Tropical ozone loss following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

Journal Article · Fri Jan 08 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92GL02637· OSTI ID:6765472

Schoeberl, M R; Bhartia, P K; Hilsenrath, E ^[1]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) measurements of equatorial total ozone following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo show a decrease of up to 6% over climatology. Ozone losses begin approximately a month following the eruption, consistent with the time required for the SO[sub 2] to convert to sulfuric acid aerosol. The thick aerosol layer interferes with the TOMS retrieval, but this interference is small and easily accounted for in the retrieval. Ozone values remain below climatology until December, 1991. Ozonesonde data from Natal, Brazil taken before and two months after the eruption support TOMS observations of ozone loss. These sondes show that the ozone loss region is confined to a 2-3 km thick layer between 24 and 28 km. 19 refs., 4 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6765472
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 20:1; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
ASIA
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISLANDS
LAYERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
OZONE LAYER
PHILIPPINES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID
VARIATIONS
VOLCANIC GASES
VOLCANOES