A model simulation of Pinatubo volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere
- Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)
A one-dimensional, time-dependent model is used to study the chemical, microphysical, and radiative properties of volcanic aerosols produced by the Mount Pinatubo eruption on June 15, 1991. The authors` model treats gas-phase sulfur photochemistry, gas-to-particle conversion of sulfur, and the microphysics of sulfate aerosols and ash particles under stratospheric conditions. The dilution and diffusion of the volcanic eruption clouds are also accounted for in these conditions. Heteromolecular homogeneous and heterogeneous binary H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/H{sub 2}O nucleation, acid and water condensational growth, coagulation, and gravitational sedimentation are treated in detail in the model. Simulations suggested that after several weeks, the volcanic cloud was composed mainly of sulfuric acid/water droplets produced in situ from the SO{sub 2} emissions. The large amounts of SO{sub 2} (around 20 Mt) injected into the stratosphere by the Pinatubo eruption initiated homogeneous nucleation which generated a high concentration of small H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/H{sub 2}O droplets. These newly formed particles grew rapidly by condensation and coagulation in the first few months and then reached their stabilized sizes with effective radii in a range between 0.3 and 0.5 {mu}m approximately one-half year after the eruption. The predicted volcanic cloud parameters reasonably agree with measurements in term of the vertical distribution and lifetime of the volcanic aerosols, their basic microphysical structures (e.g., size distribution, concentration, mass ratio, and surface area) and radiative properties. The persistent volcanic aerosols can produce significant anomalies in the radiation field, which have important climatic consequences. The large enhancement in aerosol surface area can result in measurable global stratospheric ozone depletion. 57 refs., 15 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 166242
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: D4 Vol. 100; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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