Volcanic Aerosol Layer Research Articles

Investigating a Persistent Stratospheric Aerosol Layer Observed over Southern Europe during 2019

A persistent stratospheric aerosol layer first appeared during July 2019 above Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5°N, 22.9°E). It was initially at 12 km and, during August 2019, was even up to 20 km, with increased thickness and reduced attenuated backscatter levels till the end of the year. In this study, we analyze the geometrical and optical properties of this stratospheric layer, using ground-based Lidar measurements, CALIOP/CALIPSO & OMPS-LP space-borne observations, as well as CAMS/ECMWF assimilation experiments. The main aim of the paper is to present an overview of this atmospheric feature and to identify any temporal changes in the aerosol properties that would signify substantial changes in the composition of this long-lasting stratospheric plume over Thessaloniki. This aim is further enhanced by emphasizing the importance of the combined information based on active ground- and space-borne lidars, passive remote sensing, and models during the complex stratospheric aerosol conditions as those encountered during 2019. The layer’s origin is linked to the Raikoke volcanic eruption in the Kuril Islands in June 2019, yielding a particle linear depolarization ratio less than 0.05, while some indications exist that the intense forest fires at mid and high northern latitudes throughout the summer of 2019 also contributed to the persistent layer. We report that in July, mainly volcanic sulphate aerosol layers with a 1–3 km vertical extent were identified in the stratosphere at ~15 km over Thessaloniki, while after August and until the end of 2019, the plume heights showed a significant month-to-month variability and a broadening (with thickness greater than 3 km) towards lower altitudes. The aerosol optical thickness was found to be in the range between 0.004 and 0.125 (visible) and 0.001 and 0.095 (infrared) and the particle depolarization of the detected stratospheric plume was found to be 0.03 ± 0.04, indicative of spherical particles, such as sulphate aerosols.

Tomographic Retrievals of Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Aerosol

AbstractThe 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai volcano caused substantial impacts on the atmosphere, including a massive injection of water vapor, and the largest increase in stratospheric aerosol for 30 years. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler instrument has been critical in monitoring the amount and spread of the volcanic aerosol in the stratosphere. We show that the rapid imagery from the OMPS instrument enables a tomographic retrieval of the aerosol extinction that reduces a critical bias of up to a factor of two, and improves vertical structure and agreement with coincident lidar and occultation observations. Due to the vertically thin and heterogeneous nature of the volcanic aerosol, this impacts integrated values of aerosol across latitude, altitude, and time for several months. We also investigate the systematic impact of uncertainty in assumed particle size that result in an underestimation of the aerosol extinction at the peak of the volcanic aerosol layer.

CALIPSO Aerosol-Typing Scheme Misclassified Stratospheric Fire Smoke: Case Study From the 2019 Siberian Wildfire Season

In August 2019, a 4-km thick wildfire smoke layer was observed in the lower stratosphere over Leipzig, Germany, with a ground-based multiwavelength Raman lidar. The smoke was identified by the smoke-specific spectral dependence of the extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) measured with the Raman lidar. The spaceborne CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) lidar CALIOP (Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) detected the smoke and classified it as sulfate aerosol layer (originating from the Raikoke volcanic eruption). In this article, we discuss the reason for this misclassification. Two major sources for stratospheric air pollution were active in the summer of 2019 and complicated the CALIPSO aerosol typing effort. Besides intense forest fires at mid and high northern latitudes, the Raikoke volcano erupted in the Kuril Islands. We present two cases observed at Leipzig, one from July 2019 and one from August 2019. In July, pure volcanic sulfate aerosol layers were found in the lower stratosphere, while in August, wildfire smoke dominated in the height range up to 4–5 km above the local tropopause. In both cases, the CALIPSO aerosol typing scheme classified the layers as sulfate aerosol layers. The aerosol identification algorithm assumes non-spherical smoke particles in the stratosphere as consequence of fast lifting by pyrocumulonimbus convection. However, we hypothesize (based on presented simulations) that the smoke ascended as a results of self-lifting and reached the tropopause within 2–7 days after emission and finally entered the lower stratosphere as aged spherical smoke particles. These sphercial particles were then classified as liquid sulfate particles by the CALIPSO data analysis scheme. We also present a successful case of smoke identification by the CALIPSO retrieval method.

