Impact of anticyclonic eddies on the spatial distribution and emission of non-methane hydrocarbons in the northern South China Sea

Liu, Zhen-Fei; Qiao, Wen-Zhu; Yang, Ze-Yun; Xu, Feng; Xu, Gao-Bin; Wang, Jian; Qiao, Hao; Li, Cheng-Shuai; Zhang, Hong-Hai

doi:10.5194/bg-23-4911-2026

Articles | Volume 23, issue 14

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4911-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4911-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 14

Research article

|

20 Jul 2026

Research article |

| 20 Jul 2026

Impact of anticyclonic eddies on the spatial distribution and emission of non-methane hydrocarbons in the northern South China Sea

Zhen-Fei Liu, Wen-Zhu Qiao, Ze-Yun Yang, Feng Xu, Gao-Bin Xu, Jian Wang, Hao Qiao, Cheng-Shuai Li, and Hong-Hai Zhang

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https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4911-2026-supplement

Data sets

Impact of anticyclonic eddies on the spatial distribution and emission of non-methane hydrocarbons in the northern South China Sea Zhenfei Liu https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31007650

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Short summary

Mesoscale eddies can influence the biogeochemistry of non‑methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs). Eddy‑induced downwelling reduces nutrient availability in the euphotic zone, thereby suppressing phytoplankton growth and the biological production of alkanes and isoprene, while limited dissolved organic carbon constrains the photochemical production of alkenes. As a result, NMHC emissions within eddies were substantially reduced, weakening their contribution to ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation.