Dynamics of development and relaxation of stratospheric aerosol layer after the mt.pinatubo eruption based on the observations at siberian lidar station

Abstract

The investigations of scattering and absorbing characteristics of stratospheric aerosol layer after high-power volcanic eruptions make it possible to separate out and evaluate the influence of anomalous high aerosol concentrations on the radiation transfer in the atmosphere and the general radiation balance of the Earth. The violent eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991 injected into atmosphere an estimated total aerosol mass loading of 30 Mt, which is over twice the amount produced by the eruptions of El Chichon in 1982. This chapter presents some results of Lidar investigations of optical and microphysical characteristics of stratospheric aerosol after the Mount Pinatubo eruption obtained at the Siberian Lidar Station (SLS), Tomsk. At SLS the possibility exists of simultaneous aerosol sounding at the wavelengths of 532, 628 nm, and 1064 nm as well as ozone sounding at the wavelengths of 308 and 353 nm. The Lidar returns are detected using telescopes with the receiving mirrors of diameters 2,2 m and 1 m. Regular sounding of stratospheric aerosol, at the wavelength of 532 nm, have been performed since 1986 and ozone sounding since 1989.