The unexpected smoke layer in the High Arctic winter stratosphere during MOSAiC 2019–2020

Abstract. During the 1-year MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition, the German icebreaker Polarstern drifted through Arctic Ocean ice from October 2019 to May 2020, mainly at latitudes between 85 and 88.5∘ N. A multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar was operated on board the research vessel and continuously monitored aerosol and cloud layers up to a height of 30 km. During our mission, we expected to observe a thin residual volcanic aerosol layer in the stratosphere, originating from the Raikoke volcanic eruption in June 2019, with an aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of 0.005–0.01 at 500 nm over the North Pole area during the winter season. However, the highlight of our measurements was the detection of a persistent, 10 km deep aerosol layer in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), from about 7–8 to 17–18 km height, with clear and unambiguous wildfire smoke signatures up to 12 km and an order of magnitude higher AOT of around 0.1 in the autumn of 2019. Case studies are presented to explain the specific optical fingerprints of aged wildfire smoke in detail. The pronounced aerosol layer was present throughout the winter half-year until the strong polar vortex began to collapse in late April 2020. We hypothesize that the detected smoke originated from extraordinarily intense and long-lasting wildfires in central and eastern Siberia in July and August 2019 and may have reached the tropopause layer by the self-lifting process. In this article, we summarize the main findings of our 7-month smoke observations and characterize the aerosol in terms of geometrical, optical, and microphysical properties. The UTLS AOT at 532 nm ranged from 0.05–0.12 in October–November 2019 and 0.03–0.06 during the main winter season. The Raikoke aerosol fraction was estimated to always be lower than 15 %. We assume that the volcanic aerosol was above the smoke layer (above 13 km height). As an unambiguous sign of the dominance of smoke in the main aerosol layer from 7–13 km height, the particle extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) at 355 nm was found to be much lower than at 532 nm, with mean values of 55 and 85 sr, respectively. The 355–532 nm Ångström exponent of around 0.65 also clearly indicated the presence of smoke aerosol. For the first time, we show a distinct view of the aerosol layering features in the High Arctic from the surface up to 30 km height during the winter half-year. Finally, we provide a vertically resolved view on the late winter and early spring conditions regarding ozone depletion, smoke occurrence, and polar stratospheric cloud formation. The latter will largely stimulate research on a potential impact of the unexpected stratospheric aerosol perturbation on the record-breaking ozone depletion in the Arctic in spring 2020.

Australian Lidar Measurements of Aerosol Layers Associated with the 2015 Calbuco Eruption

The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile (41.3° S, 72.6° W) underwent three separate eruptions on 22–23 April 2015. Following the eruptions, distinct layers of enhanced lidar backscatter at 532 nm were observed in the lower stratosphere above Buckland Park, South Australia (34.6° S, 138.5° E), and Kingston, Tasmania (43.0° S, 147.3° E), during a small set of observations in April–May 2015. Using atmospheric trajectory modelling and measurements from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) space-borne lidar and the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) instrument on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite, we show that these layers were associated with the Calbuco eruptions. Buckland Park measurements on 30 April and 3 May detected discrete aerosol layers at and slightly above the tropopause, where the relative humidity was well below saturation. Stratospheric aerosol layers likely associated with the eruptions were observed at Kingston on 17 and 22 May in narrow discrete layers accompanied by weaker and more vertically extended backscatter. The measurements on 22 May provided a mean value of the particle linear depolarisation ratio within the main observed volcanic aerosol layer of 18.0 ± 3.0%, which was consistent with contemporaneous CALIOP measurements. The depolarisation measurements indicated that this layer consisted of a filament dominated by ash backscatter residing above a main region having likely more sulfate backscatter. Layer-average optical depths were estimated from the measurements. The mean lidar ratio for the volcanic aerosols on 22 May of 86 ± 37 sr is consistent with but generally higher than the mean for ground-based measurements for other volcanic events. The inferred optical depth for the main volcanic layer on 17 May was consistent with a value obtained from OMPS measurements, but a large difference on 22 May likely reflected the spatial inhomogeneity of the volcanic plume. Short-lived enhancements of backscatter near the tropopause of 17 May likely represented the formation cirrus that was aided by the presence of associated volcanic aerosols. We also provide evidence that gravity waves potentially influenced the layers, particularly in regard to the vertical motion observed in the strong layer on 22 May. Overall, these observations provide additional information on the dispersal and characteristics of the Calbuco aerosol plumes at higher southern latitudes than previously reported for ground-based lidar measurements.

