Nonlinear modulation of O3and CO induced by mountain waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during terrain-induced rotor experiment

Clear air turbulence (CAT) poses a significant threat to aviation. CAT usually occurs in the lower stratosphere and the upper troposphere. It is generally associated with large scale waves, mountain waves, jet streams, upper-level fronts and tropopause folds. Aircraft can experience CAT when flying in proximity of a tropopause fold. To better understand and diagnose tropopause fold- associated CAT we selected a series of cases from among those reported by pilots between June 2017 and December 2018 in the Romanian airspace. Data on turbulence were used in conjunction with meteorological data, satellite imagery, and vertical profiles. Additionally, a set of indices as Ellrod, horizontal temperature gradient, Dutton, and Brown were computed to diagnose CAT associated with tropopause folding. These indices were also analyzed to test the physics mechanisms that may explain the occurrence of severe turbulence. Results show that out of the 420 cases announced by pilots, severe turbulence was reported in 80 cases of which 13 were associated with tropopause folding.

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Three-Dimensional Characteristics of Stratospheric Mountain Waves during T-REX

Monthly Weather Review ◽

10.1175/2010mwr3466.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 139 (1) ◽

pp. 3-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

James D. Doyle ◽

Qingfang Jiang ◽

Ronald B. Smith ◽

Vanda Grubišić

Keyword(s):

Sierra Nevada ◽

National Science Foundation ◽

Wave Amplitude ◽

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Real Data ◽

Mountain Waves ◽

National Science ◽

Rotor Experiment ◽

Vertically Propagating

Abstract Measurements from the National Science Foundation/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF/NCAR) Gulfstream V (G-V) obtained during the recent Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) indicate marked differences in the character of the wave response between repeated flight tracks across the Sierra Nevada, which were separated by a distance of approximately 50 km. Observations from several of the G-V research flights indicate that the vertical velocities in the primary wave exhibited variations up to a factor of 2 between the southern and northern portions of the racetrack flight segments in the lower stratosphere, with the largest amplitude waves most often occurring over the southern flight leg, which has a terrain maximum that is 800 m lower than the northern leg. Multiple racetracks at 11.7- and 13.1-km altitudes indicate that these differences were repeatable, which is suggestive that the deviations were likely due to vertically propagating mountain waves that varied systematically in amplitude rather than associated with transients. The cross-mountain horizontal velocity perturbations are also a maximum above the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada ridge. Real data and idealized nonhydrostatic numerical model simulations are used to test the hypothesis that the observed variability in the wave amplitude and characteristics in the along-barrier direction is a consequence of blocking by the three-dimensional Sierra Nevada and the Coriolis effect. The numerical simulation results suggest that wave launching is sensitive to the overall three-dimensional characteristics of the Sierra Nevada barrier, which has an important impact on the wave amplitude and characteristics in the lower stratosphere. Real-time high-resolution Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) forecasts successfully capture the along-barrier variations in the wave amplitude (using vertical velocity as a proxy) as well as skillfully distinguishing between large- and small-amplitude stratospheric wave events during T-REX.

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A numerical study of mountain waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-11-4487-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 4487-4532 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Mahalov ◽

M. Moustaoui ◽

V. Grubišić

Keyword(s):

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Numerical Study ◽

Inversion Layer ◽

Shear Instability ◽

Small Scale ◽

Mountain Waves ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Microscale Model ◽

Momentum Fluxes ◽

Simulation Results

Abstract. A numerical study of mountain waves in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) is presented for two Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) of the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX). The simulations use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and a microscale model that is driven by the finest WRF nest. During IOP8, the simulation results reveal presence of perturbations with short wavelengths in zones of strong vertical wind shear in the UTLS that cause a reversal of momentum fluxes. The spectral properties of these perturbations and the attendant vertical profiles of heat and momentum fluxes show strong divergence near the tropopause indicating that they are generated by shear instability along shear lines locally induced by the primary mountain wave originating from the lower troposphere. This is further confirmed by results of an idealized simulation initialized with the temperature and wind profiles obtained from the microscale model. For IOP6, we analyse distributions of O3 and CO observed in aircraft measurements. These show small scale fluctuations with amplitudes and phases that vary along the path of the flight. Comparison between these fluctuations and the observed vertical velocity show that the behavior of these short fluctuations is due not only to the vertical motion, but also to the local mean vertical gradients where the waves evolve, which are modulated by larger variations. The microscale model simulation results shows favorable agreement with in situ radiosonde and aircraft observations. The high vertical resolution offered by the microscale model is found to be critical for resolution of smaller scale processes such as formation of inversion layer associated with trapped lee waves in the troposphere, and propagating mountain waves in the lower stratosphere.

