Characteristics of sulfur-containing aerosols and organic carbon in the Amundsen Sea

Abstract

Atmospheric concentrations of ionic species, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) were measured over the Southern Ocean and the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica between 43°S and 75°S in the austral summer of 2016 on board the Korean icebreaker IBR/V Araon. In the Amundsen Sea, MSA concentration showed a significant relationship with dimethyl sulfide (DMS) flux, and mean contribution of biogenic nss-SO42 accounted for 69 ± 34% of total nss-SO42. WIOC was the dominant OC species in both the Southern Ocean and the Amundsen Sea, accounting for 75% and 73%, respectively. WIOC and WSOC were highly enriched in submicron sea spray aerosols, and the enrichments were affected by wind speed and biological activities. Our results suggest that biogenic WSOC and WIOC as well as sulfur species in the Amundsen Sea could be an important source of cloud condensations nuclei.