Premium
Observations of the loss of stratospheric NO 2 following volcanic eruptions
Author(s) -
Coffey M. T.,
Mankin William G.
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 - 10.1029/93gl03151
Subject(s) - volcano , stratosphere , nitric acid , middle latitudes , atmospheric sciences , vulcanian eruption , nitrogen dioxide , nitrogen , environmental science , geology , geochemistry , chemistry , meteorology , inorganic chemistry , physics , organic chemistry
Observations of stratospheric column amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric acid (HNO 3 ) have been made following major eruptions of the El Chichón and Mt. Pinatubo volcanoes. Midlatitude abundances of NO 2 and NO were reduced by as much as 70% in the months following the appearance of the volcanic aerosols as compared to volcanically quite periods. There are heterogeneous reactions which could occur on the volcanic aerosols to convert NO 2 into HNO 3 but no commensurate increase in HNO 3 column amounts was observed at the times of NO 2 decrease.