Flux of dimethylsulfide from the oceans: A comparison of updated data seas and flux models

Estimates of the fluxes of dimethylsulfide (DMS) from the global oceans are calculated using the parameterizations of Lisps and Merlivat [1986], Wanninkhof [1992], and Erickson [1993]; the wind fields of Trenberth et al. [1989], da Silva and Young [1994], and Gibson et al. [1996]; acid the maps of sea surface DMS concentration of Kettle et al. [1999]. The Liss and Merlivat [1986], Wanninkhof [1992], and Erickson [1993] parameterizations gave global oceanic DMS fluxes of approximately 15, 33, and 21 Tg S yr(-1) respectively. The different data sets for wind speed, sea surface temperature, and DMS sea surface concentration resulted in relatively small variations in these calculated fluxes (less than or equal to 25%). The large uncertainty in the flux models prevents the estimation of the global flux of DMS with an error limit of better than about 50%. Interannual variation in the wind speeds and sea surface temperatures from the 15-year European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis Project results in an interannual variation of DMS flux of approximately 10%. Possibly, there is greater interannual variation in the DMS flux due to variation in the DMS concentration fields, which was not taken into account.