The Primary Convective Pathway for Observed Wildfire Emissions in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere: A Targeted Reinterpretation

AbstractThe literature—spanning several recent decades—describes numerous attempts to characterize the efficacy of cumulonimbus “Cb” convection as a pollutant pathway connecting the planetary BL to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The relatively new discovery of wildfires triggering deep convection and Cb formation, referred to as pyrocumulonimbus “pyroCb,” has provided a new convective candidate for examination. Previous studies have shown that the pyroCb pathway offers a reinterpretation of supposed volcanic aerosol layers observed in the stratosphere. The community now questions whether this relatively unappreciated phenomenon has been overlooked or imprecisely characterized in published analyses of observed UTLS biomass burning constituents attributed to traditional convection, such as individual Cbs or larger mesoscale convective systems. Here we show that on at least two occasions, a reinterpretation of the literature is required. Both are in the context of coordinated measurement campaigns in summertime Central and North American domains. We provide a strategic review of prior studies and explore three selected works, wherein the pyroCb naturally explains observations of dramatically strong, remote, and high‐altitude biomass burning pollution. We complete our discussion with the implications for including the pyroCb phenomenon in case studies and assessments of the primary convective pathway for smoke particles to enter the UTLS.

Synergetic Aerosol Layer Observation After the 2015 Calbuco Volcanic Eruption Event

On 22 April 2015, the Calbuco volcano in Chile (Lat: 41.33 ∘ S, Long: 72.62 ∘ W) erupted after 43 years of inactivity followed by a great amount of aerosol injection into the atmosphere. The pyroclastic material dispersed into the atmosphere posed a potential threat to aviation traffic and air quality over affected a large area. The plumes and debris spread from its location to Patagonian and Pampean regions, reaching the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and neighboring countries, such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, driven by the westerly winds at these latitudes. The presence of volcanic aerosol layers could be identified promptly at the proximities of Calbuco and afterwards by remote sensing using satellites and lidars in the path of the dispersed aerosols. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board of AQUA/TERRA satellites and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) on board of Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite were the space platforms used to track the injected layers and a multi-channel lidar system from Latin America Lidar Network (LALINET) SPU Lidar station in South America allowed us to get the spatial and temporal distribution of Calbuco ashes after its occurrence. The SPU lidar stations co-located Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sunphotometers to help in the optical characterization. Here, we present the volcanic layer transported over São Paulo area and the detection of aerosol plume between 18 and 20 km. The path traveled by the volcanic aerosol to reach the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) was tracked by CALIPSO and the aerosol optical and geometrical properties were retrieved at some points to monitor the plume evolution. Total attenuated backscatter profile at 532 nm obtained by CALIPSO revealed the height range extension of the aerosol plume between 18 and 20 km and are in agreement with SPU lidar range corrected signal at 532 nm. The daily evolution of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 532 and 355 nm, retrieved from AERONET sunphotometer, showed a substantial increasing on 27 April, the day of the volcanic plume detection at Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), achieving values of 0 . 33 ± 0 . 16 and 0 . 22 ± 0 . 09 at 355 and 532 nm, respectively. AERONET aerosol size distribution was dominated by fine mode aerosol over coarse mode, especially on 27 and 28 April. The space and time coincident aerosol extinction profiles from SPU lidar station and OMPS LP from the Calbuco eruption conducted on 27 April agreed on the double layer structure. The main objective of this study was the application of the transmittance method, using the Platt formalism, to calculate the optical and physical properties of volcanic plume, i.e., aerosol bottom and top altitude, the aerosol optical depth and lidar ratio. The aerosol plume was detected between 18 and 19.3 km, with AOD value of 0.159 at 532 nm and Ånsgtröm exponent of 0 . 61 ± 0 . 58 . The lidar ratio retrieved was 76 ± 27 sr and 63 ± 21 sr at 532 and 355 nm, respectively. Considering the values of these parameters, the Calbuco volcanic aerosol layers could be classified as sulfates with some ash type.

