SAGE II - An overview

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite was launched from Shuttle in October 1984. SAGE II is a seven-channel sun-photometer measuring stratospheric aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and nitrogen dioxide during each spacecraft sunrise and sunset. In addition to stratospheric information, mid-tropospheric and higher water vapor, ozone, and aerosol data are being produced in cloud-free regions, and cloud data everywhere else. Aerosol information is being produced at three wavelengths and, together with water vapor data, is providing a global microphysical description of the aerosol.