The Effect of Seawater Salinity and Seawater Temperature on Sea Salt Aerosol Production

Abstract To improve our understanding of the impact sea salt aerosols (SSA) on Earth's climate, it is critical to understand physical mechanisms which determine size‐resolved SSA production flux. Of factors affecting emissions, seawater salinity has perhaps received least attention in literature and previous studies have produced conflicting results. Here, we present a series laboratory experiments designed investigate role aerosol from artificial using continuous plunging jet. During these experiments, surface bubble size distributions were monitored while was decreased 35 0 g kg −1 . Three distinct regimes identified: (a) A high regime, 10–35 , where lower resulted only minor reductions particle number flux but notable volume flux; (b) an intermediate 5–10 with local maximum (c) low <5 characterized by rapid decrease at salinities dominated small particles larger bubbles. We discuss implications results through comparison population different salinities. Finally, varying temperature three specific also developed simple parameterization as function salinity. The range studied representative global oceans water bodies such Baltic Sea.