Monitoring El Chichon aerosol distribution using NOAA-7 satellite AVHRR sea surface temperature observations

Abstract

Toe dust veil froin the April 1982 volcanic eruption of El Chichón has had a marked effect on the ability of the NOAA-7 satellite's AVHRR to monitor sea surface temperature (SSn. Small micron and sub-micron sized particles of sulfuric acid in the stratosphe,e attenuate the radiation from Earth causing a negative offset (bias) in NOAA's operationally produced SSTs. We have used this offset to monitor tl\e evolution and dispersion of the aerosol cloud on a monthly basis as it spread rapidly northward during November and December 1982, and into spring of 1983.