ABSTRACT

It has become increasingly apparent that atmospheric transport is an important route by which trace metals, and other substances are delivered to the oceans. This chapter attempts to particulate atmospheric components, which in this context are referred to as aerosols. Seawater is a very complex medium which contains a variety of dissolved and particulate phases, many of which can potentially affect the extent to which elements are solubilized from aerosols. The deposition of aerosols from the atmosphere is controlled by a combination of dry fall-out and precipitation scavenging. The chapter presents the sources of the metals to the marine atmosphere, and the concentrations of the metals in the marine atmosphere over various oceanic regions. It focuses on the mechanisms by which the metals are removed from the marine atmosphere and the magnitudes of the net metal fluxes to the sea surface.