Abstract

The measurement of stratospheric aerosols using a ruby lidar system has been an ongoing program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory, Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) since 1974. The 18 year MLO stratospheric aerosol record includes measurements of the injection growth and decay of aerosols following two of this centuries more important stratospheric aerosol producing eruptions: El Chichon (Mexico, 1982) and Mt. Pinatubo (Philippines, 1991). Also evident in the MLO lidar record are a number of lesser events which include the 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens, the 1981 eruption of Nyamuragira, and the 1984 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz. Apparent, too, is a relatively quiescent period between 1985 and 1991 during which stratospheric aerosols decayed to near background aerosol levels. During this period, stratospheric aerosol backscatter ranged from as high 1E-2 sr-1 (El Chichon) to as low as 6E-5 sr-1.

© 1993 Optical Society of America