The stratospheric aerosol layer is an important component of the Earth’s climate system, with global implications for surface temperatures and for the hydrological cycle. Due to its high variability, regular observations are needed to understand the layer’s different sources. While optical properties have been monitored via satellite for more than four decades, these measurements suffer from limited vertical, horizontal, and temporal resolution, and they require several assumptions to derive aerosol concentrations. In situ measurements have focused mostly on the Northern Hemisphere, with a lack of coverage over tropical regions.
The Balloon Network for Stratospheric Aerosol Observations (BalNeO) aims to fill those gaps by bringing together research laboratories from the United States, Brazil, France, and India to profile aerosol concentrations from the ground to the stratosphere. BalNeO features observations from several different field campaigns, which provide insights on stratospheric aerosol variability and its impact on climate.
BalNeO is a heritage of balloon deployments across the world funded by the Upper Atmospheric Composition Observation program at NASA Langley Research Center.