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In‐situ measurements of changes in stratospheric aerosol and the N 2 O‐aerosol relationship inside and outside of the polar vortex
Author(s) -
Borrmann S.,
Dye J. E.,
Baumgardner D.,
Wilson J. C.,
Jonsson H. H.,
Brock C. A.,
Loewenstein M.,
Podolske J. R.,
Ferry G. V.,
Barr K. S.
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1029/93gl01694
Subject(s) - stratosphere , aerosol , polar vortex , atmospheric sciences , polar , vortex , mixing ratio , particle (ecology) , sulfate aerosol , particle number , environmental science , meteorology , volume (thermodynamics) , physics , geology , thermodynamics , oceanography , astronomy
Two optical particle counters on the ER‐2, together covering a particle size diameter range from 0.1 μm to 23 μm , were used to measure the aerosol bulk quantities integral number, aerosol surface and volume, as well as detailed size distributions inside and outside of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere. While AASE I (Arctic Airborne Stratospheric Expedition, (Dec. 88‐Feb. 89) was conducted in a period of relative volcanic quiescence, enhancements in aerosol number, surface and volume of factors around 10, 25 and 100 were observed during AASE II (Aug. 91‐Mar. 92) due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The changes in these bulk quantities as well as in the size distributions measured both outside and inside the the polar vortex are presented and compared with those obtained in polar stratospheric cloud events (AASE I). Except for a shift towards larger aerosol mixing ratios the general shape of correlograms between the measured N 2 O and particle mixing ratios remain similar before and after the eruption. Similar correlograms are used to interpret data from vertical profiles inside and outside of the polar vortex.