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Australian New Year's PyroCb Impact on Stratospheric Composition
Author(s) -
Schwartz Michael J.,
Santee Michelle L.,
Pumphrey Hugh C.,
Manney Gloria L.,
Lambert Alyn,
Livesey Nathaniel J.,
Millán Luis,
Neu Jessica L.,
Read William G.,
Werner Frank
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl090831
Subject(s) - microwave limb sounder , plume , stratosphere , polar vortex , atmospheric sciences , polar , panache , environmental science , geology , climatology , meteorology , physics , astronomy
Following the Australian New Year's pyrocumulonimbus complex between 29 December 2019 and 4 January 2020, the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observed a plume with unprecedented enhancements of H 2 O and biomass‐burning products (CO, HCN, CH 3 Cl, CH 3 CN, and CH 3 OH) in the lower/middle stratosphere, accompanied by depressions in stratospheric species (O 3 and HNO 3 ). The plume persisted for ∼110 days, circling the globe twice while ascending to 5.62 hPa (∼35 km). Air masses drawn off the main plume moved toward the developing Antarctic polar vortex but do not appear to have penetrated it. Comparison of species in the plume requires consideration of their measurements' spatial resolutions and background abundances. The apparent decay of some long‐lived plume constituents is largely attributable to their coarsening spatial resolution with height, which reduces observed peak values. Differing HCN/H 2 O signatures indicate that multiple early plumes originated from different stratospheric injection events.