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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 35, L19807, doi:10.1029/2008GL034255, 2008

Sulphur isotopic ratios in mosses indicating atmospheric sulphur sources in southern Chinese mountainous areas

Hua-Yun Xiao

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China


Cong-Guo Tang

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China


Xue-Yan Liu

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China


Hong-Wei Xiao

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China


Cong-Qiang Liu

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China


Abstract

Many mountainous regions in South China have been confronted with the consequences of acidic deposition, but studies on atmospheric S sources are still very limited. In this study, isotopic ratios in mosses were used to discriminate atmospheric S sources. A continuous increase in S isotopic ratios was observed from the south to the north in mountainous mosses and in accord with the previously reported changing trends in urban mosses, indicating a contribution of local anthropogenic S from urban cities. Based on comparisons of S isotopic ratios in mountainous mosses with those in nearby urban mosses, we found that mountainous mosses had significantly higher 34S contents than urban mosses, especially in West China, reflecting an introduction of 34S-enriched sulphur. In conjunction with cloud water data in the literature, we concluded that 34S-enriched sulphur in northerly air masses contributed much to atmospheric S in southern Chinese mountainous areas.

Received 7 April 2008; accepted 28 August 2008; published 4 October 2008.

Keywords: S isotopic ratios; moss.

Index Terms: 0345 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pollution: urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251); 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 0341 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: constituent transport and chemistry (3334).

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Citation: Xiao, H.-Y., C.-G. Tang, X.-Y. Liu, H.-W. Xiao, and C.-Q. Liu (2008), Sulphur isotopic ratios in mosses indicating atmospheric sulphur sources in southern Chinese mountainous areas, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L19807, doi:10.1029/2008GL034255.