Search

Carbon disulfide (CS2) has recently gained attention as an important precursor for the atmospheric trace gas carbonyl sulfide (OCS), which delivers sulfur to the stratospheric sulfur layer and impacts the radiative budget of the Earth. CS2 is naturally produced in the ocean and emitted to the atmosphere. However, the magnitude of its marine emissions is only poorly constrained due to lacking understanding of its production and consumption processes. Here, we present incubation experiments with and without UV light treatment and provide evidence for a previously not considered UV‐light‐driven degradation process of CS2 in seawater, following first‐order kinetics. In addition to its already known photochemical production process, CS2 production is found in the dark, depending on the amount of dissolved organic sulfur present in seawater. We provide novel production and consumption rates of CS2 in seawater that pave the way toward mechanistically quantifying marine emissions of this important trace gas. Plain Language Summary: The gas carbon disulfide (CS2) impacts the climate system of our planet as a precursor for sulfate aerosols. CS2 is naturally produced in the ocean, but how much marine CS2 is emitted to the atmosphere is not well known. In our study, we have experimentally derived production and degradation rates of CS2 in seawater and found processes that have previously not been considered: CS2 is degraded by UV radiation in seawater, and is produced in the absence of light. This dark production increases with the amount of dissolved organic sulfur in the water. Our results help to understand the production and degradation of CS2 in seawater, which is needed to quantify its emissions to the atmosphere. Key Points: Carbon disulfide in seawater is degraded by UV light at time scales of daysCarbon disulfide is produced in seawater without UV light at rates comparable to photochemical productionCarbon disulfide dark production is limited by dissolved organic sulfur [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]