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Sea spray
Sea spray
Sea spray
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Sea spray generated by breaking surface waves

Sea spray consists of aerosol particles formed from the ocean, primarily by ejection into Earth's atmosphere through bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface[1] Sea spray contains both organic matter and inorganic salts that form sea salt aerosol (SSA).[2] SSA has the ability to form cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and remove anthropogenic aerosol pollutants from the atmosphere.[3] Coarse sea spray has also been found to inhibit the development of lightning in storm clouds.[4]

Sea spray is directly (and indirectly, through SSA) responsible for a significant degree of the heat and moisture fluxes between the atmosphere and the ocean,[5][6] affecting global climate patterns and tropical storm intensity.[7] Sea spray also influences plant growth and species distribution in coastal ecosystems[8] and increases corrosion of building materials in coastal areas.[9]

Generation

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See also: Sea surface microlayer

Formation

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Connection between sea foam and sea spray formation. The dark orange line indicates processes common to the formation of both sea spray and sea foam.

When wind, whitecaps, and breaking waves mix air into the sea surface, the air regroups to form bubbles, floats to the surface, and bursts at the air-sea interface.[10] When they burst, they release up to a thousand particles of sea spray,[10][11] which range in size from nanometers to micrometers and can be expelled up to 20 cm from the sea surface.[10] Film droplets make up the majority of the smaller particles created by the initial burst, while jet droplets are generated by a collapse of the bubble cavity and are ejected from the sea surface in the form of a vertical jet.[12][11] In windy conditions, water droplets are mechanically torn off from crests of breaking waves. Sea spray droplets generated via such a mechanism are called spume droplets [11] and are typically larger in size and have less residence time in air. Impingement of plunging waves on sea surface also generates sea spray in the form of splash droplets [11][13]. The composition of the sea spray depends primarily on the composition of the water from which it is produced, but broadly speaking is a mixture of salts and organic matter. Several factors determine the production flux of sea spray, especially wind speed, swell height, swell period, humidity, and temperature differential between the atmosphere and the surface water.[14] Production and size distribution rate of SSAs are thus sensitive to the mixing state.[15] A lesser studied area of sea spray generation is the formation of sea spray as a result of rain drop impact on the sea surface.[11]

Spatial variation

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In addition to the local conditions that influence sea spray formation, there are also consistent spatial patterns in sea spray production and composition. Because sea spray is generated when air is mixed into the ocean, formation gradients are established by turbulence of the surface water.[14] Wave action along coastal shorelines is generally where turbulence is greatest, so this is where sea spray production is the highest. Particles generated in turbulent coastal areas can travel horizontally up to 25 km within the planetary boundary layer.[14] As distance from shore decreases, sea spray production declines to a level sustained almost exclusively by whitecaps.[14] The proportion of the ocean surface turbulent enough to produce significant sea spray is called the whitecap fraction.[10] The only other production mechanism of sea spray in the open ocean is through direct wind action, where strong winds actually break the surface tension of the water and lift particles into the air.[10] However, particles of seawater generated in this way are often too heavy to remain suspended in the atmosphere and usually are deposited back to the sea within a few dozen meters of transport.[10]

Temporal variation

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During winter months, the ocean typically experiences stormy, windy conditions that generate more air inundation into the sea and therefore more sea spray.[16] Calmer summer months result in lower overall production of sea spray.[16] During peak primary productivity in the summer, increased organic matter in the surface ocean drives subsequent increases in sea spray. Given that sea spray retains the properties of the water from which it was produced, the composition of sea spray experiences extreme seasonal variation. During the summer, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can constitute 60–90% of sea spray mass.[16] Even though much more sea spray is produced during the stormy winter season, the composition is nearly all salt because of the low primary production.[16]

Organic matter

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The organic matter in sea spray consists of dissolved organic carbon[17] (DOC) and even microbes themselves, like bacteria and viruses.[18] The amount of organic matter in sea spray depends on microbiological processes,[19] though the total effect of these processes is still unknown.[20][21] Chlorophyll-a is often used as a proxy for primary production and organic matter content in sea spray, but its reliability for estimating dissolved organic carbon concentrations is controversial.[21] Biomass often enters sea spray through the death and lysis of algal cells, often caused by viral infections.[20] Cells are broken apart into the dissolved organic carbon that is propelled into the atmosphere when surface bubbles pop. When primary productivity peaks during the summer, algal blooms can generate an enormous amount of organic matter that is eventually incorporated into sea spray.[16][20] In the right conditions, aggregation of the dissolved organic carbon can also form surfactant or sea foam.

Climate interactions

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At high winds the droplet evaporation layer (DEL) influences the surface energy heat exchange of the ocean.[22] The latent heat flux of sea spray generated at the droplet evaporation layer has been cited as an important addition to climate modeling efforts, particularly in simulations assessing air/sea heat balance as related to hurricanes and cyclones formed during high wind events.[6] During the formation of whitecaps, sea spray droplets exhibit the same properties as the ocean surface, but rapidly adapt to surrounding air. Some sea spray droplets immediately reabsorb into the sea while others evaporate entirely and contribute salt particles like dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to the atmosphere where they can be transported via turbulence to cloud layers and serve as cloud condensation nuclei.[15] The formation of these cloud condensation nuclei like dimethyl sulfide have climate implications as well, due to their influence on cloud formation and interaction with solar radiation.[15] Additionally, the contribution of sea spray DMS to the atmosphere is linked to the global sulfur cycle.[23] Understanding total forcing from natural sources like sea spray can illuminate critical constraints posed by anthropogenic influence and can be coupled with ocean chemistry, biology and physics to predict future ocean and atmospheric variability.[15]

The proportion of organic matter in sea spray can impact reflectance, determine the overall cooling effect of SSAs,[20] and slightly alter the capacity for SSAs to form cloud condensation nuclei (17). Even small changes in SSA levels can affect the global radiation budget leading to implications for global climate.[20] SSA has a low albedo, but its presence overlaid on the darker ocean surface affects absorption and reflectance of incoming solar radiation.[20]

