Atmospheric circulation drives major marine isoprene emission

Marine isoprene emissions contribute to atmospheric organic aerosols and climate feedbacks, but their drivers in remote ocean regions remain poorly understood due to limited high-resolution data. Analyzing over 300 large emission events from a 20-year dataset of daily emissions combined with four cruise observations, here we find that large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns orchestrate these events by jointly modulating surface meteorology — solar radiation, wind speed, sea-surface temperature and mixed-layer depth — enhancing isoprene production and transfer from the sea-surface microlayer to the atmosphere. Emission peaks lag peak solar radiation by 3–4 days, reflecting the synergistic response of the ocean surface. This mechanism links synoptic-scale variability to marine volatile organic compound emissions, with implications for secondary organic aerosol formation and climate feedbacks over remote oceans. These findings highlight the critical role of atmosphere–ocean interactions in regulating marine emissions. Large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns modulate surface meteorology, enhancing isoprene production and transfer from the sea-surface microlayer to the atmosphere, according to combined emissions and cruise observations.