Geophysiology of natural marine sulfate aerosols

Abstract

The hypothesis suggesting dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from oceanic phytoplankton as the dominant natural worldwide source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) is being tested in several ways. Studies ranging from the perturbation of cloud albedo by ship plumes to the sulpur content of Antarctic ice cores have revealed much about the workings of the natural marine sulfur cycle and the mass flux of DMS-derived sulfur compounds. However, quantifying the relationship between DMS mass flux, or sulfate mass concentration, and CCN number remains as a major challenge.