Speaker
Description
Measurements of aerosol particles in the stratosphere show that metals that were vaporized during the reentry of rocket boosters and satellites accumulate in the stratosphere. These metals are incorporated into natural sulfuric acid particles in the stratosphere. Over 20 elements from reentry were detected and were present in ratios consistent with alloys used in spacecraft.
We are providing an update on our understanding of these metals in the stratosphere. Particles in the stratosphere with both meteoric and spacecraft metals are slightly larger than those with only meteoric metals. Extended laboratory calibrations are allowing us to have better estimates of some of the previously published metals and to quantify several more metals. One example of a preliminary result is that the relative amounts of tin and lead are consistent with electronics as the source of those metals.
