Mediterranean nascent sea spray organic aerosol and relationships with seawater biogeochemistry
<p><span id="page10626"/>The organic mass fraction from sea spray aerosol (SSA) is currently a subject of intense research. The majority of this research is dedicated to measurements in ambient air. However a number of studies have recently started to focus on nascent sea spray...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/21/10625/2021/acp-21-10625-2021.pdf |
| Summary: | <p><span id="page10626"/>The organic mass fraction from sea spray aerosol (SSA) is currently a
subject of intense research. The majority of this research is dedicated to
measurements in ambient air. However a number of studies have recently
started to focus on nascent sea spray aerosol. This work presents
measurements collected during a 5-week cruise in May and June 2017 in
the central and western Mediterranean Sea, an oligotrophic marine region
with low phytoplankton biomass. Surface seawater was continuously pumped
into a bubble-bursting apparatus to generate nascent sea spray aerosol. Size
distributions were measured with a differential mobility particle sizer (DMPS). Chemical characterization of the submicron aerosol was performed with a time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ToF-ACSM) operating with 10 min time resolution and with filter-based chemical analysis on a daily basis. Using positive matrix factorization analysis, the ToF-ACSM non-refractory organic matter (OM<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>) was separated into four different organic aerosol types, identified as primary OA (POA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>), oxidized OA (OOA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>), methanesulfonic acid type OA (MSA-OA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>), and mixed OA (MOA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>). In parallel, surface seawater biogeochemical properties were monitored providing information on phytoplankton cell abundance and seawater particulate organic carbon (1 h time resolution) and seawater surface microlayer (SML) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (on a daily basis). Statistically robust correlations (for <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i>>500</span>) were found between MOA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span> and nanophytoplankton cell abundance, as well as between POA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>, OOA<span class="inline-formula"><sub>NR</sub></span>, and particulate organic carbon (POC). Parameterizations of the contributions of different types of organics to the submicron nascent sea spray aerosol are proposed as a function of the seawater biogeochemical properties for use in models.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |