MOTORIZATION OF CHINA IMPLIES CHANGES IN PACIFIC AIR CHEMISTRY AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION

The People's Republic of China, the world's most populous nation, is c onsidering extensive development of its automotive transportation infr astructure. Upper limits to the associated pollution increases can be defined through scenarios with Western style vehicles and vehicle-to-p erson ratios. Here we construct estimates of fundamental changes to ch emistry of the Pacific ocean/ atmosphere system through simple budgeti ng procedures. Regional increases in tropospheric ozone could reach te ns of parts per billion. Observations/experiments suggest that enhance d nitrogen oxides will react with sea salt aerosols to yield chlorine atoms in the marine boundary layer. Nitrate deposition onto the open s ea surface would support several percent of exported North Pacific car bon production. Transport of biologically active iron to surface water s may follow from increases in mineral dust and acid sulfate aerosols. Altered plankton ecodynamics will feed back into climate processes th rough sea to air flux of reduced sulfur gases and through carbon dioxi de drawdown.