@phdthesis{TianKunze2001, author = {Tian-Kunze, Xiangshan}, title = {Experimental and theoretical study of S(IV)/S(VI) ratio in rain and cloud events}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-000000093}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2001}, abstract = {Production of atmospheric sulfate from SO2 emitted into the troposphere is the key question we have to answer for assessing main problems like acid rain, forest decline and negative climate forcing which is believed to counteract the green house effect. About one decade ago many researchers agreed that sulfate formation occurs dominantly (80-90 \%) via the aqueous phase chemical transformation, where the SO2 dissociation is the first step. However, there is still a high uncertainty on the amount of sulfite (dissolved SO2) being oxidized and on that removed by wet deposition in the reduced form S(IV) (sulfite). This important question, whose answer gives climate modellers an essential input on the percentage of emitted SO2 converted into sulfate, was the aim of this work. This work presents experimental and theoretical results from studies of the ratio sulfite/sulfate in rainwater and cloudwater to assess the contribution of S(IV) to the total sulfur amount in the aqueous phase. The wet deposition of S(IV) in rainwater was studied by collecting rainwater samples from two different levels using a 324 m high tower. The increase of S(IV) wet deposition flux from the 324 m level to the ground level via sub-cloud scavenging of SO2 is significant. 13-51 \% (36 \% in average) of sulfur in rainwater on the ground level was found to be in the form of S(IV). The result that S(IV) is an important form of sulfur in rainwater was further confirmed by our theoretical study using a one-dimensional time-dependant physical-chemical cloud model. Model calculations show that most of sub-cloud scavenged SO2 will remain as free S(IV) in rainwater. In highly polluted areas the ratio can be as high as 0.9. This ratio in cloudwater is much less than that in rainwater according to our field experiment carried out at Mt. Brocken. Neverthless, under some special conditions, this ratio can be as high as 0.2, which means that the role of S(IV) in cloudwater is not ignorable. Thus, this study has confirmed the very few S(IV) measurements found in literature, suggesting the importance of S(IV) wet deposition. Our findings suggest that considerable part of emitted SO2 will not be transformed to sulfate especially in the sub-cloud layer. Therefore, the production of climate affecting sulfate aerosol via aqueous phase transformation of dissolved SO2 is more limited than believed by climate modellers.}, subject = {Berlin-Frohnau; Regen; Sulfite; Sulfate; Brocken; Wolke; Wasser; S(IV); S(IV)/S(VI) ratio; sub-cloud scavenging; cloud chemistry; cloud modelling}, language = {en} }