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A numerical study of mountain waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-11-5123-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 5123-5139 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

A. Mahalov ◽

M. Moustaoui ◽

V. Grubišić

Keyword(s):

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Numerical Study ◽

Inversion Layer ◽

Shear Instability ◽

Small Scale ◽

Mountain Waves ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Microscale Model ◽

Momentum Fluxes ◽

Simulation Results

Abstract. A numerical study of mountain waves in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) is presented for two Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) of the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX). The simulations use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and a microscale model that is driven by the finest WRF nest. During IOP8, the simulation results reveal presence of perturbations with short wavelengths in zones of strong vertical wind shear in the UTLS that cause a reversal of momentum fluxes. The spectral properties of these perturbations and the attendant vertical profiles of heat and momentum fluxes show strong divergence near the tropopause indicating that they are generated by shear instability along shear lines locally induced by the primary mountain wave originating from the lower troposphere. This is further confirmed by results of an idealized simulation initialized with the temperature and wind profiles obtained from the microscale model. For IOP6, we analyze distributions of O3 and CO observed in aircraft measurements. They show small scale fluctuations with amplitudes and phases that vary along the path of the flight. Detailed comparisons between these fluctuations and the observed vertical velocity show that the behavior of these short fluctuations is due not only to the vertical motion, but also to the local mean vertical gradients where the waves evolve, which are modulated by larger variations. The microscale model simulation results show favorable agreement with in situ radiosonde and aircraft observations. The high vertical resolution offered by the microscale model is found to be critical for resolution of smaller scale processes such as formation of inversion layer associated with trapped lee waves in the troposphere, and propagating mountain waves in the lower stratosphere.

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The Impact of Mountain Waves on an Idealized Baroclinically Unstable Large-Scale Flow

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences ◽

10.1175/jas-d-17-0396.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (9) ◽

pp. 3285-3302 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maximo Q. Menchaca ◽

Dale R. Durran

Keyword(s):

Wave Breaking ◽

Large Scale ◽

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Unstable Wave ◽

Mean Flow ◽

Mountain Waves ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Low Level ◽

Flow Deceleration ◽

Large Scale Flow

Abstract The feedback of mountain waves and low-level blocking on an idealized baroclinically unstable wave passing over an isolated ridge is examined through numerical simulation. Theoretical analysis implies that the volume-integrated perturbation momentum budget is dominated by mean-flow deceleration, the divergence of vertical fluxes of horizontal momentum, and the Coriolis force acting on the perturbation ageostrophic wind. These do indeed appear as the dominant balances in numerically computed budgets averaged over layers containing 1) wave breaking in the lower stratosphere, 2) flow blocking with wave breaking near the surface, and 3) a region of pronounced horizontally averaged mean-flow deceleration in the upper troposphere where there is no wave breaking. The local impact of wave breaking on the jet in the lower stratosphere is dramatic, with winds in the jet core reduced by almost 50% relative to the no-mountain case. Although it is the layer with the strongest average deceleration, the local patches of decelerated flow are weakest in the upper troposphere. The cross-mountain pressure drag over a 2-km-high ridge greatly exceeds the vertical momentum flux at mountain-top level because of low-level wave breaking, blocking, and lateral flow diversion. These pressure drags and the low-level momentum fluxes are significantly different from corresponding values computed for simulations with steady forcing matching the instantaneous conditions over the mountain in the evolving large-scale flow.

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Measurements of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during tropical cyclones using the GPS radio occultation technique

Advances in Space Research ◽

10.1016/j.asr.2010.05.031 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 348-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Riccardo Biondi ◽

Torsten Neubert ◽

Stig Syndergaard ◽

Johannes Nielsen

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclones ◽

Radio Occultation ◽

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Gps Radio Occultation

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A Case Study of Mass Transport during the East-West Oscillation of the Asian Summer Monsoon Anticyclone

Advances in Meteorology ◽

10.1155/2017/5174025 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jiali Luo ◽

Jiayao Song ◽

Hongying Tian ◽

Lei Liu ◽

Xinlei Liang

Keyword(s):

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Asian Summer Monsoon ◽

Chemical Transport ◽

Upward Motion ◽

High Concentration ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Asian Summer ◽

Mode Tm ◽

East West

We use ERA-Interim reanalysis, MLS observations, and a trajectory model to examine the chemical transport and tracers distribution in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) associated with an east-west oscillation case of the anticyclone in 2016. The results show that the spatial distribution of water vapor (H2O) was more consistent with the location of the anticyclone than carbon monoxide (CO) at 100 hPa, and an independent relative high concentration center was only found in H2O field. At 215 hPa, although the anticyclone center also migrated from the Tibetan Mode (TM) to the Iranian Mode (IM), the relative high concentration centers of both tracers were always colocated with regions where upward motion was strong in the UTLS. When the anticyclone migrated from the TM, air within the anticyclone over Tibetan Plateau may transport both westward and eastward but was always within the UTLS. The relative high concentration of tropospheric tracers within the anticyclone in the IM was from the east and transported by the westward propagation of the anticyclone rather than being lifted from surface directly. Air within the relative high geopotential height centers over Western Pacific was partly from the main anticyclone and partly from lower levels.

