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Variations of carbon monoxide density in the total atmospheric column over Russia between 1970 and 1995: Upward trend and disturbances, attributed to the influence of volcanic aerosols and forest fires
Author(s) -
Yurganov Leonid N.,
Grechko Eugeny I.,
Dzhola Anatoly V.
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1029/97gl50990
Subject(s) - atmospheric sciences , troposphere , aerosol , volcano , environmental science , ozone , atmosphere (unit) , tropospheric ozone , stratosphere , carbon monoxide , climatology , meteorology , geology , chemistry , physics , catalysis , biochemistry , seismology
The analysis of total column spectroscopic CO observations over Russia revealed an upward linear trend between 1970 and 1995 with a rate of about 1.0 ppbv/year or 0.96%/year. A similar trend was reported earlier for the CO total column over Switzerland between 1950 and 1987. This rate is almost 3 times higher, than the rate of CO increase between 1920 and 1950, obtained from ice core data. Main disturbances of CO tropospheric concentration coincided with vast wildfires in the central Russia in 1972 and volcanic eruptions. Stratospheric volcanic aerosol probably influence the concentration of tropospheric OH radicals, which destroy CO molecules. The aerosol scatters photochemically active UV radiation and, in the same time, triggers the stratospheric ozone photochemical destruction. Diminished total column ozone UV absorption can offset the increase of UV scattering due to additional aerosol. Studying these processes is important for a prediction of further CO and OH long‐term variations in the global atmosphere.