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Science 5 January 2007:
Vol. 315. no. 5808, pp. 84 - 87
DOI: 10.1126/science.1131754
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Reports

Mass-Independent Sulfur Isotopic Compositions in Stratospheric Volcanic Eruptions

Mélanie Baroni,1* Mark H. Thiemens,2 Robert J. Delmas,1 Joël Savarino1*

The observed mass-independent sulfur isotopic composition ({Delta}33S) of volcanic sulfate from the Agung (March 1963) and Pinatubo (June 1991) eruptions recorded in the Antarctic snow provides a mechanism for documenting stratospheric events. The sign of {Delta}33S changes over time from an initial positive component to a negative value. {Delta}33S is created during photochemical oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid on a monthly time scale, which indicates a fast process. The reproducibility of the results reveals that {Delta}33S is a reliable tracer to chemically identify atmospheric processes involved during stratospheric volcanism.

1 Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement, CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, 38400 St. Martin d'Hères, France.
2 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093–0356, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: baroni{at}lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr (M.B.); jsavarino{at}lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr (J.S.)

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)