Enthalpy flux

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The influence of sea spray on the surface heat and moisture exchange peaks during times of greatest difference between air and sea temperatures.[22] When air temperature is low, sea spray sensible heat flux can be nearly as great as the spray latent heat flux at high latitudes.[6] In addition, sea spray enhances the air/sea enthalpy flux during high winds as a result of temperature and humidity redistribution in the marine boundary layer.[7] Sea spray droplets injected into the air thermally equilibrate ~1% of their mass. This leads to the addition of sensible heat prior to ocean reentry, enhancing their potential for significant enthalpy input.[7]

Dynamic effects

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The effects of sea spray transport in the atmospheric boundary layer is not yet completely understood.[11] Sea spray droplets alter the air-sea momentum fluxes by being accelerated and decelerated by the winds.[11] In hurricane-force winds, it is observed that there is some reduction in the air/sea momentum flux.[10] This reduction in momentum flux manifests as saturation of air/sea drag coefficient. Some studies have identified spray effects as one of the potential reasons for the air/sea drag coefficient saturation.[24][25][26] It has been shown through several numerical and theoretical studies that sea spray, if present in significant amounts in the atmospheric boundary layer, leads to saturation of air-sea drag coefficients.[27][28]

Ecology

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See also: Ocean surface ecosystem

Coastal ecosystems

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Main article: Marine coastal ecosystems

Salt deposition from sea spray is the primary factor influencing distribution of plant communities in coastal ecosystems.[29] Ion concentrations of sea spray deposited on land generally mirror their concentrations in the ocean, except that potassium is often higher in sea spray.[8] Deposition of salts on land generally decreases with distance from the ocean but increases with increasing wind speed.[8] Salt deposition from sea spray is correlated with a decrease in plant height and significant scarring, shoot reduction, stem height decrease, and tissue death on the windward side of shrubs and trees.[30][31] Variation in salt deposition also influences competition between plants and establishes gradients of salt tolerance.[30]

While the salts within sea spray can severely inhibit plant growth in coastal ecosystems, selecting for salt-tolerant species, sea spray can also bring vital nutrients to these habitats. For example, one study showed that sea spray in Wales, UK delivers roughly 32 kg of potassium per hectare to coastal sand dunes each year.[10] Because dune soils leach nutrients very quickly, sea spray fertilization could be very influential to dune ecosystems, especially for plants that are less competitive in nutrient-limited environments.

Microbial communities

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Sea spray containing marine microorganisms can be swept high into the atmosphere where they become aeroplankton. These airborne microorganisms may travel the globe before falling back to earth.

Viruses, bacteria, and plankton are ubiquitous in sea water, and this biodiversity is reflected in the composition of sea spray.[14] Generally speaking, sea spray has slightly lower concentrations of microbes than the water it is produced from. However, the microbial community in sea spray is often distinct from nearby water and sandy beaches, suggesting that some species are more biased towards SSA transportation than others. Sea spray from one beach can contain thousands of operational taxonomic units (OTUs).[14] Nearly 10,000 different OTUs have been discovered in sea spray just between San Francisco, CA and Monterey, CA, with only 11% of them found ubiquitously.[14] This suggests that sea spray in every coastal region likely has its own unique assemblage of microbial diversity, with thousands of new OTUs yet to be discovered. Many of the more common OTUs have been identified to the following taxa: Cryptophyta (order), Stramenopiles (order) and OM60 (family).[14] Many have even been identified to genus: Persicirhabdus, Fluviicola, Synecococcus, Vibrio, and Enterococcus.[14]

Scientists have conjectured a stream of airborne microorganisms circles the planet above weather systems but below commercial air lanes.[32] Some of these peripatetic microorganisms are swept up from terrestrial dust storms, but most originate from the marine microorganisms in sea spray. In 2018 a team of scientists reported that hundreds of millions of viruses and tens of millions of bacteria are deposited daily on every square meter around the planet.[33][34]

Chemical resistance

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Sea spray is largely responsible for corrosion of metallic objects near the coastline, as the salts accelerate the corrosion process in the presence of abundant atmospheric oxygen and moisture.[9] Salts do not dissolve in air directly, but are suspended as fine particulates, or dissolved in microscopic airborne water droplets.[35]

The salt spray test is a measure of material endurance or resistance to corrosion, particularly if the material will be used outdoors and must perform in a mechanical load bearing or otherwise critical role. These results are often of great interest to marine industries, whose products may suffer extreme acceleration of corrosion and subsequent failure due to salt water exposure.[36]

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sea spray

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Sea spray, also known as sea spray (SSA), consists of fine water droplets and particles ejected from the surface into the atmosphere, primarily through the bursting of air bubbles produced by breaking waves. These aerosols range in size from submicrometer to supermicrometer particles and are generated when speeds exceed approximately 7 m/s, with production intensifying during high-wind events such as storms. The process involves three main mechanisms: spume drops torn from wave crests by strong winds (20 µm to several mm in diameter), drops from bursting bubble films (0.01–2 µm), and jet drops from collapsing bubble cavities (2–100 µm). Compositionally, sea spray is dominated by but also includes such as , proteins, fatty acids, sugars, and biological entities like , viruses, and phytoplankton remnants, primarily sourced from the ocean's surface microlayer. Recent observations indicate that the organic mass fraction is generally low (<10% in most cases), with weaker biological influence than previously thought, though higher organic content can occur in smaller particles (0.15–0.7 μm) or in regions like the Arctic during summer. Globally, sea spray releases an estimated 2–20 billion metric tons of salt annually, influencing air-sea exchanges of heat, moisture, momentum, and gases. Sea spray plays a critical role in atmospheric and climate processes by acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN), thereby affecting cloud formation, properties, and lifetime, which in turn modulate Earth's radiation budget through direct scattering of solar radiation and indirect effects on cloud albedo. In marine atmospheric chemistry, it facilitates reactions that alter aerosol hygroscopicity and contributes to the transport of ocean-derived nutrients and pollutants over vast distances. Ecologically, sea spray links marine biology—such as phytoplankton blooms—to atmospheric dynamics, with enhanced ice-nucleating activity observed following blooms due to surface-active organic species. Its impacts are particularly pronounced in remote oceanic regions, covering over 70% of Earth's surface, and during extreme weather like hurricanes, where it can intensify storm development by enhancing surface fluxes.

