The Role of Atmospheric Sulfates in Battlefield Obscurations.
Abstract
'Seeability' is one of the Army's major concerns in future battle scenarios. With increasing amount of anthropogenic aerosols present in the atmosphere, seeability in both the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum is being adversely affected. Sulfur dioxide, the primary of anthropogenic atmospheric sulfur, is converted from a gas to a solid (ammonium sulfate) by oxidizing with ammonia gas. Under high humidity conditions (> 80 percent) ammonium solfate changes from a solid to a liquid with a corresponding four-fold increase in light scattering effectiveness. This report documents the simultaneous occurrence of high concentrations of aerosol sulfur during periods of high humidity and haze. It suggests that ammonium sulfate aids in the formation of haze which affects Army weapon and reconnaissance systems. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA078213
Entities
People
- Stephen L. Cohn
Organizations
- Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory