Atmospheric outflow of anthropogenic iron and its deposition to China adjacent seas

Atmospheric deposition of iron (Fe) can increase marine primary productivity, consequently affect ocean biogeochemical cycles and climate change. In this study, we develop an adaptor to generate anthropogenic Fe emission inventories for China in 2012 and 2016 via anthropogenic PM2.5 emissions from Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC) using local source-specific mass fractions of Fe in PM2.5. Using the generated emission inventories, we simulated Fe concentrations as well as dry deposition fluxes to China marginal seas using a WRF-CMAQ model during four campaign periods. The simulated Fe concentrations are in good agreement with observations except for those in presence of severe dust-intrusion events (NMB −13% ~ −27%), indicating a reasonably good performance of the generated Fe emissions and leaving the large underestimation of Fe concentrations mainly due to nature dust emissions. Simulated Fe concentrations over China marginal seas are in the range of 62–6.5 × 102 ng m−3, providing 2.0–12.5 μg m−2 d−1 to the seas during the study periods. We also found that inputs of total Fe in PM2.5 to the seas in presence of dust-intrusion events are 3 and 13 times larger than those in presence of haze events or on less polluted days. Due to lower Fe solubility in nature mineral aerosols than in anthropogenic aerosols, dry deposition fluxes of bioavailable Fe on haze days almost double that in dust days. The total anthropogenic emissions of Fe over China in 2012 and 2016 are estimated as 5.5 × 102 Gg and 3.3 × 102 Gg, respectively. Iron and steel industry are the dominant sources of Fe, accounting for 59–63% of the total anthropogenic Fe emissions. Geotropically, stronger emissions per area were distributed in eastern China, e.g., 2.3 to 15.4 ng m−2 s−1 in eastern China versus