Biogenic emissions of sulfur from the ocean surface are believed to be a significant contribution to the atmospheric aerosol burden, thus playing a significant role in climate. The possibility exists for using remotely sensed data to locate sources, map distributions, and estimate global-scale fluxes of marine sulfur flux. By definition, estimates of surface trace-gas flux from satellites are indirect. Empirical algorithms must be derived using direct surface flux measurements. This technology does not currently exist, and may be many years from coming to fruition. This paper discusses the possibilities of developing a satellite-based dimethyl sulphide (DMS) flux capability and describes a new technique that can be used to develop the necessary empirical relationships. It demonstrates the feasibility of using a sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD) for measuring surface sulfur-gas flux directly from the ground. It also estimates ocean surface sulfur-gas flux using two related, indirect methods, known as the variance method and the inertial dissipation method. These methods can be used in the Arctic, where the ocean-to-atmosphere flux may be a significant fraction of global biogenic sulfur emissions.

An area of Arctic vegetation on Brøggerhalvøya in the northwestern part of Spitsbergen, was studied. A classified Landsat-TM image with 57 land-cover classes (LCCs) was compared to an existing vegetation map with a comparison matrix. The 57 LCCs were grouped in seven different groups, where the seventh group contained 15 LCCs with vegetation. The other groups were regarded as non-vegetated. The correspondence between the existing vegetation map and the satellite-based vegetation map was not high, but the classes from the satellite-based land-cover map could be interpreted in botanical terms. A vegetation index (VI) was used to discriminate between vegetated and non-vegetated LCCs. The VI was correlated to plant biomass measurements, and the total plant biomass for Brøggerhalvøya was estimated. The estimated biomass coincided with other estimates from the same area.