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Satellite observation of SO2 from El Chichon - Identification and measurementAbsorption bands between 300 nm and 315 nm were observed in spectral scans of the atmospheric albedo made by the solar backscattered ultraviolet instrument (SBUV) on Nimbus 7 following the eruption of El Chichon. It is shown that these bands coincide with peaks in the absorption coefficient spectrum of SO2 and use the magnitude of the absorption to estimate the column content of SO2 present. A maximum concentration of 15 matm-cm of SO2 was observed west of Hawaii on April 15; the minimum detectable amount of SO2 in a single scan is about 1 matm-cm. The disappearance of the band structure at wavelengths below 300 nm indicates that the SO2 was between 20 km and 30 km altitude. An excess albedo was also observed near 300 nm which was attributed to increased scattering from volcanic aerosols; the wavelength of the scattering feature indicates that the aerosols also were near 25 km altitude.
Document ID
19850035945
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Mcpeters, R. D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Heath, D. F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Atmospheres, Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Schlesinger, B. M.
(Systems and Applied Sciences Corp. Hyattsville, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 11
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
85A18096
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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