The marine chemistry of dimethylsulfide

Abstract

Dimethylsulfide (DMS) was determined in surface seawater and vertical hydrographic profiles in the Atlantic Ocean during two cruises from Hamburg to Montevideo (Uruguay), and from Miami (Florida) into the Sargasso Sea. These data cover most of the ecological zones of the Atlantic. DMS concentrations are related to the levels of marine primary production, in agreement with its release by marine phytoplankton in laboratory cultures. The vertical distribution of DMS in the euphotic zone follows that of primary production, with a maximum at or near the ocean surface and a decrease with depth. Below the level of 1% light penetration, DMS levels decline gradually, but DMS remains detectable even in the bottom waters. The mean DMS concentration in surface water is 84.4, and in deep water 3.2 ng S (DMS) 1⁻¹. No steep gradients of DMS exist near the sea surface on scales of centimeters to tenths of millimeters. At a drift station, DMS was observed to be diurnally variable, with an increase in concentration in the euphotic zone throughout the day. DMS is actively turned over in the surface ocean with a residence time of a few days, but it is apparently very stable in the deep sea. DMS is the major volatile sulfur compound in the ocean, and its transfer across the air-sea interface contributes significantly to the atmospheric sulfur budget.