Annual cycle of gaseous sulfur emissions from a New England Spartina alterniflora marsh

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A flow-through chamber was used to measure the net gaseous sulfur fluxes (emission minus uptake) to the atmosphere from an area of Spartina alterniflora in a New England salt marsh. The fluxes of hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide and dimethyl disulfide were measured monthly over a year to obtain the annual emission estimates. Peak releases of the various sulfur gases did not occur simultaneously but were measured from July through to October depending on the individual sulfur species. The total annual emission was estimated to be 5.8 g S m −2 y −1, with dimethyl sulfide (49% of the total) and hydrogen sulfide (35% of the total) the major components emitted. The emissions of the other sulfur gases were nearly 10-fold lower.