Authors
Colin Gurganus (CIRES,NOAA/CSL), Eleanor Waxman (CIRES,NOAA/CSL), Troy D Thornberry (NOAA/CSL), Andrew W Rollins (NOAA/CSL), Joshua Peter Schwarz (NOAA/CSL), Warren Smith (NCAR/UCAR), Rei Ueyama (NCAR/UCAR)

Abstract

Carbonyl Sulfide (OCS) is the most abundant sulfur species in the free troposphere and responsible for most non-volcanic sulfur transported into the stratosphere. OCS serves a pivotal role as the primary precursor for sulfate aerosol formation in the stratosphere, which is critical to global radiative forcing. Between the boundary layer and the tropopause, OCS levels are typically assumed to be uniform (~500PPT) due to limited sources and sinks. Contrarily, persistent enhanced mean OCS levels near the tropopause are observed by satellite remote sensing platforms, notably associated with the Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) Anticyclone. Here, we report on data collected during the 2022 ACCLIP campaign where the first in situ measurements of enhanced OCS near the ASM tropopause were recorded, utilizing the NOAA ACOS instrument aboard the NASA WB57 high-altitude research aircraft. Data from previous airborne campaigns (TRACE-P, KORUS-AQ), and recent ground-based sampling suggest anthropogenic emissions as a source of elevated lower tropospheric OCS in the ASM region. Due to the low OCS solubility, cloud convective pathways may serve as an effective mechanism for rapid vertical transport from the boundary layer to the upper troposphere. Trajectory analysis from the ACCLIP campaign identifies the northern China region as a primary source of enhanced OCS near the ASM tropopause, as a result of pollution lofted by intense convection near the seacoast. During this campaign, well-modeled pollution species, such as carbon monoxide (CO), are spatially correlated with OCS, suggesting a potential for indirect estimates of emission inventories. Moreover, we extend this analysis by contrasting in-situ UTLS OCS and CO measurements from the AMICA instrument during the 2017 STRATOCLIM campaign.