Influence of meteorological processes on the spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide in the high Arctic summer

Near‐surface observations of gas phase dimethyl sulfide, DMS(g), over the central Arctic Ocean display large temporal variability. By using a three‐dimensional numerical model, the atmospheric part of COAMPS2.0®, we show that meteorological processes such as transport and mixing cause variability in DMS(g) of the same order as in the observations. The observations used in this study were taken on board the icebreaker Oden that cruised the high Arctic during the following three expeditions: the International Arctic Ocean Expedition 1991, the Arctic Ocean Expedition 1996, and the Arctic Ocean Experiment 2001. Calculation of air‐sea flux and photochemical decay of DMS(g) was added to COAMPS2.0®. A 10‐day period in August 2001 was modeled. The time development of observed DMS(g) is captured by the model, correlation coefficient 0.76, in spite of a simplified treatment of DMS processes. Also, the model results clearly show that DMS(g) is advected over the pack ice in plumes originating from different source areas around the pack ice.