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Report on Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) — July 1987


Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989)

Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, vol. 12, no. 7 (July 1987)
Managing Editor: Lindsay McClelland.

Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) New aerosols extend into lower stratosphere

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1987. Report on Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) (McClelland, L., ed.). Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, 12:7. Smithsonian Institution.



Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989)

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


New aerosols that extended into the lower stratosphere were detected at several locations in May and June: at Mauna Loa, Hawaii in each of seven lidar measurements 19 May-30 June; at Fukuoka, Japan on 11 and 25 June but not on three other June dates; at Hampton, VA on 10 and 18 June but not on the 25th or 29th; and from balloons above Laramie, WY on 29 May and 8 July. Peaks near the local tropopause were observed from Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany beginning 24 May and on most dates through the end of July (table 4). However, July lidar data from Hawaii (figure 44) and Virginia no longer revealed any new material (figure 45).

Table 4. Lidar data from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (47.5°N, 11.0°E), showing altitudes of peak backscattering ratios of layers near the local tropopause, late May-late July.

Date Peak Altitude (km) Tropopause (km) Scattering Ratio
24 May 1987 10.2 9.3 1.4
10 Jun 1987 13.2 11.4 1.4
22 Jun 1987 10.8 10.6 1.4
28 Jun 1987 15.0 13.5 1.3
10 Jul 1987 14.4 13.4 1.3
11 Jul 1987 13.8 13.1 1.5
11 Jul 1987 16.2 -- 1.6
12 Jul 1987 12.6 12.3 1.3
12 Jul 1987 15.6 -- 1.3
29 Jul 1987 14.4 11.2 1.2
Figure with caption Figure 44. Average monthly lidar profiles from Mauna Loa Hawaii, February-July 1987. The dotted line superimposed on each profile represents the average 5-22 November 1985 data, before the arrival of Ruiz aerosols. Courtesy of Thomas DeFoor.
Figure with caption Figure 45. Lidar data from various locations, showing altitudes of aerosol layers. Note that some layers have multiple peaks. Backscattering ratios are for the ruby wavelength of 0.69 µm. Integrated values show total backscatter, expressed in steradians-1, integrated over 300-m intervals from 16-33 km at Mauna Loa and from the tropopause to 30 km at Hampton, Virginia. Altitudes of maximum backscattering ratios and coefficients are shown for each layer at Mauna Loa.

Information Contacts: Horst Jäger, Fraunhofer-Institut für Atmosphärische Umweltforschung, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, D-8100 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany; Thomas DeFoor, Mauna Loa Observatory, P. O. Box 275, Hilo, HI 23665 USA; William Fuller, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 USA.