Air/sea interfacial photochemistry is a global source of organic vapors and aerosol particles
Résumé
The surface of the oceans acts as a global sink and source for trace gases and aerosol particles. Recent laboratory and field studies suggest that photochemical reactions at this air/water interface produce organic vapors, known to enhance particle formation in the atmosphere. However, current model calculations neglect this abiotic source of reactive compounds and account only for biological emissions. Here we show that interfacial photochemistry serves as a major abiotic source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on a global scale, capable to compete with emissions from marine biology. Our results indicate global emissions of 65.0–257 Tg yr–1 (46.4–184 Tg C yr–1) of organic vapors from the oceans into the marine atmosphere and a potential contribution to organic aerosol mass of more than 60% over the remote ocean. Moreover, we provide global distributions of VOC formation potentials, which can be used as simple tools for field studies to estimate photochemical VOC emissions depending on location and season.