Andrew J. Peters

• PhD
• Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

The objective of this perspective article is to determine the extent to which processes operating across the air–sea interface are considered in international environmental policy. The ocean is usually important but rarely a defining feature in such policies. We will begin with a brief introduction to the existing relevant treaties and policy frame...

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are key intermediates in the atmospheric cycling of reactive nitrogen, the spatiotemporal distribution of which modulates ozone (O3) production. Field campaigns were conducted at the Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory, Bermuda, in the spring and summer of 2019 to explore atmospheric cycling of NOx and its modulation of...

Ocean isotopic evaporation models, such as the Craig‐Gordon model, rely on the description of nonequilibrium fractionation factors that are, in general, poorly constrained. To date, only a few gradient‐diffusion type measurements have been performed in ocean settings to test the validity of the commonly used parametrization of nonequilibrium isotop...

In this study, we investigate the atmospheric oxidation capacity in the marine boundary layer during two measurement campaigns in spring and summer 2019 at the Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory, Bermuda. Measured species included non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), HONO, HNO3, particulate matter, particulate nitrates, NO, NO2, O3, in addition...

Here we present measurement results of temporal distributions of nitrous acid (HONO) along with several chemical and meteorological parameters during the spring and the late summer of 2019 at Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory in Bermuda. Large temporal variations in HONO concentration were controlled by several factors including local pollu...

North American pollution outflow is ubiquitous over the western North Atlantic Ocean, especially in winter, making this location a suitable natural laboratory for investigating the impact of precipitation on aerosol particles along air mass trajectories. We take advantage of observational data collected at Bermuda to seasonally assess the sensitivi...

North American pollution outflow is ubiquitous over the western North Atlantic Ocean, especially in winter, making this location an ideal natural laboratory for investigating the impact of precipitation on aerosol particles along air mass trajectories. We take advantage of observational data collected at Bermuda to seasonally assess the sensitivity...

Aerosol characteristics and aerosol–cloud interactions remain uncertain in remote marine regions. We use over a decade of data (2000–2012) from the NASA AErosol RObotic NETwork, aerosol and wet deposition samples, satellite remote sensors, and models to examine aerosol and cloud droplet number characteristics at a representative open ocean site (Be...

Understanding the physical and biogeochemical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere is a vital component of environmental and Earth system research. The ability to predict and respond to future environmental change relies on a detailed understanding of these processes. The Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) is an int...

We propose a framework using water vapor isotopes to study mixing processes in the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) during quiescent conditions, where we expect evaporation to contribute to the moisture budget. This framework complements the existing models, by taking into account the changing isotopic composition of the evaporation flux (δe), both dire...

The water vapour isotopic composition (1H2 16O, H2 18O and 1H2H16O) of the Atlantic marine boundary layer has been measured from 5 research vessels between 2012 and 2015. Using laser spectroscopy analysers, measurements have been carried out continuously on samples collected 10–20 meter above sea level. All the datasets have been carefully calibrat...

A potential closure of the global carbonyl sulfide (COS or OCS) budget has recently been attained through a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and extended surface measurements. However, significant uncertainties in the spatial and temporal dynamics of the marine flux still persist. In order to isolate the terrestrial photosynthetic component...

Significance Global models indicate that the human-derived nitrogen emissions that reach the ocean through atmospheric transport and deposition directly impact biology and the oceanic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sink. Here, we find that the organic nitrogen in marine aerosols derives predominantly from biological production in the surface ocean rather t...

Emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) to the atmosphere have increased tenfold since preindustrial times, resulting in increased N deposition to terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. The sources of N deposition to the ocean, however, are poorly understood. Two years of event-based rainwater samples were collected on the island of Bermuda in the wes...

Continuous, in situ measurements of water vapor isotopic composition have been conducted in the North Atlantic, Bermuda Islands (32.26° N, 64.88° W) between November 2011 and June~2013, using a~cavity-ring-down-spectrometer water vapor isotope analyzer and an autonomous self-designed calibration system. Meticulous calibration allows us to reach an...

Floating tar balls are a product of weathering of crude oil in the marine environment. They have been found to be prevalent in the world ocean, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s before stricter controls on petroleum transport and handling were in effect. Much of the early research on the occurrence and composition of pelagic tar balls was conduct...

[1] Identifying the dominant sources of atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr) is critical for determining the influence of anthropogenic emissions on Nr deposition, especially in marine ecosystems. To test the influence of anthropogenic versus marine air masses, samples were collected in Bermuda, where seasonal atmospheric circulation patterns lead to...

Emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) to the atmosphere have increased tenfold since preindustrial times, resulting in increased N deposition to terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. The current sources of N deposition to the ocean, however, are poorly understood. To investigate the sources of nitrate in rainwater deposited to the ocean, two years...

We installed an autonomous continuous water vapor isotope monitoring station in Bermuda (Tudor Hill) (32.26 N 64.86 W) in November 2011 with the aim of understanding the processes of the marine atmospheric boundary layer giving rise to the isotope fingerprint in the water vapor. Similarly we installed a station running in parallel on the south coas...

Atmospheric water soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) is a subset of the complex organic matter in aerosols and rainwater, which impacts cloud condensation processes and aerosol chemical and optical properties and may play a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle of N. However, its sources, composition, connections to inorganic N, and variability...

