The June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo was the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century
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Aerosols play an essential role in the radiative and chemical processes that govern the Earth's climate. Since stratospheric aerosol loading has varied by a factor of 30 since 1979, long-term monitoring of tropospheric and stratospheric aerosol is crucial. SAGE III aerosol measurements will provide important contributions in the following areas:
Research demonstrates that the long-term variability of aerosol abundance strongly modulates the rate of ozone destruction in the lower stratosphere [Solomon et al., 1997].
The impact of aircraft exhaust on ozone is strongly dependent on the abundance and properties of the ambient aerosol. The future of high speed, stratospheric air travel is, in part, dependent on improved understanding of aerosol properties [Stolarski and Weosky, 1993].
Aerosol radiative forcing is the largest unknown in current climate models and, as a result, in predicting future climate. Accurate vertically-resolved measurements of aerosol optical properties are an important element of improved climate prediction [IPCC, 1996].
Observations from space of many geophysical properties like sea surface temperature, vegetation, and atmospheric trace gas species can be adversely affected by the presence of aerosol. Other EOS sensors like MODIS and MISR require SAGE III measurements of stratospheric aerosols to achieve optimal performance.
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