Physical Properties

Particle Characteristics

Sea spray aerosol particles are generated by the ejection of ocean water into the atmosphere and span a wide size range from submicron (approximately 0.01 μm) to supermicron scales, up to 1000 μm in diameter, though the most climatologically relevant sizes are typically between 0.1 and 10 μm. These particles form a significant component of marine aerosols, influencing atmospheric processes through their physical attributes. The size distribution of sea spray particles is characteristically bimodal, consisting of smaller film drops (predominantly submicron, around 0.1–2 μm) produced from the rupture of thin bubble films at the sea surface, and larger jet drops (supermicron, typically 2–20 μm) ejected from collapsing bubble jets. This distribution arises from the underlying physics of bubble bursting, with film drops outnumbering jet drops by factors of 10 to 100 for a given bubble size. In terms of morphology, freshly generated sea spray particles are often spherical or rounded due to their liquid nature upon ejection, facilitating initial aerosolization. As particles age in the atmosphere through interactions with gases and other aerosols, their shapes become more irregular, commonly developing core-shell structures where an inorganic sea salt core is coated by organics, or exhibiting prism-like and aggregate forms; for instance, aged particles show a higher abundance (up to 49%) of core-shell morphologies compared to 17% in nascent particles. Recent 2025 measurements using aerosol optical tweezers on natural sea spray aerosols in the Pacific Ocean reveal that the real part of the refractive index varies from 1.366 to 1.386 at 75–90% relative humidity, with values increasing to around 1.48 at lower humidity due to water evaporation; this range depends on particle size (supermicron particles, 3–7 μm) and organic content (less than 5%), where organics slightly lower the index compared to pure sea salt. The optical properties of sea spray particles are dominated by light scattering, with mass scattering efficiencies around 1.7 m²/g for dry sea salt in the visible spectrum, enabling efficient backscattering of solar radiation. Scattering efficiency approaches 2 for particles larger than the wavelength of light (e.g., visible range), following Mie theory for spherical approximations, though non-spherical aged morphologies can reduce this by 10–20%. Hygroscopic growth significantly alters these properties, as sea spray particles absorb water at elevated humidity; growth factors (diameter ratios) reach approximately 1.8–2.0 at 90% relative humidity for supermicron particles, corresponding to radius increases of up to 2 times and enhancing scattering by factors of 5–10 due to larger effective sizes. The hygroscopicity parameter κ is about 1.20 for these particles, lower than pure NaCl (κ ≈ 1.28) due to organic inclusions that briefly alter size distributions by promoting submicron enrichment. Sea spray particles have a dry density of approximately 2.0–2.2 g cm⁻³, akin to sea salt, which governs their gravitational settling in the atmosphere. For small particles in the low Reynolds number regime (Re < 1, typical for sub-10 μm diameters), the terminal settling velocity vtv_t is described by : vt=2r2g(ρp−ρa)9ηv_t = \frac{2 r^2 g (\rho_p - \rho_a)}{9 \eta} where rr is the particle radius, gg is gravitational acceleration (9.81 m s⁻²), ρp\rho_p is particle density, ρa\rho_a is air density (≈1.2 kg m⁻³), and η\eta is air viscosity (≈1.8 × 10⁻⁵ Pa s at 20°C). This yields settling velocities of 0.01–1 cm s⁻¹ for 1–10 μm particles, limiting their atmospheric residence time to hours near the surface.

Chemical Composition

Sea spray aerosol (SSA) primarily consists of an inorganic fraction dominated by sodium chloride (NaCl), which accounts for 85–90% of the dry mass, alongside other seawater-derived ions such as magnesium (Mg²⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), potassium (K⁺), and sulfate (SO₄²⁻). Chloride (Cl⁻) constitutes approximately 55% of the dry mass in this inorganic component, reflecting the ionic composition of bulk seawater. Elemental ratios in SSA, including Na, Cl, S, and Mg, closely mimic those in seawater, with Cl/Na ratios ranging from 0.94 to 1.16, comparable to the seawater value of 1.16. The organic fraction of SSA exhibits enrichment relative to seawater, typically by a factor of 10–50 for certain compounds, comprising a generally low fraction (<10%) of the aerosol mass in submicron particles, though higher values can occur in biologically active regions; as of 2024, analyses over remote oceans indicate submicron SSA organic mass fractions are typically <10%, with weak seasonal cycles except in polar regions like the Arctic summer. This enrichment includes lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, and surfactants derived from phytoplankton exudates and marine organic matter, with lab studies often using mimics like sodium dodecyl sulfate to replicate these surface-active compounds. In laboratory simulations of SSA, elemental mimics maintain Na, Cl, S, and Mg ratios akin to bulk seawater, while emphasizing organic dominance in submicron sizes to study heterogeneous reactions. Freshly emitted SSA particles have a pH range of 7–9, influenced by the alkalinity of seawater, which affects their atmospheric reactivity. Salinity in SSA leads to a deliquescence relative humidity (RH) of approximately 75%, below which particles remain crystalline, impacting their hygroscopic growth and cloud formation potential. Recent studies from 2023 to 2025 (as of November 2025) highlight the role of marine biological activity, including phytoplankton, in influencing SSA bioactivity and number concentrations, with correlations to organic content during blooms. These findings indicate that phytoplankton abundances correlate with increased transfer of bioactive organics to SSA, modulating its chemical profile during algal blooms.

