Articles | Volume 25, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9645-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9645-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Constraining elemental mercury air–sea exchange using long-term ground-based observations
Koketso M. Molepo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute for Coastal Environmental Chemistry, Organic Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Johannes Bieser
Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Alkuin M. Koenig
Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, Grenoble, France
Ian M. Hedgecock
CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, 87036 Rende, Italy
Ralf Ebinghaus
Institute for Coastal Environmental Chemistry, Organic Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Aurélien Dommergue
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, Grenoble, France
Olivier Magand
Observatoire des Sciences de l`Univers de La Réunion (OSU-Réunion), UAR 3365, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Météo France, IRD, Saint-Denis, France
Hélène Angot
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, Grenoble, France
Oleg Travnikov
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lynwill Martin
Cape Point Global Atmosphere Watch, South African Weather Service, Oval Park Office, Freight Road, Cape Town, 7525, South Africa
Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group, Chemical Resource Beneficiation, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Casper Labuschagne
Cape Point Global Atmosphere Watch, South African Weather Service, Oval Park Office, Freight Road, Cape Town, 7525, South Africa
Katie Read
National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
Yann Bertrand
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, Grenoble, France
Data sets
Continuous measurements of atmospheric mercury at Amsterdam Island (L2) O. Magand and A. Dommergue https://doi.org/10.25326/168
All 222Rn data contributed to WDCGG by GAW stations and mobiles by 2022-07-11 A. Williams et al. https://doi.org/10.50849/WDCGG_222RN_ALL_2022
Short summary
Mercury exchange between the ocean and atmosphere is poorly understood due to limited in situ data. Here, using atmospheric mercury observations from ground-based monitoring stations along with air mass trajectories, we found that atmospheric Hg levels increase with air mass ocean exposure time, matching predictions for ocean Hg emissions. This finding indicates that ocean emissions directly influence atmospheric Hg levels and enables us to estimate these emissions on a global scale.
Mercury exchange between the ocean and atmosphere is poorly understood due to limited in situ...
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