Review of Stable Isotope Analysis for Atmospheric Sulfate and Its Related Species

Abstract

Abstract Stable isotope information for atmospheric sulfate and its related species are the useful tool which enables us to elucidate their sources and formation and sink processes. In this paper, recent knowledge obtained for sulfate aerosols using traditional and non-traditional isotopic analyses is reviewed. For the stratospheric sulfate aerosols (SSA), carbonyl sulfide isotopic composition and isotopic fractionations for its sink processes are discussed to test the source of background SSA, and stratospheric volcanic signals for polar sulfate using ³³S excess are reviewed. For the tropospheric sulfate aerosols, various sources and fractionations for the atmospheric processes are summarized, and investigations of sulfate formation pathways using ¹⁷O excess for sulfate are introduced.