Notholt J, Kuang Z, Rinsland CP, Toon GC, Rex M, Jones N, Albrecht T, Deckelmann H, Krieg J, Weinzierl C, Bingemer H, Weller R, Schrems O. Enhanced upper tropical tropospheric COS: impact on the stratospheric aerosol layer.
Science 2003;
300:307-10. [PMID:
12690193 DOI:
10.1126/science.1080320]
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Abstract
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is considered to be a major source of the stratospheric sulfate aerosol during periods of volcanic quiescence. We measured COS at the tropical tropopause and find mixing ratios to be 20 to 50% larger than are assumed in models. The enhanced COS levels are correlated with high concentrations of biomass-burning pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). The analysis of backward trajectories and global maps of fire statistics suggest that biomass-burning emissions transported upward by deep convection are the source of the enhanced COS in the upper tropical troposphere.
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