Abstract

Volcanic injections of gaseous and crustal constituents directly into the stratosphere occur with low frequency. The mineralogical aerosols quickly settle out while the gases, primarily SO₂, are converted into aerosols. Once in the stratosphere, the optical properties and the global dispersion of volcanic aerosols can be inferred using in situ particle samplers, photometers, lidars, and satellite instruments. Satellite remote sensing offers the opportunity to study atmospheric dynamics over the short term using the aerosols as a quasi-conserved tracer.

© 1993 Optical Society of America