The annual cycle and sources of relevant aerosol precursor vapors in the central Arctic during the MOSAiC expedition

Autor(en)

Matthew Boyer, Diego Aliaga, Lauriane L. J. Quelever, Silvia Bucci, Hélène Angot, Lubna Dada, Benjamin Heutte, Lisa Beck, Marina Dütsch, Andreas Stohl, Ivo Beck, Tiia Laurila, Nina Sarnela, Roseline C. Thakur, Branka Miljevic, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Mikko Sipilä, Julia Schmale, Tuija Jokinen

Abstrakt

In this study, we present and analyze the first continuous time series of relevant aerosol precursor vapors from the central Arctic (north of 80° N) during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. These precursor vapors include sulfuric acid (SA), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and iodic acid (IA). We use FLEXPART simulations, inverse modeling, sulfur dioxide (SO2) mixing ratios, and chlorophyll a (chl a) observations to interpret the seasonal variability in the vapor concentrations and identify dominant sources. Our results show that both natural and anthropogenic sources are relevant for the concentrations of SA in the Arctic, but anthropogenic sources associated with Arctic haze are the most prevalent. MSA concentrations are an order of magnitude higher during polar day than during polar night due to seasonal changes in biological activity. Peak MSA concentrations were observed in May, which corresponds with the timing of the annual peak in chl a concentrations north of 75° N. IA concentrations exhibit two distinct peaks during the year, namely a dominant peak in spring and a secondary peak in autumn, suggesting that seasonal IA concentrations depend on both solar radiation and sea ice conditions. In general, the seasonal cycles of SA, MSA, and IA in the central Arctic Ocean are related to sea ice conditions, and we expect that changes in the Arctic environment will affect the concentrations of these vapors in the future. The magnitude of these changes and the subsequent influence on aerosol processes remains uncertain, highlighting the need for continued observations of these precursor vapors in the Arctic.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Helsinki, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Paul Scherrer Institute, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Åbo Akademi University, University of Queensland, Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C)

Journal

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Band

24

Seiten

12595–12621

Anzahl der Seiten

27

ISSN

1680-7316

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12595-2024

Publikationsdatum

11-2024

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

105206 Meteorologie

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Atmospheric Science

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/36e1701c-dc46-4bf1-958f-72baf34eed1c