Characteristics of Volcanic Stratospheric Aerosol Layer Observed by CALIOP and Ground Based Lidar at Equatorial Atmosphere Radar Site

We investigated the relation between major tropical volcanic eruptions in the equatorial region and the stratospheric aerosol data, which have been collected by the ground based lidar observations at at Equatorial Atmosphere Radar site between 2004 and 2015 and the CALIOP observations in low latitude between 2006 and 2015. We found characteristic dynamic behavior of volcanic stratospheric aerosol layers over equatorial region.

Long-range transport of stratospheric aerosols in the Southern Hemisphere following the 2015 Calbuco eruption

Abstract. After 43 years of inactivity, the Calbuco volcano, which is located in the southern part of Chile, erupted on 22 April 2015. The space–time evolutions (distribution and transport) of its aerosol plume are investigated by combining satellite (CALIOP, IASI, OMPS), in situ aerosol counting (LOAC OPC) and lidar observations, and the MIMOSA advection model. The Calbuco aerosol plume reached the Indian Ocean 1 week after the eruption. Over the Reunion Island site (21° S, 55.5° E), the aerosol signal was unambiguously enhanced in comparison with background conditions, with a volcanic aerosol layer extending from 18 to 21 km during the May–July period. All the data reveal an increase by a factor of ∼ 2 in the SAOD (stratospheric aerosol optical depth) with respect to values observed before the eruption. The aerosol mass e-folding time is approximately 90 days, which is rather close to the value ( ∼ 80 days) reported for the Sarychev eruption. Microphysical measurements obtained before, during, and after the eruption reflecting the impact of the Calbuco eruption on the lower stratospheric aerosol content have been analyzed over the Reunion Island site. During the passage of the plume, the volcanic aerosol was characterized by an effective radius of 0.16 ± 0.02 µm with a unimodal size distribution for particles above 0.2 µm in diameter. Particle concentrations for sizes larger than 1 µm are too low to be properly detected by the LOAC OPC. The aerosol number concentration was ∼ 20 times higher that observed before and 1 year after the eruption. According to OMPS and lidar observations, a tendency toward conditions before the eruption was observed by April 2016. The volcanic aerosol plume is advected eastward in the Southern Hemisphere and its latitudinal extent is clearly bounded by the subtropical barrier and the polar vortex. The transient behavior of the aerosol layers observed above Reunion Island between May and July 2015 reflects an inhomogeneous spatio-temporal distribution of the plume, which is controlled by the localization of these dynamical barriers.