Executive Summary The Sargasso Sea is a fundamentally important part of the world’s ocean, located within the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre with its boundaries defined by the surrounding currents. It is the only sea without land boundaries with water depths ranging from the surface coral reefs of Bermuda to abyssal plains at 4500 m. The Sargasso...

The chromophoric or "light-absorbing" fraction of dissolved organic matter plays a significant role in the regulation of the underwater light field. In the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, it's origins vary, and include contributions from both terrestrial and marine sources. Furthermore, within the fraction of marine-origin CDOM, there are distinct...

The current state of knowledge on organic nitrogen in the atmosphere is very limited. Atmospheric water soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) is a subset of the complex water soluble organic matter measured in atmospheric aerosols and rainwater; as such, it impacts cloud condensation processes and aerosol chemical and optical properties. In marine and co...

High volume air sampling in Bermuda, Sable Island (Nova Scotia) and along a cruise track from the Gulf of Mexico to northeast coast of the USA, was carried out to assess air concentrations, particle-gas partitioning and transport of polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in this region. Samples were collected in the summer of 2007. Targeted compounds inc...

The oceans have absorbed a significant fraction of the fossil carbon released to the atmosphere from human activities. As a result, seawater pH and carbonate saturation state () have decreased and will continue to decrease owing to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. These changes in ocean chemistry could result in increased dissolution of calcium carbon...

The chemical quality of water stored in roof-harvested rainwater tanks and used for domestic consumption in Bermuda was assessed by analyzing a suite of metal and metalloid elements, major ions, pH and conductivity in water and sediment from 112 and 36 private residences, respectively. The chemical quality of water was good, with a low incidence of...

The absorption of anthropogenic CO2 and atmospheric deposition of acidity can both contribute to the acidification of the global ocean. Rainfall pH measurements and chemical compositions monitored on the island of Bermuda since 1980, and a long-term seawater CO2 time-series (1983–2005) in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda were used...

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed at global background sites, to test logistical issues associated with a global monitoring network for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). alpha-HCH, exhibited relatively high and uniform concentrations (17-150 pg/m3) at temperate and arctic sites with elevated concentrations associated with trans-Pacifi...

The ant social parasite, Maculinea rebeli shows high levels of host specificity at a regional scale. While 68-88% of caterpillars in the field are adopted by nonhost Myrmica ants, 95-100% of the butterflies emerge from the natural host M. schencki the following year. While retrieval of preadoption caterpillars is specific to the genus Myrmica, it d...

The pyrethroid insecticide permethrin was evaluated for controlling the emergence of chironomid midges from slow sand filter beds. The hydrodynamics of the slow sand filter were studied using a chemical tracer and mesocosm experiments were undertaken to examine the effects of permethrin on the filter bed micro-fauna community. A single treatment wi...

Sediment from 9 lakes and lagoons in 3 North African countries was analysed for a suite of organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Residues of -HCH and pp-DDE were detected in most cores, and radiometric dating of the sediment enabled time profiles to be constructed which are indicative of recent use of the insecticide lin...

Archived background soils ("Broadbalk', 1944-1986) and sludge-amended soils ("Luddington", 1968-1990), collected from long-term agricultural experiments in the UK, were analyzed for a range of organochlorine (OC) pesticides to establish trends over time. Concentrations typically ranged from 0.1 to 10 ng/g of soil (dry weight), with gamma-hexachloro...

Short-chain (C10–C13) polychlorinated n-alkanes (PCAs) have been measured in the air in the United Kingdom at 2 week intervals over a period of 12 months. The mean concentration of PCAs over the sampling period was 320±320 pgm−3 (arithmetic mean±1 S.D.) with a geometric mean of 160pgm−3. Hexa- and hepta-chlorinated dodecane congeners are the predom...

During September and October, 1998, the new Integrated Organic Gas and Particle Sampler (IOGAPS), was operated at Hazelrigg, UK, the field measurement station of the University of Lancaster. Gas/particle partition ratios of twenty-two 2–5 ring PAH were determined using both the IOGAPS (in which the gas phase is collected before the particle phase)...

A detailed comparison of two inherently different ambient air samplers has been conducted to fully characterize and compare their performance in sampling and measuring the partitioning of a suite of 29 semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). A high volume air sampler (hi-vol) utilizing polyurethane foam (PUF) adsorbent for vapor-phase trapping and...

This study aims to investigate the nature and extent of sorption of herbicides by sandy aquifer sediments. Three phenylurea herbicides (linuron, diuron and isoproturon), two triazine herbicides (atrazine and simazine), and one phenylurea metabolite and one triazine metabolite (dichlorophenylurea and desethylatrazine, respectively) were investigated...

A record of the annual 2øpb deposition to an Arctic glacier for the past 30 years has been obtained. Samples representing discrete annual layers of accumulated snowfall from the period 1963 to 1993 were collected from a snow pit on the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, Canada (80ø49'N, 72ø56'W). The annual layers were independently and accurately...

Current detailed measurements of contaminant deposition cannot provide a historical perspective except through long-term monitoring programs. In the Aretic, ice caps provide an alternative to lake sediments, in that the annual snow layers reflect atmospheric deposition. As a result of the remoteness of the ice cap and the limited summer melt, annua...

Polar ice caps can provide long-term records of atmospheric deposition. Owing to the prevalent conditions, the layers of accumulated snow are subject to little chemical or physical change and are temporally well defined. Sampling of the Agassiz Ice Cap on Ellesmere Island was undertaken in early 1993 to investigate the potential of polar ice caps f...