The Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010 – detection of volcanic plume using in-situ measurements, ozone sondes and a new generation ceilometer network

Abstract

Abstract. Volcanic emissions from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on the Southern fringe of Iceland were detected at different places in Germany by means of in-situ measurements, ozone sondes and a dense network of ceilometers of the German Meteorological Service (DWD). In-situ measurements of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter were performed at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Zugspitze/Hohenpeissenberg. At Hohenpeissenberg, a number of reactive gases, e.g. sulphuric acid, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides were additionally measured during the period of interest. Also ozone sondes were launched at Hohenpeissenberg in the pre-alpine area. A newly established network of ceilometers (Jenoptik CHM15K) at currently 36 meteorological stations in Germany provided the temporal evolution of emissions over Germany. The sensitivity of these instruments with respect to atmospheric aerosols further allowed the inversion of gathered backscatter profiles, and aerosol extinction coefficients and particle mass concentration were finally obtained.