Lidar ratios of stratospheric volcanic ash and sulfate aerosols retrieved from CALIOP measurements

Abstract. We apply a two-way transmittance constraint to nighttime CALIOP (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) observations of volcanic aerosol layers to retrieve estimates of the particulate lidar ratio (Sp) at 532 nm. This technique is applied to three volcanic eruption case studies that were found to have injected aerosols directly into the stratosphere. Numerous lidar observations permitted characterization of the optical and geometric properties of the volcanic aerosol layers over a time period of 1–2 weeks. For the volcanic ash-rich layers produced by the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption (June 2011), we obtain mean and median particulate lidar ratios of 69 ± 13 sr and 67 sr, respectively. For the sulfate-rich aerosol layers produced by Kasatochi (August 2008) and Sarychev Peak (June 2009), the means of the retrieved lidar ratios were 66 ± 19 sr (median 60 sr) and 63 ± 14 sr (median 59 sr), respectively. The 532 nm layer-integrated particulate depolarization ratios (δp) observed for the Puyehue layers (δp = 0.33 ± 0.03) were much larger than those found for the volcanic aerosol layers produced by the Kasatochi (δp = 0.09 ± 0.03) and Sarychev (δp = 0.05 ± 0.04) eruptions. However, for the Sarychev layers we observe an exponential decay (e-folding time of 3.6 days) in δp with time from 0.27 to 0.03. Similar decreases in the layer-integrated attenuated colour ratios with time were observed for the Sarychev case. In general, the Puyehue layers exhibited larger colour ratios (χ′ = 0.53 ± 0.07) than what was observed for the Kasatochi (χ′ = 0.35 ± 0.07) and Sarychev (χ′ = 0.32 ± 0.07) layers, indicating that the Puyehue layers were generally composed of larger particles. These observations are particularly relevant to the new stratospheric aerosol subtyping classification scheme, which has been incorporated into version 4 of the level 2 CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) data products.

Variation of the vertical distribution of Nabro volcano aerosol layers in the stratosphere observed by LIDAR

We present results of the vertical distribution variation of volcanic aerosol layers in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The data were taken with our multiwavelength aerosol Raman lidar at Gwangju (35.10° N, 126.53° E), Korea. The volcanic ash particles and gases were released around 12 June 2011 during the eruption of the Nabro volcano (13.37° N, 41.7° E) in Eritrea, east Africa. Forward trajectory computations show that the volcanic aerosols were advected from North Africa to East Asia. The first measurement of the aerosol layer over Korea was on 19 June 2011. The aerosol layers appeared between 15 km and 17 km height asl (above sea level). The maximum value of the aerosol layer of the particle backscatter coefficient (1.5 ± 0.3 Mm−1 sr−1) and the linear particle depolarization ratio at 532 nm (2.2%) were observed at 16.4 km height asl. We continuously probed the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere for this volcanic aerosol layer during the following 6 months, until December 2011. The volcanic aerosol layer showed a single-peak of the particle backscatter coefficient and a comparably narrow vertical thickness at our observation site at the beginning of our observation period (i.e. comparably soon after the initial eruption period). After that initial period the vertical distribution of the plume changed. Multiple peaks and a comparably broad geometrical thickness developed with progressing observation time. The vertical thickness of the volcanic aerosol layer expanded up to 10 km by 3 August 2011. The linear particle depolarization ratios were larger in the lower part of the aerosol layer than the upper part of the aerosol layer. We observed a strong variation of the AOD (aerosol optical depth) in the first two months of our lidar observations. After these two months the AOD gradually decreased with time from September to December 20111 and the maximum particle backscatter coefficients consistently decreased. The corresponding e-folding decay time of the layer AOD was 117 days.

