An assessment of the impact of volcanic eruptions on the northern hemisphere's aerosol burden during the last decade

Journal Article · Fri Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD095iD05p05677· OSTI ID:5089220

Michalsky, J J ^[1]; Pearson, E W; LeBaron, B A ^[2]

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1. State Univ. of New York, Albany (United States)
2. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

The authors present an analysis of volcanic aerosol loading above a northern mid-latitude observing station during the last decade, with particular attention to the decay in the aerosol resulting from the 1982 eruption of the El Chichon. The optical depth data at five wavelengths are derived from sunradiometry data. These are tabulated, and inferences regarding size distribution of the volcanic aerosol are drawn. Comparison with a number of other data sets is used to establish the validity of ground-based technique, and to draw inferences regarding stratospheric transport. The authors also report simulation calculations designed to establish the capabilities and limitations of the measurement and analysis techniques. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. Under suitable conditions, ground-based sunradiometry can reliably monitor variations in the stratospheric aerosol of less than 0.01 optical depths on time scales of a few weeks or longer. Large (on the order of 0.5 micrometer) particles remained present throughout the decay of the El Chichon aerosol, and there is substantial agreement among mid-latitude data sets collected by several techniques; thus inferences regarding stratospheric transport can be drawn from joint analysis of the available data. The available evidence supports the proposition that mid-latitude decay is modulated by annual transport of fresh material from low latitudes, primarily, with some transport from polar latitudes.

• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5089220
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 95:D5; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
VOLCANOES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA ANALYSIS
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
MONITORING
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICULATES
RADIOMETERS
SIMULATION
STRATOSPHERE
WAVELENGTHS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
EVALUATION
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PARTICLES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
RADIATION DETECTORS
SIZE
SOLS
540110*