Title | Antarctic mesospheric clouds formed from space shuttle exhaust |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2005 |
Authors | Stevens, MH, Meier, RR, Chu, X, DeLand, MT, Plane, JMC |
Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 32 |
Issue | 13 |
Date Published | 07/2005 |
ISSN | 0094-8276 |
Abstract | New satellite observations reveal lower thermospheric transport of a space shuttle exhaust plume into the southern hemisphere two days after a January, 2003 launch. A day later, ground-based lidar observations in Antarctica identify iron ablated from the shuttle's main engines. Additional satellite observations of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) show a burst that constitutes 10–20% of the PMC mass between 65–79°S during the 2002–2003 season, comparable to previous results for an Arctic shuttle plume. This shows that shuttle exhaust can be an important global source of both PMC formation and variability. |
URL | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1029/2005GL023054 |
DOI | 10.1029/2005GL023054 |
Short Title | Geophys. Res. Lett. |
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