Generation Mechanisms

Bubble Bursting Processes

Bubble formation in sea spray production occurs primarily through the entrainment of air into seawater during wave breaking, which generates whitecaps—foamy regions on the ocean surface where air is trapped and forms subsurface bubbles. These bubbles, ranging in radius from approximately 0.1 to 10 mm, rise buoyantly to the surface due to their lower density compared to surrounding water, with rise velocities increasing with bubble size according to modified for non-spherical shapes. Upon reaching the surface, the bubbles become capped by a thin liquid film, setting the stage for bursting and aerosol generation. The bursting of these surface bubbles proceeds in distinct stages, each contributing to sea spray droplet ejection. Initially, the bubble cap—a fragile soap-like film of seawater—thins under drainage and gravitational forces until it ruptures, leading to film drop production. This fragmentation ejects up to thousands of submicron droplets per bubble, typically with radii between 0.1 and 2 μm, distributed across a broad size spectrum due to chaotic tearing of the film. Following cap rupture, the underlying bubble cavity collapses, driving a converging flow that forms a liquid jet protruding upward; this jet destabilizes via Rayleigh-Plateau instability, breaking into 1–10 larger droplets with radii of 2–20 μm. These processes dominate the production of primary sea spray aerosols under moderate wind conditions. The flux of droplets produced via bubble bursting, denoted as F(r)F(r), scales empirically with the 10 m wind speed u10u_{10} as F(r)∝u10nF(r) \propto u_{10}^n, where nn ranges from 3.4 to 3.7, reflecting the wind-driven increase in whitecap coverage and air entrainment volume. Mechanistic models developed between 2022 and 2025 integrate the bubble size spectrum to compute fluxes more precisely, accounting for the distribution of bubble radii and their ascent dynamics to predict droplet yields across sizes. A common parameterization for the number flux in the supermicron range (1–25 μm) is given by dFdr=A(u10−u0)Br−C,\frac{dF}{dr} = A (u_{10} - u_0)^B r^{-C}, where AA, BB, and CC are empirically fitted constants (e.g., B≈3.5B \approx 3.5, C≈2C \approx 2), and u0u_0 represents a minimum wind threshold for significant production, typically around 3–4 m/s. Seawater temperature influences bubble bursting efficiency primarily through its effect on viscosity, which governs film drainage rates and bubble stability. Below ~10°C, higher viscosity increases bubble concentrations and stability, enhancing submicron drop production flux by up to a factor of 3 compared to warmer conditions (~10–30°C), as evidenced by laboratory simulations spanning -1°C to 30°C where particle yields increased nonlinearly in colder water. Organic surfactants can briefly enhance fluxes by stabilizing bubble films and prolonging lifetimes, though this is modulated by environmental factors.

Wave Breaking and Spume Production

Wave breaking represents a primary mechanism for generating sea spray through the disruption of ocean waves, particularly in windy conditions where waves become unstable and collapse. Two dominant types of breaking waves contribute significantly to this process: spilling breakers, characterized by a gradual dissipation of energy along the wave crest with foam formation, and plunging breakers, which involve a more violent curl and impact that entrains air and ejects water droplets. These breaking events create whitecaps, the visible foam-covered areas on the ocean surface, whose coverage fraction (χ) serves as a key indicator of spray production potential. A widely used parameterization estimates χ ≈ 0.02 (U_{10}/10)^{3.5} for wind speeds U_{10} > 7 m/s, where U_{10} is the neutral at 10 m , reflecting the exponential increase in breaking activity with stronger winds. Spume production occurs when direct wind shear exceeds the surface tension at wave crests, tearing off liquid fragments that fragment into droplets typically ranging from 10 to 100 μm in diameter. This process is distinct from finer particle generation via bubble bursting, which complements it by producing submicron to supermicron drops but dominates at lower winds (detailed in the Bubble Bursting Processes section). The flux of spume droplets rises exponentially with wind speed above 10 m/s, often scaling with a power law exponent around 7, as shear stress intensifies and wave crests become more susceptible to disruption. Laboratory and field observations confirm that this wind-driven tearing ejects droplets into the atmospheric boundary layer, enhancing momentum, heat, and moisture exchange at the air-sea interface. Recent research highlights enhanced sea spray emissions from wave breaking near shorelines, where turbulence amplifies production compared to open conditions under similar winds. A 2025 study across multiple coastal sites demonstrated that intense nearshore breaking during high-wave events (wave heights >3.5 m) enhances sea spray concentrations by up to a factor of 3 for (dominated by sub-200 nm particles) and doubles PM_{10} mass, driven by increased bubble entrainment and splashing in shallow waters. This coastal enhancement underscores the role of in local spray dynamics, with implications for air quality and cloud formation in littoral zones. Mechanistic sea spray generation functions (SSGFs) for splashing incorporate wave parameters to model more accurately than wind-only approaches. One integrates H_s and peak period T_p, yielding a proportional to H_s^{1.5} / T_p, which captures the dependence on wave dissipation rates during breaking. This sea-state-dependent SSGF improves predictions for intermediate to high winds by accounting for variability in breaking intensity, as steeper waves (higher H_s relative to T_p) promote more vigorous splashing and droplet ejection. In high-wind extremes, such as U_{10} up to 32 m/s encountered in storms or hurricanes, spume production dominates the total sea spray mass flux due to the prevalence of large droplets from intense crest tearing. At these speeds, the exponential scaling of spume flux overwhelms other mechanisms, significantly altering air-sea fluxes and structure. Observations from laboratory simulations at hurricane-force winds confirm this dominance, with spume droplets comprising the bulk of the mass budget and influencing intensification.

