KAMP

Volcanoes have many impacts on climate and atmospheric chemistry, ranging from potential mass extinctions (Deccan Traps), to explosive eruptions of many magnitudes. Both in the geologic record and in the historical record, there are many such volcanoes (e.g. Tambora, 1815 Krakatoa, 1883 or even Mt. Pinatubo, 1991). Most of the climate impact of volcanoes comes from deposition of large quantities of sulfur into the stratosphere, which expands the stratospheric sulfate (SO4) aerosol layer, and scatters sunlight back to space. There are also climate effects of effusive, or non-explosive volcanoes. These volcanoes emit lava near the surface, and often vent copious amounts of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), which oxidizes in the troposphere to Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) and Sulfate (SO4) Aerosol. Sulfate aerosols in the troposphere scatter sunlight as they do in the stratosphere, but they have very short lifetimes (days to a week or two in the troposphere, v. years in the stratosphere). But these aerosols can result in significant local air quality impacts (air pollution) and modify cloud properties to affect global climate. In order to simulate these aerosols better for human health and global climate, we need to combine aircraft observations with satellite information with global models. The KAMP/HI'IAKA experiment will take many of the measurements necessary to advance modeling for regional air quality and global climate.