Nabro aerosol evolution observed jointly by lidars at a mid-latitude site and CALIPSO

Evolution of the Nabro volcanic aerosols from initially-localized plumes to a decaying hemispherically-covered layer was jointly observed by ground-based lidars at Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E), China and CALIPSO. During the aerosol plume formation period, from the Nabro eruption to early July 2011, the lidar backscatter ratio related to the Nabro aerosols above Wuhan varied strongly both in vertical structure and intensity, suggesting that the Nabro aerosol distribution was horizontally inhomogeneous. The stratospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) from CALIPSO shows that the Nabro plume first circled around the Asian monsoon anticyclone and then gradually fulfilled the whole anticyclone area with a net aerosol enhancement, which may reflect a gas-particle conversion (from sulfur dioxide gas) and/or particle injection from the upper troposphere. During the horizontal dispersion period, from early July to mid-August 2011, the stratospheric AOD over Wuhan declined rapidly since the Nabro particles were transported throughout the northern hemisphere. A nearly horizontally-uniform volcanic aerosol layer was formed. During the local cleansing period, from mid-August to the end of 2011, the Nabro aerosol layer over Wuhan had a single-peak structure and decayed uniformly. The corresponding e-folding decay time for the layer AOD is ∼130 days. The lidar measurements at Wuhan gave a small depolarization ratio and large backscatter-related Ångström exponent for the Nabro aerosols on 8 July, suggesting that the majority of these aerosols were spherical and small. The effective radius and total mass for the Nabro aerosol particles were estimated to be ∼0.26 μm and ∼0.32 Tg respectively.

Volcanic aerosol layer formed in the tropical upper troposphere by the eruption of Mt. Merapi, Java, in November 2010 observed by the spaceborne lidar CALIOP

Mt. Merapi in Java, Indonesia, erupted in November 2010. The eruption was proved to be the source of the aerosol layer observed by a ground-based lidar at Biak, Indonesia, in January 2011 using data on the global distribution of aerosols observed by the spaceborne cloud-aerosol lidar with orthogonal polarization (CALIOP). These data were used to describe how the volcanic aerosols produced by the volcanic eruption diffused throughout the tropical tropopause layer (TTL). The equivalent maximum total amount of volcanic SO2 estimated from the spatially integrated total amount of aerosols was 0.09Tg, which is one-third to half that of gaseous SO2 after the eruption was observed by the ozone monitoring instrument satellite. The obtained cirrus-cloud-appearance frequency data exhibit a seasonal cycle having its maximum in winter and no detectable variations that are synchronized with the increase in TTL volcanic aerosols.

A study on the use of radar and lidar for characterizing ultragiant aerosol

AbstractFrom 19 April to 19 May 2010, volcanic aerosol layers originating from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano were observed at the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis of the National Research Council of Italy Atmospheric Observatory, named CIAO (40.60°N, 15.72°E, 760 m above sea level), in Southern Italy with a multiwavelength Raman lidar. During this period, ultragiant aerosols were also observed at CIAO using a colocated 8.45 mm wavelength Doppler radar. The Ka‐band radar signatures observed in four separate days (19 April and 7, 10, and 13 May) are consistent with the observation of nonspherical ultragiant aerosols characterized by values of linear depolarization ratio (LDR) higher than –4 dB. Air mass back trajectory analysis suggests a volcanic origin of the ultragiant aerosols observed by the radar. The observed values of the radar reflectivity (Ze) are consistent with a particle effective radius (r) larger than 50–75 µm. Scattering simulations based on the T‐matrix approach show that the high LDR values can be explained if the observed particles have an absolute aspect ratio larger than 3.0 and consist of an internal aerosol core and external ice shell, with a variable radius ratio ranging between 0.2 and 0.7 depending on the shape and aspect ratio. Comparisons between daytime vertical profiles of aerosol backscatter coefficient (β) as measured by lidar and radar LDR reveal a decrease of β where ultragiant particles are observed. Scattering simulations based on Mie theory show how the lidar capability in typing ultragiant aerosols could be limited by low number concentrations or by the presence of an external ice shell covering the aerosol particles. Preferential vertical alignment of the particles is discussed as another possible reason for the decrease of β.

