Long-term trends of biogenic sulfur aerosol and its relationship with sea surface temperature in Arctic Finland

[1] Forty-seven years of week-long total suspended particle samples from Kevo Finland were analyzed for methane sulfonic acid (MSA) and sulfate. Kevo is located 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. MSA and non-sea-salt sulfate (NSS-SO4) showed clear seasonal trends. MSA peaks from May to July, coinciding with warmer waters and increased biogenic activity in the surrounding seas. NSS-SO4 peaks in March with a minimum during the summer, the typical pattern for Arctic haze. MSA concentrations were found to be positively correlated (p<0.001) with sea surface temperature anomalies in the surrounding seas. MSA showed a trend of 0.405 ng/m(3)/yr (0.680%/yr) for June and July. NSS-SO4 concentrations at Kevo declined dramatically in the early 1990s, probably as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The decline has continued since the mid-1990s.