Influencing Factors

Sea spray production is modulated by a range of environmental and oceanic variables that affect both the rate and characteristics of generation from bubble bursting and wave breaking processes. at 10 m height (u_{10}) serves as a primary driver, with significant production initiating around 8 m/s, beyond which fluxes escalate nonlinearly due to intensified and droplet ejection. parameters, particularly wave steepness, further influence breaking probability; steeper waves promote more frequent and vigorous breaking, enhancing bubble populations and spume droplet release under comparable wind conditions. Spatial heterogeneity in fluxes arises from coastal dynamics, where shoreline wave breaking in surf zones yields markedly higher production than in open areas. A 2025 field study off the U.S. West Coast documented nearshore enhancements exceeding threefold in concentrations (dominated by sub-200 nm particles) and doubling in PM_{10} mass during high-wave events (significant wave height >4 m), driven by swell-dominated breaking rather than local winds. Conversely, fluxes diminish substantially in quiescent regions with low wave energy, such as sheltered basins or low-wind trades. Temporal patterns exhibit diurnal cycles, with aerosol concentrations typically rising post-sunrise and peaking midday, synchronized with wind variability and enhanced biological emissions in surface waters. Seasonal cycles align with regional wind regimes, showing elevated production in storm tracks during winter due to persistent gales. Storm events amplify fluxes by orders of magnitude through extreme u_{10} (>30 m/s) and wave heights, with sea-state-dependent parameterizations indicating up to tenfold increases in spray mass relative to wind-only models at hurricane intensities. Biogeochemical factors, including organic surfactants from phytoplankton exudates, reduce surface and stabilize bubble , boosting drop ejection by 2–5 times compared to salt-only solutions. Recent parameterizations integrate biological controls, linking dependence inversely to nanophytoplankton abundance; for instance, higher concentrations (e.g., >10^3 cells/mL) attenuate cold-water enhancements by altering organic enrichment and bubble dynamics, as observed across to subtropical waters. Water temperature and salinity exert additional controls on production efficiency. Elevated temperatures lower seawater viscosity, facilitating faster bubble rise and rupture to yield higher fluxes, with mass production rising nonlinearly below 12°C due to prolonged film drainage. Salinity variations, particularly gradients in estuaries from riverine dilution, reduce overall flux while shifting composition toward greater organic fractions, as lower ionic strength weakens bubble stability but promotes surfactant partitioning into aerosols.

Atmospheric Behavior

Transport and Dispersion

Sea spray particles are ejected from the ocean surface, providing sufficient momentum for incorporation into the marine through turbulent mixing. This near-surface ejection facilitates rapid vertical , where particles interact with turbulent eddies that distribute them across the boundary layer, enhancing air-sea exchange processes. Horizontal dispersion of sea spray is primarily driven by from , with distances varying significantly by particle size. Supermicron particles (>1 μm), dominated by gravitational settling, typically travel less than 100 km before deposition, limiting their influence to regional scales. In contrast, submicron particles (<1 μm) exhibit longer atmospheric residence times, enabling over distances exceeding 1000 km and contributing to long-range across ocean basins. Vertical profiles of sea spray concentration generally follow an exponential decay with height above the surface, described by the form C(z)=C0exp⁡(−z/H)C(z) = C_0 \exp(-z/H), where C(z)C(z) is the concentration at height zz, C0C_0 is the surface reference concentration, and HH represents the scale height. Typical values for HH range from 100 to 500 m, corresponding to the marine boundary layer mixing height, with concentrations decreasing rapidly due to reduced turbulent mixing aloft. Aircraft measurements in the western North Pacific during summer 2022 (published 2025) revealed elevated sea salt fractions at lower altitudes (<1000 m), with sea spray particles mixed with biomass burning aerosols within the boundary layer near coastal regions. Deposition processes ultimately limit the atmospheric lifetime of sea spray particles, with rates differing by size and mechanism. Large supermicron droplets undergo rapid dry deposition via gravitational settling, with lifetimes on the order of hours, effectively removing them near the source. Smaller submicron particles, however, are primarily removed through wet deposition via scavenging in clouds and precipitation, resulting in lifetimes extending to days and allowing broader dispersion.

Lifetime and Aging

Sea spray aerosols undergo significant physicochemical transformations during their atmospheric residence, primarily driven by evaporation, heterogeneous reactions, and photochemical processes. Upon ejection into the atmosphere, fresh saline droplets begin to shrink due to water evaporation as relative humidity (RH) decreases below the deliquescence point, typically around 75% RH for sea salt. This shrinkage continues until the efflorescence RH is reached, below which the droplets crystallize into dry salt particles; for sea spray aerosols, this occurs at approximately 44–50% RH, forming solid NaCl and other salts. Chemical aging further alters sea spray composition through acid displacement reactions, where gaseous acids such as HNO₃ and H₂SO₄ react with chloride ions (Cl⁻) in the aerosol, leading to depletion and release of HCl or other chlorine . In polluted environments, this process can reduce Cl⁻ content by 20–80%, with severe depletion (>50%) commonly observed in coastal and inland regions due to elevated acid concentrations. A 2022 review highlights that factors like , mixing state, and acidic availability influence the extent of chloride depletion, emphasizing heterogeneous reactions as the dominant mechanism. Organic components in sea spray aerosols experience photochemical oxidation during aging, enhancing their oxidation state through reactions with hydroxyl radicals (OH) and other oxidants. This processing increases the oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratio in aged particles, reflecting functionalization and fragmentation that produce more oxygenated, lower-carbon-number compounds. Recent 2024 findings also reveal significant nitrogen incorporation in aged sea spray aerosols, with a marked rise in organic compounds containing multiple nitrogen atoms due to OH-driven accretion reactions. The atmospheric lifetime of sea spray aerosols varies with size: submicron particles typically reside for 1–7 days, influenced by and wet deposition, while supermicron particles have shorter lifetimes of less than 1 day, primarily due to gravitational settling. Hygroscopic growth at higher RH can counteract losses, promoting water uptake that extends the effective lifetime by altering deposition rates and enhancing processing interactions. Aging also induces pH-dependent phase transitions in submicron spray particles, particularly in surface films, where acidification shifts the morphology from two-dimensional (2D) fluid layers to more rigid three-dimensional (3D) structures. This transition, driven by of organic , enhances collapse resistance, allowing particles to maintain structural integrity and resist deformation. Such changes, observed in proxy studies, alter particle reflectivity and reactivity.