Integration of measurements and model simulations to characterize Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosols over south-eastern Italy

Abstract. Volcanic aerosols resulting from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption were detected in south-eastern Italy from 20 to 22 April 2010, at a distance of approximately 4000 km from the volcano, and have been characterized by lidar, sun/sky photometer, and surface in-situ measurements. Volcanic particles added to the pre-existing aerosol load and measurement data allow quantifying the impact of volcanic particles on the aerosol vertical distribution, lidar ratios, the aerosol size distribution, and the ground-level particulate-matter concentrations. Lidar measurements reveal that backscatter coefficients by volcanic particles were about one order of magnitude smaller over south-eastern Italy than over Central Europe. Mean lidar ratios at 355 nm were equal to 64 ± 5 sr inside the volcanic aerosol layer and were characterized by smaller values (47 ± 2 sr) in the underlying layer on 20 April, 19:30 UTC. Lidar ratios and their dependence with the height reduced in the following days, mainly because of the variability of the volcanic particle contributions. Size distributions from sun/sky photometer measurements reveal the presence of volcanic particles with radii r > 0.5 μm on 21 April and that the contribution of coarse volcanic particles increased from 20 to 22 April. The aerosol fine mode fraction from sun/sky photometer measurements varied between values of 0.85 and 0.94 on 20 April and decreased to values between 0.25 and 0.82 on 22 April. Surface measurements of particle size distributions were in good accordance with column averaged particle size distributions from sun/sky photometer measurements. PM1/PM2.5 mass concentration ratios of 0.69, 0.66, and 0.60 on 20, 21, and 22 April, respectively, support the increase of super-micron particles at ground. Measurements from the Regional Air Quality Agency show that PM10 mass concentrations on 20, 21, and 22 April 2010 were enhanced in the entire Apulia Region. More specifically, PM10 mass concentrations have on average increased over Apulia Region 22%, 50%, and 28% on 20, 21, and 22 April, respectively, compared to values on 19 April. Finally, the comparison of measurement data with numerical simulations by the FLEXPART dispersion model demonstrates the ability of FLEXPART to model the advection of the volcanic ash over the 4000 km from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano to Southern Italy.

Profiling of fine and coarse particle mass: case studies of Saharan dust and Eyjafjallajökull/Grimsvötn volcanic plumes

Abstract. The polarization lidar photometer networking (POLIPHON) method introduced to separate coarse-mode and fine-mode particle properties of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosols in 2010 is extended to cover Saharan dust events as well. Furthermore, new volcanic dust observations performed after the Grimsvötn volcanic eruptions in 2011 are presented. The retrieval of particle mass concentrations requires mass-specific extinction coefficients. Therefore, a review of recently published mass-specific extinction coefficients for Saharan dust and volcanic dust is given. Case studies of four different scenarios corroborate the applicability of the profiling technique: (a) Saharan dust outbreak to central Europe, (b) Saharan dust plume mixed with biomass-burning smoke over Cape Verde, and volcanic aerosol layers originating from (c) the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions in 2010 and (d) the Grimsvötn eruptions in 2011. Strong differences in the vertical aerosol layering, aerosol mixing, and optical properties are observed for the different volcanic events.

Stratospheric AOD after the 2011 eruption of Nabro volcano measured by lidars over the Northern Hemisphere

Nabro volcano (13.37°N, 41.70°E) in Eritrea erupted on 13 June 2011 generating a layer of sulfate aerosols that persisted in the stratosphere for months. For the first time we report on ground-based lidar observations of the same event from every continent in the Northern Hemisphere, taking advantage of the synergy between global lidar networks such as EARLINET, MPLNET and NDACC with independent lidar groups and satellite CALIPSO to track the evolution of the stratospheric aerosol layer in various parts of the globe. The globally averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) due to the stratospheric volcanic aerosol layers was of the order of 0.018 ± 0.009 at 532 nm, ranging from 0.003 to 0.04. Compared to the total column AOD from the available collocated AERONET stations, the stratospheric contribution varied from 2% to 23% at 532 nm.

