Stratospheric aerosols - Undissolved granules and physical state

Abstract

The physical state of stratospheric aerosol particles was studied along with the nature of included undissolved granules. It was found that: (1) undissolved granules are present in only a third of the aerosol particles and are not always associated with a slurry matrix, (2) those undissolved particles usually contain only sulfur and sodium or undetectable light elements, (3) all stratospheric aerosols have a similar appearance: a volatile slurry mixture of crystalline-like material in a liquid matrix, and (4) variations in the relative amounts of liquid and crystalline materials at different times cause variations in particle spreading.