Ms Cathleen Zindler
IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, GERMANY
Topic: DMS measurements in the ocean (Report)
Host: Rafel Simo, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CMIMA-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain)
Date of STSM: 06/01/2008 to 20/01/2008
STSM code: 3281
The ocean is the major source of oceanic dimethyl sulphide (DMS). When emitted to the atmosphere DMS is a precursor of climate-relevant atmospheric aerosols. Therefore, the need to investigate the global oceanic distribution of DMS to quantify and predict its future emissions to the atmosphere is obvious. At IFM-GEOMAR in Kiel a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a flame photometric detector (FPD) was set-up in order to build a seagoing analytical system to measure DMS/DMSP (DMSP is measured as DMS). The overall aims of the Kiel activity are (1) to quantify the DMS emissions from the eastern tropical North Atlantic Ocean with a special focus on the upwelling area off Mauritania and (2) to investigate the potential changes of DMS emissions as a consequence of the ongoing ocean acidification.