Stratospheric temperature signals from post-2000 volcanic eruptions
Presenter:
Matthias Stocker
Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Poster
Large volcanic eruptions strongly affect stratospheric temperature, however, recently the impacts of smaller eruptions have been in the research focus. Knowledge of volcanic imprints is vital, especially when trying to separate natural from anthropogenic temperature changes. Yet, most studies on this topic do not cover the details of the vertical evolution of the aerosol distribution following the volcanic eruptions. Here, we quantify the volcanic temperature signals between 2002 and 2016 using the potential of a newly available, vertically resolved aerosol dataset and precise temperature observations from GPS radio occultation. Applying multiple linear regression analysis, we find characteristic space-time signals that can be associated with specific eruptions. In the lower stratosphere, robust volcanic warming signals are observed. Approaching the mid-stratosphere, however, also cooling signals from some of these eruptions are found. We find that for the period from 2002 to 2016 the volcanic contribution to the temperature trend in the lower stratosphere is up to 20 %, depending on latitude and altitude. Therefore, we conclude that detailed knowledge of the vertical structure of volcanic temperature impacts is crucial for comprehensive trend analysis, as their influence varies with height and latitude.
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