Nature Communications (Sep 2020)

Persisting volcanic ash particles impact stratospheric SO2 lifetime and aerosol optical properties

  • Yunqian Zhu,
  • Owen B. Toon,
  • Eric J. Jensen,
  • Charles G. Bardeen,
  • Michael J. Mills,
  • Margaret A. Tolbert,
  • Pengfei Yu,
  • Sarah Woods

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18352-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Volcanic ash is often neglected in climate simulations as it is assumed to have a short atmospheric lifetime. Here, the authors show a persistent super-micron ash layer after the Mt. Kelut eruption in 2014 that impacts the stratospheric sulfur burden and chemistry for over the first months after the eruption.