Using analysis increments to estimate atmospheric heating rates following volcanic eruptions

By using the analysis increments of the temperatures from atmospheric re‐analyses it is possible to roughly estimate the stratospheric radiative heating rates from volcanic eruption. The method is applied to the 30 hPa temperature from the 15 years of the ECMWF‐reanalysis. After the influence from the Quasi Biennial Oscillation is subtracted maximum values of the zonal mean radiative heating rates related to El Chichón and Pinatubo volcanic eruptions are estimated to 0.30 K/day and 0.25 K/day, respectively. The estimated heating rates are not solely due to aerosol heating but includes the effects of ozone reduction and geostrophic adjustment as well.