H2O2in the marine troposphere and seawater of the Atlantic Ocean (48°N - 63°S)

Concentrations of H2O2 in gas phase and seawater have been measured in pristine regions of the Atlantic Ocean during the RV Polarstern expedition ANT X-1 from 11/15/91 to 01/02/92. A broad maximum of gaseous H2O2 mixing ratio in the troposphere was found between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricornus with peak values around 1.8 ppbv. The observed ratio of organic peroxides/total amount of peroxides was 0.2-0.35, in contrast to the remarkably lower ratio of 0.05-0.10 measured in the continental troposphere by other groups. In the Atlantic surface seawater the H2O2 concentrations were determined to be around 0.1 mmol/L, decreasing with increasing water depth to a value below the detection limit at approximately 100 m. We observed low H2O2 concentrations (= 0.03 mmol/L) in surface water in coastal shelf regions and in the partly ice covered Weddell Sea.