HR: 13:40h
AN: A43D-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Celebrating Twenty Years of SAGE II
AU: * McCormick, M P
EM: pat.mccormick@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University, 23 Tyler Street, Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AB: October 5, 2004 marked the twenty-year anniversary of the launch of SAGE II, a remarkable occasion for atmospheric gas and aerosol profile measurements from low Earth orbit. SAGE II has produced the longest time series of near-global stratospheric ozone and aerosol data in existence. Its high vertical resolution of better than 1km, stability, nearly self-calibrating characteristic and, of course, robustness have provided the scientific community with an unparalleled data set for use in atmospheric and climate studies. The ozone record has become the standard for ozone profile trend determinations and for the development of a global ozone climatology. The aerosol record has been extremely important for characterizing volcanic impacts and their importance in developing climate models and studying the effects on ozone heterogeneous chemistry. In general, the SAGE II data have contributed significantly to the atmospheric and climate studies of variability, forcing, responses, consequences and predictions. This paper will present the fundamental principles of the occultation technique, its advantages and a comparison with other remote sensing techniques. Examples of the SAGE II aerosol, ozone and water vapor data will be presented along with their use in developing climatologies and trends, and in understanding their effects on heterogeneous chemistry, climate forcing and volcanic impact.
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0370 Volcanic effects (8409)
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting