Premium
Changes in the Character of Polar Stratospheric Clouds Over Antarctica in 1992 Due to the Pinatubo Volcanic Aerosol
Author(s) -
Deshler Terry,
Johnson Bryan J.,
Rozier William R.
Publication year - 1994
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 - 10.1029/94gl00072
Subject(s) - aerosol , atmospheric sciences , volcano , stratosphere , altitude (triangle) , atmosphere (unit) , polar , ozone layer , environmental science , ozone , ozone depletion , climatology , geology , meteorology , physics , astronomy , seismology , geometry , mathematics
Vertical profiles of aerosol concentration were measured on 8 occasions from McMurdo Station, Antarctica (78°S), between late August and early October 1992. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were observed on 6 of these soundings. The characteristics of PSCs, are ozone, were quite different above and below about 16 km. Above 16 km PSCs were variable in time, with particles >1.0 μm radius contributing significantly to the surface area, generally <8 μm 2 cm −3 . Below 16 km PSCs were much more stable and were dominated by high concentrations of smaller particles, <1.0 μm, with surface areas of 20–30 μm 2 cm −3 . This lower layer coincided with the altitude of the primary Pinatubo volcanic aerosol as measured in mid September and October, and with the 4 km region of the atmosphere where ozone was virtually completely destroyed over Antarctica in 1992.