Non‐sea‐salt sulfate, methanesulfonate, and nitrate aerosol concentrations and size distributions at Cape Grim, Tasmania

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We collected weekly aerosol samples using high‐volume impactors over a period of 20 months (1988–1990) at the Cape Grim baseline station on the northwestern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The samples were analyzed for soluble ionic constituents, including sulfate, methanesulfonate (MS−), ammonium, nitrate, and the major sea‐salt ions. The sea‐salt component showed only a slight seasonal variation, whereas the non‐sea‐salt (nss) ions all had pronounced summer maxima. Significant interannual variability was seen between the nss ion concentrations measured during the two summers investigated. Nss sulfate and MS− were present both in the fine and coarse aerosol fractions, in the latter presumably associated with sea‐salt particles. During the winter period, there was more nss sulfate in the coarse fraction than in the fine fraction. These observations are consistent with an important role of liquid‐phase oxidation in haze and cloud droplets for the production of nss sulfate aerosol. The seasonal behavior of the sulfur and nitrogen species at Cape Grim and their mutual correlations suggest that DMS oxidation is the dominant sulfur source during summer, while nonbiogenic sulfur sources make significant contributions to nss sulfate outside of this season. Correlations of CN and CCN concentrations with nss sulfate, MS−, and wind speed suggest that DMS oxidation and, to a lesser extent, seaspray formation contributes to CN and CCN populations. The contrast between the weak seasonality of the sea‐salt component and the pronounced seasonal behavior in both sulfur species and CCN supports the central role of biogenic DMS emissions as precursors of CCN in this region, at least in the biologically productive season.