Project period: 01.09.2014 bis 31.08.2017
The stratospheric aerosol layer is a key element in the Earth’s climate system. It affects the radiative balance of the atmosphere directly through interactions with solar and terrestrial radiation and indirectly through its effect on stratospheric ozone chemistry. In spite of its importance, the sources, the processing and the radiative properties of stratospheric aerosol and its interdependencies with the Earth’s climate system are not fully understood.
The overall aim of SPITFIRE is to investigate the processes sustaining the stratospheric aerosol layer and its exact impact on the climate system, in order to predict its future evolution and climate interactions. Specific objectives are (1) the quantitative understanding of various sources and transport mechanisms of stratospheric aerosol, (2) to quantify processes controlling sulfur compounds and other organic/inorganic substances attaining to the stratosphere, (3) to quantify stratospheric refractory/non-refractory aerosol and (4) to parameterize the relevant processes for implementation in chemistry climate models (CCM). SPITFIRE involves experienced research groups for the physico-chemical characterization of stratospheric aerosol and measurements of the aerosol precursor gases SO2, H2SO4 and OCS in the UT/LS. SPITFIRE has a strong component of field observations and concentrates on detailed aerosol-related processes in the stratosphere, explicitly including non-sulfate aerosol. SPITFIRE will use and analyze data acquired during several scientific flight missions involving the high altitude research aircraft M55-Geophysica and HALO.