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Evidence of a transient ozone depletion event in the early Hunga plume above the Indian Ocean

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Title: Evidence of a transient ozone depletion event in the early Hunga plume above the Indian Ocean
Authors: Millet, Tristan, Bencherif, Hassan, Portafaix, Thierry, Bègue, Nelson, Baron, Alexandre, Duflot, Valentin, Clerbaux, Cathy, Coheur, Pierre-François, Pazmiño, Andrea, Sicard, Michaël, Boynard, Anne, Metzger, Jean-Marc, Payen, Guillaume, Marquestaut, Nicolas, Godin-Beekmann, Sophie
Contributors: Bonnet, Camille
Source: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 25:10887-10905
Publisher Information: Copernicus GmbH, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Réunion, Ozone measurements, plume, [SDU.OCEAN] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere, Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer, Microwave Limb Sounder, chemical and radiative effects, ozone spatial distributions, MLS, stratospheric ozone, [SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, volcano, OMPS-LP, aerosol cloud, Hunga Tonga, sun-photometer measurements, Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler, lidar observations, aerosol extinction profiles, Reunion
Description: On 15 January 2022, the Hunga volcano (20.5° S, 175.4° E) erupted, releasing significant amounts of water vapor (H2O) and a moderate quantity of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. The resulting volcanic plume traveled westward with the southern hemispheric stratospheric circulation, reaching the Indian Ocean and Réunion (21.1° S, 55.5° E) within days. This study presents the first analysis of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) ozone data to investigate the impact of the Hunga eruption, and also incorporates Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) data, as well as ground-based measurements from Réunion. IASI observations revealed a transient ozone depletion event in the first week following the eruption. OMPS-LP aerosol extinction profiles, sun-photometer measurements, and lidar observations characterized the plume's vertical and latitudinal extent, showing its presence over Réunion at altitudes ranging from 26.8 to 29.7 km and its spread across more than 30° longitude and 20° latitude by 21 January. IASI ozone spatial distributions showed marked decreases in total and stratospheric ozone on that date, with the fifth percentile of the anomaly reaching −18.6 DU for total column ozone and −14.5 DU for stratospheric column ozone. A key finding, as shown by MLS profiles, is that the ozone reduction was confined to two separate layers (-0.7±(1σ) 0.6 ppmv in the 14.68–12.12 hPa range, and -0.6±(1σ) 0.5 ppmv in the 31.62–21.54 hPa range), each associated with a distinct aerosol cloud with excess H2O. This layered structure of ozone loss offers new insight into the chemical and radiative effects of the Hunga plume on stratospheric ozone.
Document Type: Article
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1680-7324
DOI: 10.5194/acp-25-10887-2025
Access URL: https://hal.science/hal-05272557v1
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10887-2025
https://hal.science/hal-05272557v1/document
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....478232cc6199340a012d06a12167f59e
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:On 15 January 2022, the Hunga volcano (20.5° S, 175.4° E) erupted, releasing significant amounts of water vapor (H2O) and a moderate quantity of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. The resulting volcanic plume traveled westward with the southern hemispheric stratospheric circulation, reaching the Indian Ocean and Réunion (21.1° S, 55.5° E) within days. This study presents the first analysis of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) ozone data to investigate the impact of the Hunga eruption, and also incorporates Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) data, as well as ground-based measurements from Réunion. IASI observations revealed a transient ozone depletion event in the first week following the eruption. OMPS-LP aerosol extinction profiles, sun-photometer measurements, and lidar observations characterized the plume's vertical and latitudinal extent, showing its presence over Réunion at altitudes ranging from 26.8 to 29.7 km and its spread across more than 30° longitude and 20° latitude by 21 January. IASI ozone spatial distributions showed marked decreases in total and stratospheric ozone on that date, with the fifth percentile of the anomaly reaching −18.6 DU for total column ozone and −14.5 DU for stratospheric column ozone. A key finding, as shown by MLS profiles, is that the ozone reduction was confined to two separate layers (-0.7±(1σ) 0.6 ppmv in the 14.68–12.12 hPa range, and -0.6±(1σ) 0.5 ppmv in the 31.62–21.54 hPa range), each associated with a distinct aerosol cloud with excess H2O. This layered structure of ozone loss offers new insight into the chemical and radiative effects of the Hunga plume on stratospheric ozone.
ISSN:16807324
DOI:10.5194/acp-25-10887-2025