Emissions of Sulfur Compounds and The Significance of Their Cycling in the Western Korea Sea

서해지역을 중심으로 한 자연적 황화합물의 배출과 순환에 대한 연구

The concentrations of atmospheric dimethylsulfide (DMS) and the relevant environmental parameters were measured as part of the 3rd year project (August 1997-July 1998) to investigate the long range transport of atmospheric pollutants (LRTAP) between China and Korea. The main purpose of this study was to derive the contribution of natural sulfur emissions (represented by oceanic DMS fluxes) in estimating the total budgets of sulfur transported across the Yellow Sea. To this end, DMS concentrations were determined from the two western coastal monitoring sites (Cheju and Kang Hwa islands) during three field intensive experiments covering fall, winter, and spring seasons. From these series of experiments, we found that DMS concentrations of Cheju and Kang Iffwa were averaged at 74 $\pm$ 49.5 (range: 19~282 pptv (N=81)) and 63.7 $\pm$ 35.1 (range:25.8~131 pptv (N=19)), respectively. By combining these 3rd year data with those measured previously from the 2nd year, we were able to derive some general pictures of seasonal distribution patterns of DMS. Although DMS data were difficult to derive relationships with other parameters determined simultaneously, they were rarely exhibiting good correlations with temperature or wind speed. The oceanic flux of DMS for the western coastal regions of Korea, when estimated based on our data from two islands, was found on the range of 8.8~12.2 GgS/yr. By considering the relationship between DMS and non-seasalt sulfate, we could also provide rough estimate of relative significance of natural emissions of sulfur. If oceanic DMS emitted from those regions is entirely converted to sulfate, it could represent 10 to 25% of total sulfur budgets in the western Sea of Korea.