Organic methylated sulfur compounds (MSCs) play key roles in planktonic food webs as important carbon and sulfur substrates and also as infochemicals that facilitate biological interactions. In addition, the oceanic emission of biogenic volatile MSCs (dimethylsulfide and methanethiol) to the atmosphere acts as a source of aerosols, which impact cloud formation and properties, and hence climate. Understanding the role of MSCs in the Earth system requires accurate rate measurements to capture the rapid biotic and abiotic cycling processes responsible for the turnover of MSCs in the surface ocean. However, we currently lack both standardized protocols for the analytical determination, and a quality-controlled database for process rate measurements of MSCs. The recently formed DMS-PRO (SCOR working group #166) will address these knowledge gaps by (i) compiling a comprehensive, open-access database of quality-controlled, existing and future MSC cycling rates; and (ii) publishing standardized operating practices on analytical procedures involved in the determination of MSCs rates. CIce2Clouds is another recently-established SCOR working group (#163) that aims to better understand the coupled processes in the ocean–sea-ice–snow–atmosphere system involving sulfur. An overarching aspiration of DMS-PRO and CIce2Clouds is to stimulate research, build capacity, and establish an international, multidisciplinary community of practice on the global sulfur cycle that can share knowledge and skills with the broader oceanographic and Earth system science communities

20th Annual Meeting Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS 2023), 30 July - 4 August 2023, Singapore

Peer reviewed