Monitoring of reduced sulfur compounds in the atmosphere of Gosan, Jeju Island during the Spring of 2001

The atmospheric concentrations of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) were measured concurrently with relevant environmental parameters at Gosan, Jeju Island, Korea during 5–26 April 2001. The mean concentrations for these two compounds were 18.7 ± 17.9 and 6.4 ± 9.9 pptv, respectively. Results of our analysis indicated that relative temporal variations between DMS and CS2 can be best described by dividing the whole data set into three different periods which reflect the variable transport patterns of air masses into the study area. (Periods I, II, and III denote: 5–10, 10–18, and 19–26 April.) The environmental conditions during those three periods varied greatly. The effects of continental and/or oceanic processes were evident for certain periods, yielding diverse relationships between DMS and CS2 in both absolute and relative terms. Most observed variations were best explained in terms of an interplay between source/sink processes and air mass transport patterns. The sea-to-air flux of DMS, when estimated using our measurement data during this study period, was approximately 4 μmole m−2 d−1.