Climate Interactions

Radiative Forcing

Sea spray aerosols exert a direct radiative forcing by scattering incoming solar radiation, primarily through backscattering that increases Earth's albedo by approximately 0.01–0.05 globally over oceanic regions. This scattering leads to a negative radiative forcing estimated at -0.1 to -0.6 W/m² on a global scale, contributing to a cooling effect on the climate system. The magnitude of this forcing is influenced by the aerosols' size distribution, with submicron particles exhibiting high scattering efficiency due to their size relative to visible wavelengths, as described by Mie theory, while supermicron particles predominantly cause forward scattering with lower backscattering efficiency. Recent observations indicate that shoreline wave breaking can enhance sea spray emissions by up to an , amplifying local in coastal oceanic regions. Recent advancements in understanding sea spray optics, including 2025 updates to measurements using , have refined model parameterizations, improving the accuracy of predictions by up to 10% in calculations. Globally, sea spray emissions range from 1 to 10 Pg/year, accounting for 5–10% of the total over , which amplifies their role in marine budgets. In polar regions, such as the , enhanced emissions due to stronger winds lead to amplified forcing, with seasonal means reaching -2 to -3 /m², underscoring regional variability in impacts. The semi-direct effect arises from minor atmospheric heating due to absorption by sea spray components, estimated at less than 0.1 W/m² globally, which can reduce the coverage or lifetime of low-level clouds and partially offset the direct cooling. This effect is small compared to the dominant scattering-driven direct forcing, but it highlights the nuanced radiative interactions of sea spray in the marine atmosphere.

Cloud and Precipitation Effects

Sea spray aerosols serve as effective (CCN) primarily due to their hygroscopic inorganic salts, such as , which enable activation at low critical supersaturations typically ranging from 0.1% to 1%. These salts lower the energy barrier for condensation by deliquescing and forming aqueous solutions that facilitate droplet growth in supersaturated environments. Additionally, organic components derived from marine can enhance CCN efficiency by up to 50% in biologically active regions like the , primarily through depression that promotes activation of smaller particles. The indirect effects of spray on clouds arise from increased CCN availability, which elevates cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) by 10–30% in marine boundary layer clouds, leading to a corresponding reduction in effective radius (re) of 10–20%. This Twomey effect enhances albedo by scattering more , contributing a positive albedo change equivalent to a radiative forcing of -0.2 to -1 W/m² in low-level stratocumulus. Atmospheric aging processes can further modify CCN activity by altering particle composition, though these changes are secondary to initial activation properties. Sea spray particles, particularly the coarser fraction (>1 μm), can act as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) through deposition and immersion modes in cold clouds, initiating formation at temperatures below -10°C. However, their contribution remains minor compared to mineral dust, with INP surface site densities 2–3 orders of magnitude lower, limiting their role in global glaciation processes. Recent biogeochemical studies highlight how phytoplankton-derived organics in sea spray modulate CCN efficiency, with fluxes showing an inverse relationship to modulated by cyanobacterial abundance like . This temperature-biogeochemistry linkage influences regional CCN budgets, particularly in productive oceanic waters where organic enrichment enhances activation during cooler conditions. By producing smaller cloud droplets, sea spray aerosols delay collision-coalescence processes, suppressing warm rain formation and shortening cloud lifetime by 10–20% in precipitating marine stratocumulus. This precipitation inhibition sustains higher droplet concentrations longer but reduces overall cloud persistence through enhanced entrainment and .

Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics

Sea spray droplets significantly influence air-sea fluxes by contributing to momentum transfer through form drag, particularly in high-wind conditions. At wind speeds exceeding 20 m/s (u_{10} > 20 m/s), these droplets contribute to a reduction or saturation of the (C_d) by 10–50% compared to extrapolations from lower wind speeds, as the airborne spray layer alters the effective air and reduces resistive forces in the marine atmospheric . This arises from the extracted by accelerating droplets, which limits overall surface stress beyond wave-induced form drag. Sea spray also modulates enthalpy fluxes, affecting both latent and sensible heat exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere. In stormy conditions, evaporating spray contributes 10–30% of the total ocean evaporation through latent heat release, with small droplets (<100 μm) driving most of this flux due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and rapid equilibration. Sensible heat transfer occurs as droplets cool below air temperature during ascent and evaporation, then warm back toward equilibrium, transferring heat to the overlying air; this process can account for up to 6% of the direct sensible flux in moderate storms but scales higher in intense events. These fluxes induce dynamic effects that amplify turbulence and wind speeds in the boundary layer. Models indicate that spray-generated turbulence enhances vertical mixing, leading to wind strengthening; for instance, simulations over the show 5–10% amplification in near-surface winds due to spray-mediated momentum redistribution. High-wind parameterizations capture this via spray-mediated stress, expressed as τs=ρau∗2(1+f(u10))\tau_s = \rho_a u_*^2 (1 + f(u_{10})), where ρa\rho_a is air density, u∗u_* is friction velocity, and f(u10)f(u_{10}) reflects the nonlinear response in spray contribution with wind speed. Coupled feedbacks further link spray to weather patterns, with evaporative cooling reducing sea surface temperatures and stabilizing the boundary layer in weaker systems, thereby suppressing convection and storm development. Conversely, in intense storms, enhanced evaporation from spray increases moisture influx, promoting eyewall warming and intensification through greater latent heat release aloft. These interactions underscore spray's role in modulating air-sea coupling during high-wind events.

