11/02/2009
Understanding the Role of Marine Aerosols in Climate
Summary
The primary source of reactive inorganic chlorine and bromine in marine air is the production of sea-salt aerosols by waves breaking at the sea surface. Chemical reactions involving these halogens influence oxidation processes that in turn impact global radiation and climate. A recent study led by DOE-sponsored researcher Keene from the University of Virginia analyzes measurements from distinct climatic flow regimes over marine environments in the east Atlantic, including, Europe, North Africa, the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and the South Atlantic. This study sheds insights into the role of processes involving multiphase chemistry of marine aerosols that may need to be accounted for to improve coupled model simulations. A DOE Global Change Education Program graduate student, Michael Long, co-authored this study.
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References
Keene, W. C., M. S. Long, A. A. P. Pszenny, R. Sander, J. R. Maben, A. J. Wall, T. L. O’Halloran, A. Kerkewg, E. V. Fischer, and O. Schrems, Latitudinal variation in the multiphase chemical processing of inorganic halogens and related species over the eastern North and South Atlantic Oceans, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 7361-7385, 2009.