Methyl bromide cycling in a warm-core eddy of the North Atlantic Ocean Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We conducted a detailed investigation of the evolution of methyl bromide concentrations, degradation rates, and ventilation rates for 26 days in a naturally contained, warmcore eddy of the North Atlantic Ocean. This is the first study of the oceanic cycling of methyl bromide in a natural, contained system with a complete suite of supporting measurements of physical and chemical variables. Methyl bromide concentrations in the mixed layer ranged from 2.3 to 4.2 nmol m3, degradation rates ranged from 0.1 to 0.9 nmol m3 d1, net seatoair exchange rates ranged from 0 to 0.5 nmol m3 d1, and net loss rates through the thermocline were less than 0.1 nmol m3 d1. From a mass balance for methyl bromide in the mixed layer, we calculated production rates ranging from <0.1 to 1.3 nmol m3 d1. The median of this range, 0.48 nmol m3 d1, is higher than the 0.15 nmol m3 d1 necessary to maintain the reported global oceanic emission of 56 Gg yr1. This is reasonable, because our study area was supersaturated in methyl bromide, whereas the ocean as a whole is undersaturated.

published proceedings

  • GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

author list (cited authors)

  • Yvon-Lewis, S. A., Butler, J. H., Saltzman, E. S., Matrai, P. A., King, D. B., Tokarczyk, R., Moore, R. M., & Zhang, J. Z.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Yvon-Lewis, SA||Butler, JH||Saltzman, ES||Matrai, PA||King, DB||Tokarczyk, R||Moore, RM||Zhang, JZ

publication date

  • December 2002