Seasonal variation of methanesulfonic acid in precipitation at Amsterdam island in the southern Indian Ocean

A 29-month record of methanesulfonate (MSA) concentration in 103 rainwater samples has been performed at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Rain water MSA concentrations range from 0.008 to 1.150 μeql^?1 with a mean value of 0.187 ± 0.054 μeql^?1. A strong seasonal variation in rain water MSA concentration was found with a minimum in winter and a maximum in summer, similar to that observed for atmospheric DMS concentrations measured during the same period. The annual average MSA wet deposition during the studied period was 0.51 μeq m^?2 d^?1 which represents roughly 20% of the annual average DMS flux.