Abstract
Measurements of SO2 mixing ratio in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere have been performed with a sensitve chemi-luminescence method which permits the detection of atmospheric SO2 traces below 10 pptv. Results of 9 aircraft ascents over Europe from 1978 – 1980 are reported. It is shown that the meteorological conditions at the tropopause level have an important influence on the observed SO2 mixing ratio. The weak vertical SO2 gradients in the upper troposphere suggest only a small flux of tropospheric SO2 into the stratosphere. Furthermore, increasing SO2 mixing ratios within the first kilometers of the stratosphere give strong support to a stratospheric SO2 source due to the oxidation of organic sulfur compounds (COS, CS2). SO2 measurements are discussed in the light of improved 1 D models concerning the stratospheric sulfur budget. The results clearly show that tropospheric SO2 is of only minor importance for the non-volcanic formation of the stratospheric aerosol.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
BAULCH, D.L., COX, R.A., HAMPSON JR., R.F., KERR, J.A., TROE, J., WATSON, R.T. (1980): Evaluated kinetic and photochemical data for atmospheric chemistry, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 9, (2)
CRUTZEN, P.J. (1976): The possible importance of CSO for the sulfate layer of the stratosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 3, 73–76
CRUTZEN, P.J. (1981): On the vertical distribution of gaseous sulfur compounds, unpublished manuscript
DANIELSEN, E.F. (1968): Stratospheric-tropospheric exchange based on radioactivity, ozone and potential vorticity, J. Atm. Sci., 25, 502–518
DANIELSEN, E.F., BLECK, R., SHEDLOVSKY, J., WARTBURG, A., HAAGENSON, P., and POLLOCK, W. (1970): Observed distribution of radioactivity, ozone and potential vorticity associated with tropopause folding, J. Geophys. Res., 75, 2353–2361
DANIELSEN, E.F. (1975) Transport by mean and turbulent motions, chapt. 6 in: The natural stratosphere of 1974, CIAP monograph 1, CIAP monograph series, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, DOT-TST-75–1
GEORGII, H.-W. and MEIXNER, F.X. (1980): Measurement of the tropospheric and stratospheric SO2-distribution, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 7433–7438
HARKER, A.B. (1975): The formation of sulfate in the stratosphere through the gas phase oxidation of sulfur dioxide, J. Geophys. Res., 80, 3399–3401
HOFMANN, D.J., ROSEN, J.M., PEPIN, T.J. and PINNICK, R.G. (1976): Stratospheric aerosol measurement IV: Global time variations of the aerosol burden and source considerations, J. Atm. Sci., 33, 1782–1788
INN, E.C.Y. and VEDDER J.F. (1981): Measurement of stratospheric sulfur constituents, Geophys. Res. Lett., 8, 5–8
IYER, R.S. and ROWLAND, F.S. (1980): A significant upper limit for the rate of formation of OCS from the reaction of OH with CS2, Geophys. Res. Lett., 7, 797–800
KURYLO, M.J. (1978): Flash photolysis resonance fluorescence investigation of the reactions of OH radicals with OCS and CS2, Chem. Phys. Lett., 58, 238–242
JAESCHKE, W., GEMGII, H.-W. and SCHMITT, R. (1976): Preliminary results of stratospheric SO2 measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 3, 517–519
JUNGE, C.E., CHAGNON, C.W. and MANSON, J.E. (1961): Stratospheric aerosols, J. Met., 18, 81–108
JUNGE, C.E. (1974): Sulfur budget of the stratospheric aerosol layer, Proc. of the IAMAP Conf. on Structure, Composition and General Circulation of the Upper and Lower Atmospheres, Melbourne, Jan. 1974, Vol. 1, pp. 85–97
LAZRUS, A.L. and GANDRUD, B.W. (1974): Stratospheric sulfate aerosol, J. Geophys. Res., 79, 3424–3431
MEIXNER, F.X. (1981): Die vertikale Verteilung des atmosphärischen Schwefeldioxids im Tropopausenbereich, PhD thesis, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, FRG
MEIXNER, F.X., GEORGII, H.-W., OCKELMANN, G., JÄGER, H. and REITER, R. (1981): The arrival of the Mount St. Helens eruption cloud over Europe, Geophys. Res. Lett., 8, 163–166
MOORTGART, G.J. and JUNGE, C (1777): The role of SO2 oxidation for the background stratospheric sulfate layer in the light of new reaction data, Pageoph, 115, 769–774
NASA (1981): Chemical kinetic and photochemical data for use in stratospheric modeling evaluation, No. 4, NASA panel for data evaluation, Jan. 15, 1981, NASA Jet Prop. Lab., Calif. Inst. Technology, Pasadena, Cal.
RAVINSHANKRA, A.R., KREUZZER, N.M., SHAH, R.C., WINE, P.H. (1980): Rate of reaction of OH with COS, EOS, 61, 671
PEYTON, T.O., STEELE, R.V. and MABEY, U.R. (1976): Carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide: Literature review and environmental assessment, Standford Research Institute Report 68–01–2940. 57 pp.
REITER, E.R. (1975): Stratospheric-tropospheric exchange processes, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys., 13, 459–474
SHAPIRO, M.A., REITER, E.R., CADLE, R.D., and SEDLACEK, W.A. (1980): Veertical mass- and trace constituent transports in the vicinity of jet streams, Arch. Met. Geophys. Biokl., Ser. B., 28, 193–206
STAUFF, J. and JAESCHKE, W. (1975): A chemiluminescence technique for measuring atmospheric trace concentrations of SO2, Atm. Environ., 9, 1038–1039
TORRES, A.L., MAROULIS, P.J., GOLDBERG, A.B. and BANDY, A.R. (1980): Atmospheric OCS measurements on Project Gametag, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 7357–7360
TURCO, R.P., WHITTEN, R.C., TOON, O.B., INN, E.C.Y., and HAMILL, P. (1980): Stratospheric hydroxyl radical concentrations: New limitations suggested by observations of gaseous and particulate sulfur, J. Atm. Sci., in press
WHITTEN, R.C., TOON, O.B. and TURCO, R.P. (1980): The stratospheric aerosol layer: Processes, models, observations, and simulations, Pageoph, 118, 87–127
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Braunschweig
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Meixner, F.X. (1982). Contribution of Tropospheric SO2 to the Stratospheric Aerosol Layer. In: Herbert, F. (eds) Atmospheric Trace Constituents. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-90097-5_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-90097-5_5
Publisher Name: Vieweg+Teubner Verlag
Print ISBN: 978-3-528-08523-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-322-90097-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive