Dry Deposition, Surface Production and Dynamics of Aerosols in the Marine Boundary Layer

A model of downward aerosol panicle flux characterized by dry deposition velocity, Vd, due to Slinn and Slinn (1980) is generalized to the case of nonzero surface concentration (absorbing surface with a surface source). A more general expression for the flux at some reference height is developed which includes Vd and an effective surface source strength, Si, which is a function of the true surface source strength, Si, and the particle transport properties below the reference height. The general expression for the surface flux is incorporated into a dynamic mixed layer model of the type developed by Davidson et al. (1983). This three layer model (diffusion sublayer, turbulent surface layer and mixed layer) is applied to an open ocean marine regime where boundary layer advection is ignored. The aerosol concentration in the boundary layer is considered to consist of sea salt particles produced as droplets at the surface and ‘continental’ background aerosols brought into the boundary layer at the top by entrainment and gravitational settling. Estimates of Si are provided.