Abstract
ABSTRACTIn response to the observation of a large amount of sulphur dioxide (SO2) over the Republic of South Africa (RSA) during April 2015, the present study was formulated to explain the origin and contributing factors to such an increase. The Calbuco volcanic eruption in Chile occurred on 22 and 23 April 2015 and this study investigates the possible transport of SO2 and volcanic aerosols from the eruption site to RSA with the aid of model and satellite data. Time-averaged maps of SO2 and aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), showed SO2 and AOD leaving Calbuco and reaching RSA on 28 April 2015. The Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model forward trajectories showed that air masses, in the altitude range from 15 to 20 km, left the eruption site and travelled towards RSA. The zonal extinction coefficient profiles and total backscatter height-time-colour map from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) also confirmed the presence of volcanic aerosols from 28 April 2015 to 16 May 2015. The stratospheric feature observed by CALISO vertical feature mask (VFM) confirmed that these were indeed volcanic aerosols.
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