title: Sea-air partitioning of mercury in the equatorial pacific ocean.
abstract: The partitioning of gaseous mercury between the atmosphere and surface waters was determined in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The highest concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury occurred in cooler, nutrient-rich waters that characterize equatorial upwelling and increased biological productivity at the sea surface. The surface waters were supersaturated with respect to elemental mercury; a significant flux of elemental mercury to the atmosphere is predicted for the equatorial Pacific. When normalized to primary production on a global basis, the ocean effluxes of mercury may rival anthropogenic emissions of mercury to the atmosphere.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald