Report on Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) — August 1987
Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989)
Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, vol. 12, no. 8 (August 1987)
Managing Editor: Lindsay McClelland.
Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) Aerosols at 12 km mostly H2SO4 spheres; no new layers
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 1987. Report on Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989) (McClelland, L., ed.). Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin, 12:8. Smithsonian Institution.
Atmospheric Effects (1980-1989)
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
The last two Bulletins reported lower stratospheric layers, perhaps from forest fires in China. Since June, however, no evidence of these layers has been detected by lidar at Hampton, VA or Mauna Loa, Hawaii (figure 46). August profiles at Hampton were smooth, without significant sublayering. Altitudes of peak backscattering at Mauna Loa dropped from 26-29 km in July to 22-25 km in August. There were no indications of recent aerosol injections.
Samples taken on 3 August near San Francisco (about 37.7°N, 122.5°W) by a NASA aircraft at about 12 km altitude did not show unusual concentrations of aerosols. Most particles were H2SO4 spheres, with a few chlorides and nitrates. The size distribution was generally unimodal, with a mean geometric radius of 0.06 µm, but there was a small bulge at about 0.3 µm radius.
Information Contacts: Mary Osborn, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 USA; Thomas DeFoor, Mauna Loa Observatory, P. O. Box 275, Hilo, HI 23665 USA; Rudolf Pueschel, Mail Stop 245-5, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035 USA.