Ecological and Environmental Roles

Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

Sea spray contributes to nutrient cycling in marine ecosystems by facilitating the deposition of salts and organic compounds back onto the ocean surface, thereby recycling essential materials and fertilizing surface waters. The process involves the transfer of dissolved organic matter from the sea surface microlayer to aerosol particles, which, upon redeposition, supports phytoplankton growth and primary productivity in the upper ocean. For instance, studies have quantified this transfer, showing enrichment of organic carbon in sea spray that enhances biogeochemical loops. In coastal settings, sea spray can mobilize iron from eroded sediments, providing a bioavailable source that stimulates phytoplankton blooms in iron-limited regions. Aerosol iron in coastal sea spray exhibits high solubility, underscoring its role in local nutrient supplementation. Along coastlines, sea spray exerts stress on vegetation through salt deposition, particularly affecting mangroves and adjacent forests. Annual dry deposition of sea salt, predominantly NaCl, ranges from 14 to 18 g/m² in tropical coastal environments, leading to physiological strain such as reduced photosynthesis and altered community dynamics in salt-tolerant species. Maritime influences like salt spray directly impact mangrove zonation and resilience, with higher exposure correlating to increased osmotic stress and leaf damage. Recent shoreline observations have associated elevated sea spray with nutrient enrichment that fosters algal blooms; for example, atmospheric nutrient inputs via aerosols have been linked to enhanced coastal eutrophication and bloom initiation in nutrient-deprived areas. Sea spray enhances ecosystem connectivity by entraining microbes and plankton fragments, promoting their aerial dispersal across distances of 10–100 km and facilitating colonization of distant marine habitats. This airborne transport supports genetic exchange and biodiversity maintenance within plankton communities, as viable microbial cells remain suspended for days. A notable biofeedback mechanism involves phytoplankton exudates, which act as natural surfactants to lower seawater surface tension, thereby boosting bubble bursting and sea spray generation, which in turn recycles organic matter to sustain marine productivity loops. In polluted coastal zones, sea spray amplifies environmental contamination by aerosolizing sewage-derived pollutants, redepositing them onto nearshore habitats and exacerbating ecological risks. 2023 investigations at the US-Mexico border documented sewage bacteria, including potential pathogens, in sea spray aerosols generated from contaminated waters, leading to widespread deposition that threatens benthic communities and water quality in adjacent ecosystems.

Microbial and Bioactive Transport

Sea spray aerosols serve as a key vector for the atmospheric transport of microorganisms from marine environments, with bacterial concentrations in freshly generated spray typically ranging from 10^4 to 10^6 cells per cubic meter. These aerosols often contain diverse taxa, including cyanobacteria such as Synechococcus and potential pathogens like Vibrio species, which are enriched relative to underlying seawater due to bubble bursting mechanisms at the ocean surface. Viability of these microbes diminishes rapidly in the atmosphere, with estimates indicating that 1–10% remain culturable after one day of exposure to stressors like UV radiation and desiccation, though enrichment factors can preserve a subset during initial aerosolization. In addition to microbes, sea spray carries bioactive compounds such as lipids and proteins derived from marine algae, which can modulate human immune responses upon inhalation. For instance, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), a phospholipid from phytoplankton, mimics components of human lung surfactant and has been linked to anti-inflammatory effects in bronchial cells. A 2025 study on seasonal dynamics revealed that bioactivity peaks during spring algal blooms, with sea spray extracts downregulating pro-inflammatory pathways like NF-κB while upregulating metabolic regulators such as AMPK, suggesting potential health-modulating roles in respiratory exposure. These organic components, often attached to submicron particles, facilitate long-range dispersal and may influence atmospheric microbial communities aloft. The transport of these elements via sea spray contributes to the formation of airborne microbial assemblages in clouds, where they participate in biogeochemical cycles by processing trace gases and organics. Submicron aerosol carriers enable global dispersal of microbes, allowing coastal sources to seed inland ecosystems over thousands of kilometers, with residence times extending days to weeks in the troposphere. Recent research from 2021 to 2025 has highlighted inhalation risks, noting that sea spray's surfactant-like properties could alter lung function, though balanced by immunostimulatory effects from low-level microbial exposure.

Pollutant Dispersal

Sea spray aerosols play a critical role in the atmospheric transport of anthropogenic pollutants from ocean surfaces by incorporating contaminants accumulated in the . Pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and heavy metals partition into the SML due to their physicochemical properties; PFAS, acting as surfactants, enrich preferentially at the air-water interface, while heavy metals interact with organic films and particulates in this thin layer (typically 50-1000 μm thick). These enriched substances are then ejected into the atmosphere through the bursting of air bubbles generated by breaking waves, forming primary sea spray aerosols that range from submicrometer to supermicrometer sizes. Studies from 2023 and 2024 have quantified the extent of PFAS re-emission via sea spray, revealing it as a major secondary source comparable to or exceeding primary industrial emissions in coastal regions. Global modeling based on field measurements along an Atlantic transect estimates annual emissions of 49 tons of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 26 tons of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) from oceans through sea spray aerosols, surpassing industrial PFOS releases (1-1.4 tons/year) and matching PFOA outputs (14-74 tons/year) from manufacturing. Enrichment factors in aerosols exceed 100,000 relative to underlying seawater concentrations, with linear correlations observed between PFAA levels in water and supermicrometer aerosols, underscoring the efficiency of this transfer mechanism near polluted coasts. Contaminated sea spray facilitates inland dispersal of pollutants, depositing them up to 10 km from shorelines and impacting groundwater and coastal vegetation. For instance, legacy PFAS have been detected in coastal aquifers via aerosol deposition, with screening of 60 PFAS compounds showing dominance by perfluoroalkyl acids in affected wells. Sewage-derived microbes, including pathogenic bacteria like Arcobacter and Acinetobacter, are similarly transferred through bubble bursting, comprising up to 76% of the bacterial community in coastal aerosols at sites like Imperial Beach, California, where they originate from riverine pollution. These aerosols can travel 20 km or more downwind under elevated winds, extending exposure risks. PFAS incorporated into sea spray exhibit prolonged environmental persistence due to their inherent resistance to degradation in saline matrices, where hydrolysis and microbial breakdown are minimal, allowing extended atmospheric lifetimes and broader dispersal. This stability enhances their global cycling, with 15-30% of emitted PFAS depositing on land and affecting air quality in coastal zones. A 2023 study on pollution transfer via sea spray highlights how such mechanisms amplify coastal exposure to contaminants, including chemicals and microbes from sewage, contributing to broader public health and environmental concerns worldwide.

