Abstract
THE stratospheric sulphate layer1 may play a major part in the Earth's global radiation budget2,3. Recent measurements4–6 indicated that carbonyl sulphide (COS) has an appreciable concentration, ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 p.p.b. in the Earth's troposphere. The gas is relatively inert7,8 in the troposphere and may therefore diffuse to the stratosphere where, through photolysis7–9, it may provide a major source of sulphate for the formation of the stratospheric sulphate layer. Thus, the origin of atmospheric COS is of particular interest in the stratospheric sulphur cycle. Kurylo10 suggested that the reaction of carbon disulphide (CS2) with OH might form COS as a reaction product. We investigate this possibility here through global COS budget analysis in the light of new atmospheric and laboratory measurements. Recent measurements showed that CS2 has a tropospheric concentration of around 0.1 p.p.b.5. The gas has previously been detected in seawater samples by Lovelock11.
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