We have performed more than 300 atmospheric simulations of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using the AER 2-D sulfate aerosol model to optimize the initial sulfur mass injection as a function of altitude, which in previous modeling studies has often been chosen in an ad hoc manner (e.g., by applying a rectangular-shaped emission profile). Our simulations are generated by varying a four-parameter vertical mass distribution, which is determined by a total injection mass and a skew-normal distribution function. Our results suggest that (a) the initial mass loading of the Pinatubo eruption is approximately 14 Mt of SO2; (b) the injection vertical distribution is strongly skewed towards the lower stratosphere, leading to a peak mass sulfur injection at 18-21 km; (c) the injection magnitude and height affect early southward transport of the volcanic clouds as observed by SAGE II.
CITATION STYLE
Sheng, J. X., Weisenstein, D. K., Luo, B. P., Rozanov, E., Arfeuille, F., & Peter, T. (2015). A perturbed parameter model ensemble to investigate Mt. Pinatubo’s 1991 initial sulfur mass emission. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 15(20), 11501–11512. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-11501-2015
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.