Origins and Spatial Distribution of Non-Pure Sulfate Particles (NSPs) in the Stratosphere Detected by the Balloon-Borne Light Optical Aerosols Counter (LOAC)
Open Access
- 24 September 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Atmosphere
- Vol. 11 (10), 1031
- https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11101031
Abstract
While water and sulfuric acid droplets are the main component of stratospheric aerosols, measurements performed for about 30 years have shown that non-sulfate particles (NSPs) are also present. Such particles, released from the Earth mainly through volcanic eruptions, pollution or biomass burning, or coming from space, present a wide variety of compositions, sizes, and shapes. To better understand the origin of NSPs, we have performed measurements with the Light Optical Aerosol Counter (LOAC) during 151 flights under weather balloons in the 2013–2019 period reaching altitudes up to 35 km. Coupled with previous counting measurements conducted over the 2004–2011 period, the LOAC measurements indicate the presence of stratospheric layers of enhanced concentrations associated with NSPs, with a bimodal vertical repartition ranging between 17 and 30 km altitude. Such enhancements are not correlated with permanent meteor shower events. They may be linked to dynamical and photophoretic effects lifting and sustaining particles coming from the Earth. Besides, large particles, up to several tens of μm, were detected and present decreasing concentrations with increasing altitudes. All these particles can originate from Earth but also from meteoroid disintegrations and from the interplanetary dust cloud and comets.Funding Information
- Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (3.6064.2017/8.9)
This publication has 137 references indexed in Scilit:
- Meteoric CaO and carbon smoke particles collected in the upper stratosphere from an unanticipated sourceTellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 2013
- Natural emissions of methane from geothermal and volcanic sources in EuropeJournal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2007
- Violent pyro‐convective storm devastates Australia's capital and pollutes the stratosphereGeophysical Research Letters, 2006
- Optical observations of meteoric dust in the middle atmosphere during Leonid activity in recent years 2001–2003 over IndiaGeophysical Research Letters, 2005
- Meteoritic dust from the atmospheric disintegration of a large meteoroidNature, 2005
- Warming of the Arctic lower stratosphere by light absorbing particlesGeophysical Research Letters, 2004
- Transport of forest fire smoke above the tropopause by supercell convectionGeophysical Research Letters, 2003
- Thirty years of in situ stratospheric aerosol size distribution measurements from Laramie, Wyoming (41°N), using balloon‐borne instrumentsPublished by American Geophysical Union (AGU) ,2003
- Vertical transport of anthropogenic soot aerosol into the middle atmospherePublished by American Geophysical Union (AGU) ,2000
- Soot aerosol in the lower stratosphere: Pole‐to‐pole variability and contributions by aircraftPublished by American Geophysical Union (AGU) ,1997