IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-46744-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Atmospheric isoprene measurements reveal larger-than-expected Southern Ocean emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Valerio Ferracci

    (Cranfield University
    National Physical Laboratory)

  • James Weber

    (University of Sheffield
    University of Reading)

  • Conor G. Bolas

    (University of Cambridge
    ITOPF)

  • Andrew D. Robinson

    (University of Cambridge
    Schlumberger Cambridge Research)

  • Fiona Tummon

    (Swiss Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss)

  • Pablo Rodríguez-Ros

    (Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC)
    Bisbe Perelló)

  • Pau Cortés-Greus

    (Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC))

  • Andrea Baccarini

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Roderic L. Jones

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Martí Galí

    (Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC))

  • Rafel Simó

    (Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC))

  • Julia Schmale

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Neil. R. P. Harris

    (Cranfield University)

Abstract

Isoprene is a key trace component of the atmosphere emitted by vegetation and other organisms. It is highly reactive and can impact atmospheric composition and climate by affecting the greenhouse gases ozone and methane and secondary organic aerosol formation. Marine fluxes are poorly constrained due to the paucity of long-term measurements; this in turn limits our understanding of isoprene cycling in the ocean. Here we present the analysis of isoprene concentrations in the atmosphere measured across the Southern Ocean over 4 months in the summertime. Some of the highest concentrations ( >500 ppt) originated from the marginal ice zone in the Ross and Amundsen seas, indicating the marginal ice zone is a significant source of isoprene at high latitudes. Using the United Kingdom Earth System Model we show that current estimates of sea-to-air isoprene fluxes underestimate observed isoprene by a factor >20. A daytime source of isoprene is required to reconcile models with observations. The model presented here suggests such an increase in isoprene emissions would lead to >8% decrease in the hydroxyl radical in regions of the Southern Ocean, with implications for our understanding of atmospheric oxidation and composition in remote environments, often used as proxies for the pre-industrial atmosphere.

Suggested Citation

  • Valerio Ferracci & James Weber & Conor G. Bolas & Andrew D. Robinson & Fiona Tummon & Pablo Rodríguez-Ros & Pau Cortés-Greus & Andrea Baccarini & Roderic L. Jones & Martí Galí & Rafel Simó & Julia Sch, 2024. "Atmospheric isoprene measurements reveal larger-than-expected Southern Ocean emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-46744-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46744-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46744-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-46744-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Brüggemann & Nathalie Hayeck & Christian George, 2018. "Interfacial photochemistry at the ocean surface is a global source of organic vapors and aerosols," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Martin Brüggemann & Nathalie Hayeck & Christian George, 2018. "Author Correction: Interfacial photochemistry at the ocean surface is a global source of organic vapors and aerosols," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-1, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      More about this item

      Statistics

      Access and download statistics

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-46744-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.