Observations of volcanic SO<sub>2</sub> from MLS on Aura
Sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) is an important atmospheric constituent, particularly in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. These events can inject large amounts of SO<sub>2</sub> into the lower stratosphere, where it is oxidised to form sulfate aerosols; these in tur...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/195/2015/amt-8-195-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | Sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) is an important atmospheric constituent,
particularly in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. These events
can inject large amounts of SO<sub>2</sub> into the lower stratosphere,
where it is oxidised to form sulfate aerosols; these in turn have a
significant effect on the climate. The MLS instrument on the Aura
satellite has observed the SO<sub>2</sub> mixing ratio in the upper
troposphere and lower stratosphere from August 2004 to the present,
during which time a number of volcanic eruptions have significantly
affected those regions of the atmosphere. We describe the MLS
SO<sub>2</sub> data and how various volcanic events appear in the data. As
the MLS SO<sub>2</sub> data are currently not validated we take some initial
steps towards their validation. First we establish the level of
internal consistency between the three spectral regions in which MLS
is sensitive to SO<sub>2</sub>. We compare SO<sub>2</sub> column values calculated
from MLS data to total column values reported by the OMI
instrument. The agreement is good (within about 1 DU) in cases
where the SO<sub>2</sub> is clearly at altitudes above 147 hPa. |
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| ISSN: | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |