- 1Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- 2Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- 3Extreme Environments Research Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1951 Sion, Switzerland
- 4Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 5School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- 6Climate & Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, P.O. Box 27456, 1645 Nicosia, Cyprus
In this study, we present and analyze the first continuous time series of relevant aerosol precursor
vapors from the central Arctic (north of 80° N) during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of
Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. These precursor vapors include sulfuric acid (SA), methanesulfonic acid
(MSA), and iodic acid (IA). We use FLEXPART simulations, inverse modeling, sulfur dioxide (SO2) mixing
ratios, and chlorophyll a (chl a) observations to interpret the seasonal variability in the vapor concentrations
and identify dominant sources. Our results show that both natural and anthropogenic sources are relevant for the
concentrations of SA in the Arctic, but anthropogenic sources associated with Arctic haze are the most prevalent.
MSA concentrations are an order of magnitude higher during polar day than during polar night due to seasonal
changes in biological activity. Peak MSA concentrations were observed in May, which corresponds with the
timing of the annual peak in chl a concentrations north of 75° N. IA concentrations exhibit two distinct peaks
during the year, namely a dominant peak in spring and a secondary peak in autumn, suggesting that seasonal IA
concentrations depend on both solar radiation and sea ice conditions. In general, the seasonal cycles of SA, MSA,
and IA in the central Arctic Ocean are related to sea ice conditions, and we expect that changes in the Arctic
environment will affect the concentrations of these vapors in the future. The magnitude of these changes and the
subsequent influence on aerosol processes remains uncertain, highlighting the need for continued observations
of these precursor vapors in the Arctic.
How to cite: Boyer, M., Aliaga, D., Quéléver, L., Bucci, S., Angot, H., Dada, L., Heutte, B., Beck, L., Duetsch, M., Stohl, A., Beck, I., Laurila, T., Sarnela, N., Thakur, R., Miljevic, B., Kulmala, M., Petäjä, T., Sipilä, M., Schmale, J., and Jokinen, T.: The annual cycle and sources of relevant aerosol precursor vapors in the central Arctic during the MOSAiC expedition, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15303, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15303, 2025.
