Abstract

The June 2019 eruption of Raikoke (48°17'31″N, 153°15'04″E), a volcano in the Kuril Islands, provided a promising opportunity to study the evolution of volcanic aerosol in the stratosphere. The eruption produced the most significant input of SO2gas to the stratosphere since the June 2011 Nabro er... Show moreThe June 2019 eruption of Raikoke (48°17'31″N, 153°15'04″E), a volcano in the Kuril Islands, provided a promising opportunity to study the evolution of volcanic aerosol in the stratosphere. The eruption produced the most significant input of SO2gas to the stratosphere since the June 2011 Nabro eruption, as was widely observed by satellite instruments. We use Version 6 of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM6) to simulate the Raikoke eruption from SO2gas to sulfate aerosol, with comparison to observations from multiple satellite and ground-based instruments. We examine the impact of improved model vertical resolution on our calculation. We also assess the importance of aerosol scattering on photolysis rates, a new model capability since the public release of WACCM6, with particular attention to the lifetime of volcanic SO2in this eruption of moderate size. WACCM6 is a state-of-the-art model providing real-time chemical forecasting products that are used for applications around the globe. This well-observed eruption gives us an opportunity to assess the model's abilities, identify needed improvements, and better understand the evolution of volcanic plumes. Show less