Polar Mesospheric Clouds Formed From Space Shuttle Exhaust

We observe a plume of water vapor in the Arctic above 85 km and a day after an August shuttle launch. Our satellite observations reveal that a discrete region of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) appears a week after that launch. We calculate that the water contained in the observed PMCs is consistent...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stevens, Michael H, Gumbel, Jorg, Englert, Christoph R, Grossmann, Klaus U, Rapp, Markus, Hartogh, Paul
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ARCTIC DESCENT
Atmospheric Physics
CLOUDS
Combustion and Ignition
DESCENT
EXHAUST PLUMES
ICE FORMATION
LAUNCHING
Manned Spacecraft
MESOSPHERE
PMC(POLAR MESOSPHERIC CLOUD)
POLAR MESOSPHERIC CLOUDS
REPRINTS
SATELLITE IMAGERY
SPACE SHUTTLES
TRANSPORT
WATER VAPOR
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Summary:We observe a plume of water vapor in the Arctic above 85 km and a day after an August shuttle launch. Our satellite observations reveal that a discrete region of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) appears a week after that launch. We calculate that the water contained in the observed PMCs is consistent with the amount injected by the shuttle. This is evidence for a source of PMCs not previously considered. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, v30 n10 p53-1 through 4, 2003.