Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-132). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Feb. 17, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-91).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-167).

L’étude des aérosols stratosphériques est importante pour comprendre le bilan radiatif terrestre. A l’heure actuelle, notre représentation des différents types de particules stratosphériques et leurs répartitions spatiale et temporelle n’est pas complète. Au cours de cette thèse, nous tentons de montrer que la mesure de la concentration en particules sous ballon météorologique au moyen d’un nouveau mini compteur de particules, le LOAC, pourrait permettre de rendre compte de la possible variabilité locale du contenu en aérosols stratosphériques dans la gamme de taille 0,2 à 100 μm en diamètre. La première partie de ce travail consiste à caractériser plus précisément les performances du LOAC sous ballon météorologique appliqué à la mesure en stratosphère. La seconde partie propose une analyse comparée du contenu en aérosols stratosphériques obtenu par LOAC, à partir de lâchers de ballons en France régulièrement depuis 3 ans et plus ponctuellement à l’étranger dans des situations particulières (volcan, mousson), et par d’autres types de données (Observations spatiales, lidar sol et simulation globale). Nous montrons alors que l’instrument possède une limite de détection rendant difficile la mesure des particules submicroniques lors de période de fond en moyenne stratosphère pour des concentrations de l’ordre d’une particule par cm3. Dans sa version actuelle, le LOAC permet de documenter les panaches volcaniques en troposphère ainsi qu’en basse stratosphère. En perspective, nous proposons des directions pour la calibration et l’analyse des futures données d’une nouvelle génération de l’instrument en développement. / The study of the stratospheric aerosols is important to our understanding of the terrestrial radiative budget. Our current comprehension of the different types of stratospheric particles and their spatial and temporal distribution is incomplete. In the present study, we try to show that measuring particle concentrations by the means of a new balloon-borne miniature particle counter, the LOAC, may allow us to determine the local variability in stratospheric aerosols in the size range 0.2 – 100 μm in diameter. In that respect, the PhD thesis consists of a first phase of a more accurate characterisation of the LOAC’s performances under balloon-borne measurement. A second phase consists of comparative analysis of stratospheric aerosol content based on a LOAC dataset obtained during a continuous campaign of balloon launches in France, along with some occasional flights abroad under particular circumstances (volcanic eruption, monsoon). Thus we show that the LOAC has a detection limit that restricts the measurement of submicronic particles in volcanic quiescent periods for concentrations lower than typically 1 particle per cm3. In its current version, the LOAC allows us to characterise aerosols in volcanic plumes in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. And, further, we propose directions concerning possible calibration and analysis strategies for the future data from the next generation of the LOAC currently in development.

The climatic effects of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) geoengineering have been often modeled by simply reducing the solar constant. This is most likely valid only for space sunshades and not for atmosphere and surface based SRM methods. In this thesis, a global climate model is used to test if the climate response to SRM by stratospheric aerosols and uniform solar constant reduction are similar. Our analysis shows that when global mean warming from a doubling of CO2 is nearly cancelled by both these methods, they are similar when important surface and tropospheric climate variables are considered. However, a difference of 1K in the global mean stratospheric (61-9.8 hPa) temperature is simulated between the two SRM methods. Further, while the global mean surface diffuse radiation increases by about 15- 20% and direct radiation decreases by about 8% in the case of sulphate aerosol SRM method, both direct and diffuse radiation decrease by similar fractional amounts (~ -1.5%) when solar constant is reduced. When CO2 fertilization effects from elevated CO2 concentration levels are removed, the contribution from shaded leaves to gross primary productivity (GPP) increases by 6 % in aerosol SRM because of increased diffuse light. However, this increase is almost offset by a 7% decline in sunlit contribution due to reduced direct light. Overall both the SRM simulations show similar decrease in GPP (~ 1%) and NPP (~ 0.7%). Based on our results we conclude that the climate states produced by a reduction in solar constant and addition of aerosols into the stratosphere can be considered almost similar except for two important aspects: stratospheric temperature change and the consequent implications for the dynamics and the chemistry of the stratosphere and the partitioning of direct versus diffuse radiation reaching the surface. Further, the likely dependence of global hydrological cycle response on aerosol particle size and the latitudinal and height distribution of aerosols is discussed.