Sensitivity of volcanic aerosol dispersion to meteorological conditions: A Pinatubo case study. Issue 12 (24th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jones, Anthony C.; Haywood, James M.; Jones, Andy; Aquila, Valentina
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 121:Issue 12(2016)
• Page Start: 6892
• Page End: 6908
• Publication Date: 2016-06-24
• Subjects: Pinatubo; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1002/2016JD025001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: Using a global climate model (Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2‐Carbon Cycle Stratosphere ) with a well‐resolved stratosphere, we test the sensitivity of volcanic aerosol plume dispersion to meteorological conditions by simulating 1 day Mount Pinatubo‐like eruptions on 10 consecutive days. The dispersion of the volcanic aerosol is found to be highly sensitive to the ambient meteorology for low‐altitude eruptions (16–18 km), with this variability related to anomalous anticyclonic activity along the subtropical jet, which affects the permeability of the tropical pipe and controls the amount of aerosol that is retained by the tropical reservoir. Conversely, a high‐altitude eruption scenario (19–29 km) exhibits low meteorological variability. Overcoming day‐to‐day meteorological variability by spreading the emission over 10 days is shown to produce insufficient radiative heating to loft the aerosol into the stratospheric tropical aerosol reservoir for the low eruption scenario. This results in limited penetration of aerosol into the southern hemisphere (SH) in contrast to the SH transport observed after the Pinatubo eruption. Our results have direct implications for the accurate simulation of past/future volcanic eruptions and volcanically forced climate changes, such as Intertropical Convergence Zone displacement. Key Points: Using a global climate model (HadGEM2‐CCS), we test the sensitivity of volcanic aerosol dispersion to various SO2 emission scenarios Volcanic eruptions initiated on consecutive days could result in vastly different spatial distributions of aerosols A 10 day Pinatubo‐like eruption is unable to produce the aerosol self‐lofting needed to move the aerosol into the southern hemisphere