laboratory incubations showed an increase in CH_(4)(1.5 times higher than the value of the control)after the addition of dimethylsulfoniopropionate(DMSP).Field incubations result in a CH_(4) production rate of 1.2 nmol/(L·d)under a N-stressed conditions(N꞉P<1),indicates that the DMSP-dependent CH_(4) production prefer to occur in the oligotrophic seawaters,where nitrogen is depleted.This study demonstrates that the marginal seas of China is a hotspot for CH_(4) dynamics,and the cycling of methylated sulfur compounds(such as DMSP)may contribute importantly to locally formed CH_(4).This may have further implication to carbon and sulfur biogeochemical cycles in the western Pacific.