Modeling sea spray emission from leads in the Arctic

Sea spray aerosols constitute the majority of the aerosol mass in polar regions annually and are a key factor influencing the polar climate through the aerosol direct radiative effect and through aerosol-cloud interactions. These aerosols can be emitted also in sea ice regions, although such sources are not well represented in models.

Leads are “fractures in sea ice wide enough to be navigable by vessels” (WMO, 2014). Because they expose open seawater, open leads can release sea spray particles to the atmosphere. Leads have properties that make the emission process different from the open ocean (magnitude of sea spray particule emissions, driving mechanisms, chemical composition, …). Models with a detailed representation of sea spray emissions from leads are needed to accurately represent their contribution to aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions.

In a recent paper, Rémy Lapere et al. produce an estimate of the location, timing and amount of sea spray emissions from leads at the scale of the Arctic Ocean for 1 year.