BalNeO: Balloon Network for Stratospheric Aerosol Observations

The stratospheric aerosol layer plays a key role in the climate system, influencing surface temperature and the hydrological cycle. Its concentration is highly variable: since the late 1970s major and moderate volcanic eruptions have altered Stratospheric Aerosol Optical Depth by up to a factor of 100, and recent extreme wildfires in Canada and Australia have injected aerosols into the stratosphere at levels comparable to volcanic events.

The Summer Asian Monsoon also exports surface pollution into the stratosphere. Satellites have monitored stratospheric optical properties quasi-globally for more than four decades, but they offer limited vertical, horizontal and temporal resolution and rely on several assumptions to derive aerosol concentrations.

In situ measurements have concentrated mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, leaving less coverage over the tropics.

Canada, Australia, tropics

stratospheric aerosol, optical depth, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, asian monsoon, satellite observations, in situ, vertical resolution, surface temperature, hydrological cycle