Abstract

Ground based and aircraft measurements of the amount of sulfur dioxide in the global volcanic cloud resulting from the El Chichon eruptions on March 29th and April 4th, 1982 are presented. These measurements were made by remote sensing differential spectrometry (the Brewer spectrophotometer also measures ozone and aerosol amount). Typical column amounts of sulfur dioxide of 5 to 15 matmcm have been measured from ground based locations at Toronto, Jamaica, Mauna Loa, Laramie and Houston. Aircraft measurements on the NASA AMES CV-990 taken from San Francisco down to 20° and up to 70° are presented. Further measurements on the WB57 Project Airstream Flights from Houston down to the Equator and up to the Pole in July are presented. These measurements all indicate the presence of very large amounts of sulfur dioxide in the stratosphere. The total amount of sulfur dioxide injected from the El Chichon eruption into the stratosphere will be estimated.

© 1983 Optical Society of America