In Situ Observations of Aerosol and Chlorine Monoxide After the 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo: Effect of Reactions on Sulfate Aerosol

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 261; no. 5125; pp. 1140 - 1143
• Main Authors: Wilson, J. C., Jonsson, H. H., Brock, C. A., Toohey, D. W., Avallone, L. M., Baumgardner, D., Dye, J. E., Poole, L. R., Woods, D. C., DeCoursey, R. J., Osborn, M., Pitts, M. C., Kelly, K. K., Chan, K. R., Ferry, G. V., Loewenstein, M., Podolske, J. R., Weaver, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Legacy CDMS American Society for the Advancement of Science 27.08.1993; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: 540110; AEROSOLS; Altitude; Arctic Ozone: AASE II Observations; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION; Atmospheric composition. Chemical and photochemical reactions; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CHEMISTRY; Chlorine; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; CHLORINE OXIDES; Clouds; COLLOIDS; Demand side management; DISPERSIONS; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental aspects; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ERUPTION; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Geophysics; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INORGANIC ACIDS; LAYERS; LOSSES; Micrometers; NITRIC ACID; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NITROGEN OXIDES; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; OZONE LAYER; Ozone layer depletion; PARTICLE SIZE; Particle size distribution; Physics of the high neutral atmosphere; SIZE; Size distribution; SOLS; STRATOSPHERE; SULFATES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; Surface areas; SYNTHESIS; VOLCANOES; Asia; Philippine Islands; Particle size; Volcanic eruption; Aircraft observation; Stratosphere; Concentration; Mixing ratio; Dimension spectrum; Sulfates; Stratospheric aerosol; Chlorine monoxide
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.261.5125.1140

Highly resolved aerosol size distributions measured from high-altitude aircraft can be used to describe the effect of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo on the stratospheric aerosol. In some air masses, aerosol mass mixing ratios increased by factors exceeding 100 and aerosol surface area concentrations increased by factors of 30 or more. Increases in aerosol surface area concentration were accompanied by increases in chlorine monoxide at mid-latitudes when confounding factors were controlled. This observation supports the assertion that reactions occurring on the aerosol can increase the fraction of stratospheric chlorine that occurs in ozone-destroying forms.