Analysis of the Stratospheric Aerosol Load After the 2019 Raikoke Eruption
(2021) FYSK02 20202Nuclear physics
Department of Physics
- Abstract
- The stratospheric aerosol load after the eruption of Raikoke in 2019 have been analysed with satellite data from the CALIPSO satellite. The goal was to see how much the stratospheric aerosol load increased due to the Brewer Dobson circulation, and further, how this affected the stratospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD), and the corresponding radiative forcing (RF). This was done by performing a data analysis of the backscattering data retrieved from the CALIPSO satellite. The results showed a doubling of the stratospheric aerosol load six months after the eruption, an increase in the stratospheric AOD, and decrease in the RF in the northern hemisphere. The peak AOD found was 0.02 which occurred three months after the eruption, and the... (More)
- The stratospheric aerosol load after the eruption of Raikoke in 2019 have been analysed with satellite data from the CALIPSO satellite. The goal was to see how much the stratospheric aerosol load increased due to the Brewer Dobson circulation, and further, how this affected the stratospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD), and the corresponding radiative forcing (RF). This was done by performing a data analysis of the backscattering data retrieved from the CALIPSO satellite. The results showed a doubling of the stratospheric aerosol load six months after the eruption, an increase in the stratospheric AOD, and decrease in the RF in the northern hemisphere. The peak AOD found was 0.02 which occurred three months after the eruption, and the corresponding peak value of the RF was -0.5 W/m2. When compared to similar eruptions such as Sarychev 2009, it was assumed that the stratospheric aerosol load went back to normal conditions after one year, since only six months after the eruption were studied in this analysis. Hence, it could be concluded that the eruption increased the stratospheric aerosol load in the northern hemisphere, and therefore affected the climate. This showed that future work, including analysis of the stratosphere after volcanic eruptions, is important to understand the impact it has on the climate. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Today it is well known that greenhouse gases emitted by mankind contribute to global warming. What is less known to the general public is that major volcanic eruptions can lead to global cooling. Volcanic eruptions do not only emit ash, but they also emit sulfur dioxide. When this gas gets emitted straight into the higher atmosphere (i.e. the stratosphere), it turns into sulfate particles that act as a shield against incoming solar radiation. If the eruption is strong enough this might lead to global cooling. For example, in 1991 there was a major eruption of Mount Pinatubo that caused cooling of the global climate years after the eruption.
Climate models have been bad at representing these particles and their cooling properties.... (More) - Today it is well known that greenhouse gases emitted by mankind contribute to global warming. What is less known to the general public is that major volcanic eruptions can lead to global cooling. Volcanic eruptions do not only emit ash, but they also emit sulfur dioxide. When this gas gets emitted straight into the higher atmosphere (i.e. the stratosphere), it turns into sulfate particles that act as a shield against incoming solar radiation. If the eruption is strong enough this might lead to global cooling. For example, in 1991 there was a major eruption of Mount Pinatubo that caused cooling of the global climate years after the eruption.
Climate models have been bad at representing these particles and their cooling properties. Therefore, the global warming has been overestimated, and as a result, the contribution by greenhouse gases has been underestimated. Hence, studying volcanic aerosols and their radiative properties are crucial to fully understand climate change.
In this project the stratospheric volcanic aerosols after the eruption of the Raikoke volcano in 2019 have been investigated. This has been done using satellite data from the CALIPSO satellite that was launched in 2006 by NASA and CNES. The goal was to see how the eruption affected the stratosphere and its radiative properties. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9037986
- author
- Carlborg, Felicia LU
- supervisor
-
- Johan Friberg LU
- Carl Svenhag LU
- organization
- course
- FYSK02 20202
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Volcanic Climate Impact, Raikoke, CALIPSO, Satellite, Stratospheric Aerosols, Radiative Forcing, Aerosol Optical Depth
- language
- English
- id
- 9037986
- date added to LUP
- 2021-01-27 16:19:30
- date last changed
- 2021-01-27 16:19:30
@misc{9037986,
abstract = {{The stratospheric aerosol load after the eruption of Raikoke in 2019 have been analysed with satellite data from the CALIPSO satellite. The goal was to see how much the stratospheric aerosol load increased due to the Brewer Dobson circulation, and further, how this affected the stratospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD), and the corresponding radiative forcing (RF). This was done by performing a data analysis of the backscattering data retrieved from the CALIPSO satellite. The results showed a doubling of the stratospheric aerosol load six months after the eruption, an increase in the stratospheric AOD, and decrease in the RF in the northern hemisphere. The peak AOD found was 0.02 which occurred three months after the eruption, and the corresponding peak value of the RF was -0.5 W/m2. When compared to similar eruptions such as Sarychev 2009, it was assumed that the stratospheric aerosol load went back to normal conditions after one year, since only six months after the eruption were studied in this analysis. Hence, it could be concluded that the eruption increased the stratospheric aerosol load in the northern hemisphere, and therefore affected the climate. This showed that future work, including analysis of the stratosphere after volcanic eruptions, is important to understand the impact it has on the climate.}},
author = {{Carlborg, Felicia}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Analysis of the Stratospheric Aerosol Load After the 2019 Raikoke Eruption}},
year = {{2021}},
}