Seasonal variations of atmospheric sulfur dioxide and dimethylsulfide concentrations at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean

Daily measurements of atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations were performed from March 1989 to January 1991 at Amsterdam Island (37°50′ S–77°30′ E), a remote site located in the southern Indian Ocean. Long-range transport of continental air masses was studied using Radon (222Rn) as continental tracer. Average monthly SO2 concentrations range from less than 0.2 to 3.9 nmol m-3 (annual average = 0.7 nmol m-3) and present a seasonal cycle with a minimum in winter and a maximum in summer, similar to that described for atmospheric DMS concentrations measured during the same period. Clear diel correlation between atmospheric DMS and SO2 concentrations is also observed during summer. A photochemical box model using measured atmospheric DMS concentrations as input data reproduces the seasonal variations in the measured atmospheric SO2 concentrations within ±30%. Comparing between computed and measured SO2 concentrations allowed us to estimate a yield of SO2 from DMS oxidation of about 70%.

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