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Atmospheric measurements of aerosol precursor gases in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Journal of Aerosol Science ◽

10.1016/s0021-8502(97)85033-1 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. S65-S66 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

F. Arnold ◽

K.H. Wohlfrom ◽

J. Schneider ◽

M. Klemm ◽

T. Stilp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Atmospheric Measurements ◽

Upper Troposphere

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Aircraft measurements of gravity waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during the START08 field experiment

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-15-7667-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (13) ◽

pp. 7667-7684 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Fuqing Zhang ◽

Junhong Wei ◽

Meng Zhang ◽

K. P. Bowman ◽

L. L. Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Law ◽

Gravity Waves ◽

Lower Stratosphere ◽

Potential Temperature ◽

Shear Instability ◽

Aircraft Measurements ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Airborne Measurements ◽

Wide Range

Abstract. This study analyzes in situ airborne measurements from the 2008 Stratosphere–Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport (START08) experiment to characterize gravity waves in the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (ExUTLS). The focus is on the second research flight (RF02), which took place on 21–22 April 2008. This was the first airborne mission dedicated to probing gravity waves associated with strong upper-tropospheric jet–front systems. Based on spectral and wavelet analyses of the in situ observations, along with a diagnosis of the polarization relationships, clear signals of mesoscale variations with wavelengths ~ 50–500 km are found in almost every segment of the 8 h flight, which took place mostly in the lower stratosphere. The aircraft sampled a wide range of background conditions including the region near the jet core, the jet exit and over the Rocky Mountains with clear evidence of vertically propagating gravity waves of along-track wavelength between 100 and 120 km. The power spectra of the horizontal velocity components and potential temperature for the scale approximately between ~ 8 and ~ 256 km display an approximate −5/3 power law in agreement with past studies on aircraft measurements, while the fluctuations roll over to a −3 power law for the scale approximately between ~ 0.5 and ~ 8 km (except when this part of the spectrum is activated, as recorded clearly by one of the flight segments). However, at least part of the high-frequency signals with sampled periods of ~ 20–~ 60 s and wavelengths of ~ 5–~ 15 km might be due to intrinsic observational errors in the aircraft measurements, even though the possibilities that these fluctuations may be due to other physical phenomena (e.g., nonlinear dynamics, shear instability and/or turbulence) cannot be completely ruled out.

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Effect of tropical cyclones on the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange observed using satellite observations over north Indian Ocean

10.5194/acp-2015-988 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. Venkat Ratnam ◽

S. Ravindra Babu ◽

S. S. Das ◽

Ghouse Basha ◽

B. V. Krishnamurthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Vapor ◽

Indian Ocean ◽

Tropical Cyclones ◽

Lower Stratosphere ◽

North Indian Ocean ◽

Satellite Observations ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

North West ◽

The North ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Tropical cyclones play an important role in modifying the tropopause structure and dynamics as well as stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) process in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) region. In the present study, the impact of cyclones that occurred over the North Indian Ocean during 2007–2013 on the STE process is quantified using satellite observations. Tropopause characteristics during cyclones are obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) measurements and ozone and water vapor concentrations in UTLS region are obtained from Aura-Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite observations. The effect of cyclones on the tropopause parameters is observed to be more prominent within 500 km from the centre of cyclone. In our earlier study we have observed decrease (increase) in the tropopause altitude (temperature) up to 0.6 km (3 K) and the convective outflow level increased up to 2 km. This change leads to a total increase in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) thickness of 3 km within the 500 km from the centre of cyclone. Interestingly, an enhancement in the ozone mixing ratio in the upper troposphere is clearly noticed within 500 km from cyclone centre whereas the enhancement in the water vapor in the lower stratosphere is more significant on south-east side extending from 500–1000 km away from the cyclone centre. We estimated the cross-tropopause mass flux for different intensities of cyclones and found that the mean flux from stratosphere to troposphere for cyclonic stroms is 0.05 ± 0.29 × 10−3 kg m−2 and for very severe cyclonic stroms it is 0.5 ± 1.07 × 10−3 kg m−2. More downward flux is noticed in the north-west and south-west side of the cyclone centre. These results indicate that the cyclones have significant impact in effecting the tropopause structure, ozone and water vapour budget and consequentially the STE in the UTLS region.

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