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The Marginal Ice Zone as a dominant source region of atmospheric mercury during central Arctic summertime

Author

Listed:
  • Fange Yue

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Hélène Angot

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Valais Wallis
    University of Colorado Boulder
    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE)

  • Byron Blomquist

    (University of Colorado
    NOAA, Physical Sciences Laboratory)

  • Julia Schmale

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Valais Wallis)

  • Clara J. M. Hoppe

    (Alfred Wegener Institut—Helmholtzzentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12)

  • Ruibo Lei

    (Polar Research Institute of China)

  • Matthew D. Shupe

    (University of Colorado
    NOAA, Physical Sciences Laboratory)

  • Liyang Zhan

    (Ministry of natural resources)

  • Jian Ren

    (Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources)

  • Hailong Liu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Ivo Beck

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Valais Wallis)

  • Dean Howard

    (University of Colorado
    NOAA, Physical Sciences Laboratory)

  • Tuija Jokinen

    (University of Helsinki
    The Cyprus Institute)

  • Tiia Laurila

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Lauriane Quéléver

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Matthew Boyer

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Tuukka Petäjä

    (University of Helsinki)

  • Stephen Archer

    (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences)

  • Ludovic Bariteau

    (University of Colorado
    NOAA, Physical Sciences Laboratory)

  • Detlev Helmig

    (Boulder Atmosphere Innovation Research)

  • Jacques Hueber

    (JH Atmospheric Instrumentation Design)

  • Hans-Werner Jacobi

    (Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE)

  • Kevin Posman

    (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences)

  • Zhouqing Xie

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

Atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations in the Arctic exhibit a clear summertime maximum, while the origin of this peak is still a matter of debate in the community. Based on summertime observations during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition and a modeling approach, we further investigate the sources of atmospheric Hg in the central Arctic. Simulations with a generalized additive model (GAM) show that long-range transport of anthropogenic and terrestrial Hg from lower latitudes is a minor contribution (~2%), and more than 50% of the explained GEM variability is caused by oceanic evasion. A potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis further shows that oceanic evasion is not significant throughout the ice-covered central Arctic Ocean but mainly occurs in the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) due to the specific environmental conditions in that region. Our results suggest that this regional process could be the leading contributor to the observed summertime GEM maximum. In the context of rapid Arctic warming and the observed increase in width of the MIZ, oceanic Hg evasion may become more significant and strengthen the role of the central Arctic Ocean as a summertime source of atmospheric Hg.

Suggested Citation

  • Fange Yue & Hélène Angot & Byron Blomquist & Julia Schmale & Clara J. M. Hoppe & Ruibo Lei & Matthew D. Shupe & Liyang Zhan & Jian Ren & Hailong Liu & Ivo Beck & Dean Howard & Tuija Jokinen & Tiia Lau, 2023. "The Marginal Ice Zone as a dominant source region of atmospheric mercury during central Arctic summertime," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-40660-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40660-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. W. H. Schroeder & K. G. Anlauf & L. A. Barrie & J. Y. Lu & A. Steffen & D. R. Schneeberger & T. Berg, 1998. "Arctic springtime depletion of mercury," Nature, Nature, vol. 394(6691), pages 331-332, July.
    2. Christopher W. Moore & Daniel Obrist & Alexandra Steffen & Ralf M. Staebler & Thomas A. Douglas & Andreas Richter & Son V. Nghiem, 2014. "Convective forcing of mercury and ozone in the Arctic boundary layer induced by leads in sea ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 506(7486), pages 81-84, February.
    3. Alfonso Saiz-Lopez & Sebastian P. Sitkiewicz & Daniel Roca-Sanjuán & Josep M. Oliva-Enrich & Juan Z. Dávalos & Rafael Notario & Martin Jiskra & Yang Xu & Feiyue Wang & Colin P. Thackray & Elsie M. Sun, 2018. "Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Beatriz Ferreira Araujo & Stefan Osterwalder & Natalie Szponar & Domenica Lee & Mariia V. Petrova & Jakob Boyd Pernov & Shaddy Ahmed & Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida & Laure Laffont & Roman Teisserenc &, 2022. "Mercury isotope evidence for Arctic summertime re-emission of mercury from the cryosphere," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
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