Measurement and Modeling

Observational Techniques

Observational techniques for sea spray aerosol (SSA) have advanced significantly to enable precise quantification of production fluxes and particle characteristics in marine environments. In-situ measurements, often conducted from ships or buoys, utilize specialized instruments to sample fresh SSA particles directly from the air-sea interface. The counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) is a key tool for isolating freshly emitted SSA by separating cloud residuals and interstitial aerosols through inertial impaction, allowing analysis of primary marine particles without contamination from processed aerosols. For size-resolved composition, (AMS) provides real-time chemical profiles, revealing dominant sea salt components alongside organics in submicron SSA, as demonstrated in Mediterranean cruise studies where organic mass fractions were approximately 8% in nascent particles. These instruments leverage SSA's distinct hygroscopic properties, such as rapid water uptake, to enhance detection specificity. Remote sensing techniques complement in-situ data by offering spatial and vertical coverage over large ocean areas. Ground-based or shipborne lidar systems measure backscattered light to retrieve vertical profiles of SSA concentration and size distribution, capturing plume dispersion from breaking waves up to several hundred meters altitude. Satellite observations, particularly from MODIS, estimate SSA emissions by deriving whitecap coverage from ocean color and brightness temperature, which correlates with wave-breaking intensity and provides global flux estimates scaled to wind speeds exceeding 8 m/s. These methods have been validated against in-situ data, showing whitecap fractions of 1-4% under typical storm conditions drive significant SSA production. Laboratory simulations replicate ocean conditions to study SSA generation under controlled settings. Wave tanks generate plunging breakers to mimic open-ocean wave breaking, enabling high-speed imaging and particle counters to quantify droplet size distributions from 0.1 to 1000 μm, with peak production during the plunging jet impact phase. Bubble chambers facilitate isolated investigations of film and jet drop formation from bursting bubbles, offering mechanistic insights into submicron SSA yields; recent 2025 validations confirm jetting dominates micron-sized particle ejection, aligning lab fluxes with field observations at wind speeds of 10-20 m/s. Flux measurements integrate these approaches to derive production rates. Eddy covariance systems, deployed on research vessels, directly compute vertical SSA fluxes by correlating wind fluctuations with particle concentrations, yielding size-segregated estimates over the open ocean where total fluxes can exceed 10^7 particles m^{-2} s^{-1} at 15 m/s winds. Aircraft campaigns from 2022 to 2025, such as those over the western North Pacific, combine in-situ sampling with vessel data to map regional SSA transport, revealing enhanced fluxes near storm tracks through integrated profiles up to 8 km altitude. Key challenges persist in SSA observations, particularly distinguishing marine particles from continental aerosols in coastal or polluted regions, where tracers like sodium-to-chloride ratios or stable isotopes are employed but limited by mixing. Organic detection remains constrained by low mass fractions (often <20%) and instrumental sensitivities below 0.1 μg m^{-3}, complicating quantification of bioactive components in submicron modes.

Parameterization in Models

Sea spray parameterization in atmospheric, ocean, and models typically relies on sea spray generation functions (SSGFs) that estimate the production flux of spray droplets as a function of environmental variables. Empirical SSGFs, often derived from Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, express the differential flux dF/dr (number of droplets per radius interval per unit area per time) as proportional to u_{10}^\alpha r^\beta, where u_{10} is the 10-meter wind speed, r is the droplet radius, and α and β are empirical exponents (e.g., α ≈ 3.41 and β ≈ -2 for submicron particles in classic formulations). These functions perform well at moderate to high winds but exhibit significant limitations at low wind speeds (<8 m/s), where they underestimate fluxes due to neglect of wave state and bubble dynamics. Recent advancements have shifted toward mechanistic models grounded in bubble bursting physics, incorporating sea state, wind, and temperature effects to address empirical shortcomings. For instance, a 2022 formulation derives SSGFs from bubble size distributions and energetics, predicting and jet drop emissions that vary with and , improving accuracy across wind regimes. Building on this, splashing mechanisms—dominant for larger droplets—have been modeled from first principles in 2025 work, integrating wave impact kinematics and droplet ejection probabilities without relying on wind-speed proxies alone. In global climate models (GCMs) like the Community Earth System Model (CESM), sea spray is integrated into schemes to simulate direct radiative effects and , with emissions typically driven by wind-based SSGFs that modulate and organic burdens. Biogeochemical linkages have been enhanced through parameterizations tying spray flux to abundance and organic , as in 2024 schemes that scale emissions with nanophytoplankton cell counts to capture biological modulation of composition. Uncertainties in global sea spray flux estimates remain substantial, often exceeding ±50% due to variability in source functions and limited observational constraints, particularly for supermicron particles. Shoreline enhancements, where wave breaking can amplify coastal fluxes by factors of 2–3 relative to open ocean, have been historically underrepresented in models but are now addressed in 2025 updates incorporating nearshore hydrodynamics. Future directions emphasize coupling SSGFs with wave models, such as WAVEWATCH III, to enable real-time predictions of spray emissions responsive to evolving sea states during storms, potentially reducing forecast errors in air-sea flux simulations.

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