Do primary marine aerosol organics play a role in the biological regulation of climate?

Abstract:

Field and laboratory observations reveal a source of primary marine organic aerosol that is emitted to the atmosphere along with inorganic sea salt during the wind-driven production of sea spray aerosol (SSA). Surface seawater processes and properties that control the amount and the composition of organics emitted to the atmosphere are not well understood. Ramifications of the emission of primary marine organic aerosol on clouds and climate have been suggested but not confirmed. An oceanic, biological impact on clouds and climate by primary marine aerosol requires that a) the organic fraction of SSA is controlled by surface ocean biological processes and b) that primary marine aerosol makes up a significant number fraction of CCN in the marine boundary layer.

Generation and characterization of freshly emitted SSA in the laboratory and at sea have revealed information about the size, composition, volatility, and hygroscopicity of primary marine aerosol. It has been shown that SSA is an internal mixture of sea salt and organics with the organic fraction increasing with decreasing particle size. In addition, quantification of the enrichment of organic matter in freshly emitted SSA relative to seawater has shown that high enrichments occur in regions of both eutrophic and oligotrophic waters, indicating that enrichment can be decoupled from local biological activity.

Measurements of ambient (not generated) marine aerosol number size distributions and size-segregated chemical composition can be used to estimate the number fraction of CCN attributable to primary marine aerosol. An analysis of Eastern Pacific, Northern Atlantic, and Southern Ocean marine aerosol indicates that the primary marine aerosol makes up only a small fraction of the total CCN in the marine atmosphere.

This presentation will consider current evidence derived from generation of freshly emitted SSA and measurements of ambient marine aerosol to assess the role of primary marine aerosol organics in the biological regulation of climate.