Fig. 5: Measured DMS (dimethyl sulfide) and SO₂ data and the contribution of different pathways to H₂SO₄ formation.

Source data are provided as a Source Data file. a Measured average DMS concentrations (colour coded) worldwide with corresponding SO₂/DMS ratios (numbers), if available. The map plot was created with R⁶⁸ using the ggplot2 package (map_data(“world”)). b Calculated H₂SO₄ formation rates from different pathways combining the modelled CH₃S and CH₃SO₂ formation rates with experimentally determined H₂SO₄ yields. The “Cloud” scenario represents simulations with cloud passages leading to lower SO₂ concentrations due to its uptake and oxidation in clouds. The simulations with “lower H_A” represent model runs using lower Henry constants H_A of DMS oxidation products (see Supplementary Table 1). c Reproduction of measured SO₂ (black line with squares) and DMS (red line with dots) concentrations as well as its SO₂/DMS ratio (blues crosses) from observations at Baring Head, New Zealand⁵⁰. Purple and yellow bars illustrate the calculated relative contributions of DMS (direct route) and SO₂ oxidation to total H₂SO₄ formation at daytime. The contributions are calculated based on results from “no Cloud” simulation.