Cirrus cloud appearance in a volcanic aerosol layer around the tropical cold point tropopause over Biak, Indonesia, in January 2011

An aerosol layer was found 1–2 km around the tropical cold point tropopause by observations using ground‐based lidar and balloon‐borne optical particle counters (OPC) over Biak, Indonesia, in January 2011. The layer was observed throughout the survey period from 6 to 13 January. The backscattering coefficient of the layer was about 5 times larger than that of the background aerosols. The lidar‐observed depolarization ratio of the layer was very low, and the wavelength dependence of the backscattering coefficients of the layer was similar to that of stratospheric aerosols. A layer of the particles at the size of the accumulation mode was also observed by an OPC at ambient temperature, but the particles were volatile at 200°C. These properties indicate that the aerosol layer was composed of liquid phase aqueous sulfuric acid solution particles and probably originated from a volcanic eruption. It was observed by lidar that a thin cirrus cloud layer appeared within this aerosol layer. Backward trajectory analysis and satellite‐observed equivalent blackbody temperature indicate that the cirrus cloud layer probably formed in situ. The estimated upper limit of the number concentration of cloud particles was 105 m−3. The number concentration of the volatile aerosol particles (∼3 × 106 m−3) was 30 times larger than this upper limit. This upper limit, however, is comparable to the aerosol particle concentration observed by the OPC at 200°C. These results are consistent with the cirrus cloud formation with solid sulfate particles in tropical upper troposphere suggested by previous studies.

Monitoring of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosol plume over the Iberian Peninsula by means of four EARLINET lidar stations

Abstract. Lidar and sun-photometer measurements were performed intensively over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) during the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (Iceland) in April–May 2010. The volcanic plume reached all the IP stations for the first time on 5 May 2010. A thorough study of the event was conducted for the period 5–8 May. Firstly, the spatial and temporal evolution of the plume was described by means of lidar and sun-photometer measurements supported with backtrajectories. The volcanic aerosol layers observed over the IP were rather thin (<1000 m) with a top height up to 11–12 km. However, in some cases at the beginning of the period the thickness of those layers reached several kilometers in Évora and Madrid. The optical thicknesses associated to those layers were rather low (between 0.013 and 0.020 in average over the whole period), with peak values near 0.10 detected on 7 May. Secondly, the volcanic aerosols were characterized in terms of extinction and backscatter coefficients, lidar ratios, Ångström exponents and linear particle depolarization ratio. Lidar ratios at different sites varied between 30 and 50 sr without a marked spectral dependency. Similar extinction-related Ångström exponents varying between 0.6 and 0.8 were observed at different sites. The temporal evolution of the backscatter-related Ångström exponents points out a possible decrease of the volcanic particle size as the plume moved from west to east. Particle depolarization ratios on the order of 0.06–0.08 confirmed the coexistence of both ash and non-ash particles. Additionally, profiles of mass concentration were obtained with a method using the opposite depolarizing effects of ash particles (strongly depolarizing), non-ash particles (very weakly depolarizing), and sun-photometer observations. In Granada the ash mass concentration was found to be approximately 1.5 times higher than that of non-ash particles, and probably did not exceed the value of 200 μg m−3 during the whole event.

Sensitivity of stratospheric ozone lidar measurements to a change in ozone absorption cross-sections

The effect of a change in ozone absorption cross-section data is evaluated for stratospheric ozone lidar measurements, which are regularly performed for the monitoring of the ozone layer. The change is analysed for the measurements based on both the elastic and Raman scattering of the laser light by the atmosphere. The latter technique is essentially used for measurements performed in the presence of volcanic aerosol layers in the stratosphere. The discrepancy in ozone number densities is evaluated for various ozone cross-section data sets, using an atmospheric model for the evaluation of ozone cross-section temperature dependence. Results show that the difference in both elastic and Raman DIAL retrievals is below 1.5% in absolute values from 10 to 30km. Above 30km, the difference, estimated for the elastic DIAL retrieval only, is maximum around 45km, with largest differences reaching 1.8% in the tropics.