Bromine oxide in the mid-latitude marine boundary layer

Abstract

We report direct observations of bromine oxide (BrO) in the mid-latitude marine boundary layer (MBL), using long-path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). The measurements were made at the Mace Head observatory on the west coast of Ireland. Over six days of observations, the BrO concentration varied from below the detection limit (≈0.8 parts per trillion (ppt)) at night, to a maximum daytime concentration of 6.5 ppt. At the average daytime concentration of 2.3 ppt, BrO causes significant O3 depletion in the MBL through catalytic cycles involving the iodine oxide and hydroperoxy radicals, and also oxidises dimethyl sulfide much more rapidly than the hydroxyl radical. A post-sunrise pulse of BrO was observed, consistent with the build up of photolabile precursors produced by heterogeneous reactions on sea-salt aerosol during the previous night. This indicates that significant bromine activation occurs over the open ocean. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.