Analysis of Antarctic stratospheric aerosol properties using SAGE II extinction measurementsMultispectra aerosol extinction data for the fall and spring of 1987 measured by the SAGE II sensor are employed to determine the physical characteristics of aerosols within the springtime Antarctic polar vortex. Attention is given to the physical processes that give rise to the apparent springtime 'cleansing' of the Antarctic stratosphere. The inferred vertical and radial structure compare favorably with in situ measurements but yield a previously unavailable 2D structure to the distribution of aerosols within the polar vortex. The springtime 'cleansing' of the Antarctic stratosphere is found to be a result of both large-scale subsidence and the preferential removal of large particles by the nucleation and subsequent sedimentation of polar stratospheric clouds.
Document ID
19930065374
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Thomason, Larry W. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Poole, Lamont R. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: In: Conference on the Middle Atmosphere, 8th, Atlanta, GA, Jan. 5-10, 1992, Preprints (A93-49361 21-47)