Premium
El Chichon and “mystery cloud” aerosols between 30 and 55 km: Global observations from the SME visible spectrometer
Author(s) -
Clancy R. Todd
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i009p00937
Subject(s) - aerosol , stratosphere , atmospheric sciences , altitude (triangle) , environmental science , single scattering albedo , total ozone mapping spectrometer , meteorology , scattering , atmosphere (unit) , eddy diffusion , physics , optics , geometry , mathematics , ozone layer , turbulence
Visible limb radiances measured by the Solar Mesophere Explorer (SME) are used to obtain volume scattering ratios for aerosol loading in the 30‐55 km altitude range of the stratosphere. Global maps of these ratios are presented for the period January, 1982 to August, 1984. Significant aerosol scattering from the "mystery cloud" and El Chichon aerosol layers are found above 30 km. A timescale of approximately 2 months between the appearance of the aerosol at 30.5 km and at 37.5 km is consistent with vertical transport of aerosol or vapor by eddy diffusion above 30 km. An anticorrelation exists between aerosol scattering and stratospheric temperatures. Periods of lower stratospheric temperatures may account for the formation of aerosol between 40 and 55 km altitude.