SAM 2 measurements of the polar stratospheric aerosol. Volume 3: October 1979 to April 1980

• Main Authors: Brandl, D., Mccormick, M. P.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1983
• Subjects: GEOPHYSICS; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19830019249

The Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) II sensor is aboard the Earth-orbiting Nimbus 7 spacecraft providing extinction measurements of the Antarctic and Arctic stratospheric aerosol with a vertical resolution of 1 km. Representative examples and weekly averages of aerosol data and corresponding temperature profiles for the time and place of each SAM II measurement (Oct. 1979 through Apr. 1980) are presented. Contours of aerosol extinction as a function of altitude and longitude or time are plotted and weekly aerosol optical depths are calculated. Seasonal variations and variations in space (altitude and longitude) for both polar regions are easily seen. Typical values of aerosol extinction at the SAM II wavelength of 1.0 microns for this time period are 2 to 4 times .0001/km in the main stratospheric aerosol layer. Optical depths for the stratosphere are about 0.002 to 0.003, up slightly over normal background levels (due to the eruption of Sierra Negra, Nov. 1979). Polar stratospheric clouds at altitudes of about 22 km were observed during the Arctic winter. A ready-to-use format containing a representative sample of the third 6 months of data to be used in atmospheric and climatic studies is presented.