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Radiative influences of Pinatubo volcanic aerosols on twilight observations of NO[sub 2] column abundances

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92GL01938· OSTI ID:6999360
;  [1]
  1. Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO (United States) NOAA, Aeronomy Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)
Following the massive eruption of Mt. Pinatubo during June of 1991, twilight slant column abundances of NO[sub 2] were observed to decrease by 30-40 percent at Lauder, New Zealand. In this study, it is shown that nearly all of the observed decrease in twilight NO[sub 2] slant column abundance is likely to be due to heterogeneous chemistry. Airmass factors calculated with a spherical Monte Carlo radiative transfer model are shown to be relatively insensitive to the presence of the Pinatubo volcanic aerosols above about 20 km, although some significant differences are obtained below this altitude. Changes in photolysis rates due to increased scattering are also shown to have only a small effect on the total twilight NO[sub 2] column abundances. 15 refs.
OSTI ID:
6999360
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 19:19; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English