A comparison of global stratospheric aerosol levels measured in 1979 by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) and in 1989--1991 by SAGE II is presented. These periods exhibit the lowest stratospheric aerosol levels in the era of modern measurements and are often referred to as background periods. We find that, depending on latitude, the 1-μm aerosol optical depth in 1989--1991 was 10 to 30% higher than that observed in 1979. We demonstrate that the latter period (prior to the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo) was characterized by an ongoing global recovery from the eruptions of El Chich¿n in 1982 and Nevado del Ruiz in 1985, with a further complication introduced by the February 1990 Kelut eruption. Therefore the differences between 1979 and 1989--1991 cannot be completely attributed to nonvolcanic sources.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union