Oceanic evasion fuels Arctic summertime rebound of atmospheric mercury and drives transport to Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Mercury (Hg) contamination poses a persistent threat to the remote Arctic ecosystem, yet the mechanisms driving the pronounced summer rebound of atmospheric gaseous elemental Hg (Hg⁰) and its subsequent fate remain unclear due to limitations in large-scale seasonal studies. Here, we use an integrated atmosphere-land-sea-ice-ocean model to simulate Hg cycling in the Arctic comprehensively. Our results indicate that oceanic evasion is the dominant source (~80%) of the summer Hg⁰ rebound, particularly driven by seawater Hg⁰ release facilitated by seasonal ice melt (~42%), with further contributions from anthropogenic deposition and terrestrial re-emissions. Enhanced Hg⁰ dry deposition across the Arctic coastal regions, especially in the Arctic tundr

SUBMITTER: Huang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11750971 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature