scholarly journals Composition and Thermal Structure of the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere in a Penetrating Mesoscale Convective Complex Determined by Satellite Observations and Model Simulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunhua Shi ◽  
Wenyi Cai ◽  
Dong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Mesoscale Convective ◽  
Cold Point

We describe here the composition and thermal structure of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during a penetrating mesoscale convective complex (MCC) event that occurred in southern China on 8 June 2009. Our results are based on satellite observations and Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations. Ice-rich and ozone-poor air reached as high as 17 km. The air was −5°C colder inside the mature MCC than outside at the first cold-point tropopause near 17 km, −2°C colder inside the mature MCC than outside at the second cold-point tropopause, and 3°C warmer inside the mature MCC than outside between the two cold-point tropopauses. Corresponding to the temperature structure, there were two lower water vapor contents inside the MCC than outside near 17 km and 19 km while there was a higher water vapor content inside the MCC than outside near 18 km.

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

2016 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals The Climate Impact of Past Changes in Halocarbons and CO2 in the Tropical UTLS Region

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (23) ◽  
pp. 8646-8660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles McLandress ◽  
Theodore G. Shepherd ◽  
M. Catherine Reader ◽  
David A. Plummer ◽  
Keith P. Shine
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Climate Impact ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Radiative Cooling ◽  
Point Temperature ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Adiabatic Cooling ◽  
Cold Point

Abstract A chemistry–climate model coupled to an ocean model is used to compare the climate impact of past (1960–2010) changes in concentrations of halocarbons with those of CO2 in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The halocarbon contribution to both upper troposphere warming and the associated increase in lower stratospheric upwelling is about 40% as large as that due to CO2. Trends in cold-point temperature and lower stratosphere water vapor are positive for both halocarbons and CO2, and are of about the same magnitude. Trends in lower stratosphere ozone are negative, due to the increased upwelling. These increases in water vapor and decreases in lower stratosphere ozone feed back onto lower stratosphere temperature through radiative cooling. The radiative cooling from ozone is about a factor of 2 larger than that from water vapor in the vicinity of the cold-point tropopause, while water vapor dominates at heights above 50 hPa. For halocarbons this indirect radiative cooling more than offsets the direct radiative warming, and together with the adiabatic cooling accounts for the lack of a halocarbon-induced warming of the lower stratosphere. For CO2 the indirect cooling from increased water vapor and decreased ozone is of comparable magnitude to the direct warming from CO2 in the vicinity of the cold-point tropopause, and (together with the increased upwelling) lowers the height at which CO2 increases induce stratospheric cooling, thus explaining the relatively weak increase in cold-point temperature due to the CO2 increases.

scholarly journals The outflow of Asian biomass burning carbonaceous aerosol into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in spring: radiative effects seen in a global model

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 14371-14384
Author(s):  
Prashant Chavan ◽  
Suvarna Fadnavis ◽  
Tanusri Chakroborty ◽  
Christopher E. Sioris ◽  
Sabine Griessbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosol ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Maximum Enhancement ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Upper Troposphere

Abstract. Biomass burning (BB) over Asia is a strong source of carbonaceous aerosols during spring. From ECHAM6–HAMMOZ model simulations and satellite observations, we show that there is an outflow of Asian BB carbonaceous aerosols into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) (black carbon: 0.1 to 6 ng m−3 and organic carbon: 0.2 to 10 ng m−3) during the spring season. The model simulations show that the greatest transport of BB carbonaceous aerosols into the UTLS occurs from the Indochina and East Asia region by deep convection over the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia. The increase in BB carbonaceous aerosols enhances atmospheric heating by 0.001 to 0.02 K d−1 in the UTLS. The aerosol-induced heating and circulation changes increase the water vapor mixing ratios in the upper troposphere (by 20–80 ppmv) and in the lowermost stratosphere (by 0.02–0.3 ppmv) over the tropics. Once in the lower stratosphere, water vapor is further transported to the South Pole by the lowermost branch of the Brewer–Dobson circulation. These aerosols enhance the in-atmosphere radiative forcing (0.68±0.25 to 5.30±0.37 W m−2), exacerbating atmospheric warming, but produce a cooling effect on climate (top of the atmosphere – TOA: -2.38±0.12 to -7.08±0.72 W m−2). The model simulations also show that Asian carbonaceous aerosols are transported to the Arctic in the troposphere. The maximum enhancement in aerosol extinction is seen at 400 hPa (by 0.0093 km−1) and associated heating rates at 300 hPa (by 0.032 K d−1) in the Arctic.

scholarly journals Effect of tropical cyclones on the tropical tropopause parameters observed using COSMIC GPS RO data

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (18) ◽  
pp. 10239-10249 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ravindra Babu ◽  
M. Venkat Ratnam ◽  
G. Basha ◽  
B. V. Krishnamurthy ◽  
B. Venkateswararao
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Water Vapour Transport ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
High Vertical Resolution ◽  
Cold Point

Abstract. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are deep convective synoptic-scale systems that play an important role in modifying the thermal structure, tropical tropopause parameters and hence also modify stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes. In the present study, high vertical resolution and high accuracy measurements from COSMIC Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) measurements are used to investigate and quantify the effect of tropical cyclones that occurred over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea in the last decade on the tropical tropopause parameters. The tropopause parameters include cold-point tropopause altitude (CPH) and temperature (CPT), lapse-rate tropopause altitude (LRH) and temperature (LRT) and the thickness of the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), that is defined as the layer between convective outflow level (COH) and CPH, obtained from GPS RO data. From all the TC events, we generate the mean cyclone-centred composite structure for the tropopause parameters and removed it from the climatological mean obtained from averaging the GPS RO data from 2002 to 2013. Since the TCs include eye, eye walls and deep convective bands, we obtained the tropopause parameters based on radial distance from the cyclone eye. In general, decrease in the CPH in the eye is noticed as expected. However, as the distance from the cyclone eye increases by 300, 400, and 500 km, an enhancement in CPH (CPT) and LRH (LRT) is observed. Lowering of CPH (0.6 km) and LRH (0.4 km) values with coldest CPT and LRT (2–3 K) within a 500 km radius of the TC centre is noticed. Higher (2 km) COH leading to the lowering of TTL thickness (2–3 km) is clearly observed. There are multiple tropopause structures in the profiles of temperature obtained within 100 km from the centre of the TC. These changes in the tropopause parameters are expected to influence the water vapour transport from the troposphere to the lower stratosphere, and ozone from the lower stratosphere to the upper troposphere, hence influencing STE processes.

scholarly journals Pure rotational-Raman channels of the Esrange lidar for temperature and particle extinction measurements in the troposphere and lower stratosphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Achtert ◽  
M. Khaplanov ◽  
F. Khosrawi ◽  
J. Gumbel
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Temperature Profiles ◽  
Backscatter Coefficient ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
532 Nm

Abstract. The Department of Meteorology at Stockholm University operates the Esrange Rayleigh/Raman lidar at Esrange (68° N, 21° E) near the Swedish city of Kiruna. This paper describes the design and first measurements of the new pure rotational-Raman channel of the Esrange lidar. The Esrange lidar uses a pulsed Nd:YAG solid-state laser operating at 532 nm as light source with a repetition rate of 20 Hz and a pulse energy of 350 mJ. The minimum vertical resolution is 150 m and the integration time for one profile is 5000 shots. The newly implemented channel allows for measurements of atmospheric temperature at altitudes below 35 km and is currently optimized for temperature measurements between 180 and 200 K. This corresponds to conditions in the lower Arctic stratosphere during winter. In addition to the temperature measurements, the aerosol extinction coefficient and the aerosol backscatter coefficient at 532 nm can be measured independently. Our filter-based design minimizes the systematic error in the obtained temperature profile to less than 0.51 K. By combining rotational-Raman measurements (5–35 km height) and the integration technique (30–80 km height), the Esrange lidar is now capable of measuring atmospheric temperature profiles from the upper troposphere up to the mesosphere. With the improved setup, the system can be used to validate current lidar-based polar stratospheric cloud classification schemes. The new capability of the instrument measuring temperature and aerosol extinction furthermore enables studies of the thermal structure and variability of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. Although several lidars are operated at polar latitudes, there are few instruments that are capable of measuring temperature profiles in the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere, as well as aerosols extinction in the troposphere and lower stratosphere with daylight capability.

scholarly journals Retrieval of water vapor vertical distributions in the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere from SCIAMACHY limb measurements

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 933-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rozanov ◽  
K. Weigel ◽  
H. Bovensmann ◽  
S. Dhomse ◽  
K.-U. Eichmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Water Vapor Content ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Altitude Range ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Vertical Distributions ◽  
First Results ◽  
Scanning Imaging

Abstract. This study describes the retrieval of water vapor vertical distributions in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) altitude range from space-borne observations of the scattered solar light made in limb viewing geometry. First results using measurements from SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) aboard ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) are presented here. In previous publications, the retrieval of water vapor vertical distributions has been achieved exploiting either the emitted radiance leaving the atmosphere or the transmitted solar radiation. In this study, the scattered solar radiation is used as a new source of information on the water vapor content in the UTLS region. A recently developed retrieval algorithm utilizes the differential absorption structure of the water vapor in 1353–1410 nm spectral range and yields the water vapor content in the 11–25 km altitude range. In this study, the retrieval algorithm is successfully applied to SCIAMACHY limb measurements and the resulting water vapor profiles are compared to in situ balloon-borne observations. The results from both satellite and balloon-borne instruments are found to agree typically within 10 %.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Imprint of a Severe Hector Thunderstorm during ACTIVE/SCOUT-O3 onto the Water Content in the Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (8) ◽  
pp. 2493-2514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Chemel ◽  
Maria R. Russo ◽  
John A. Pyle ◽  
Ranjeet S. Sokhi ◽  
Cornelius Schiller
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Convective Transport ◽  
Mixing Ratio ◽  
Field Campaign ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Water Vapor Mixing Ratio

Abstract The development of a severe Hector thunderstorm that formed over the Tiwi Islands, north of Australia, during the Aerosol and Chemical Transport in Tropical Convection/Stratospheric-Climate Links with Emphasis on the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (ACTIVE/SCOUT-O3) field campaign in late 2005, is simulated by the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW) model and the Met Office Unified Model (UM). The general aim of this paper is to investigate the role of isolated deep convection over the tropics in regulating the water content in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS). Using a horizontal resolution as fine as 1 km, the numerical simulations reproduce the timing, structure, and strength of Hector fairly well when compared with field campaign observations. The sensitivity of results from ARW to horizontal resolution is investigated by running the model in a large-eddy simulation mode with a horizontal resolution of 250 m. While refining the horizontal resolution to 250 m leads to a better representation of convection with respect to rainfall, the characteristics of the Hector thunderstorm are basically similar in space and time to those obtained in the 1-km-horizontal-resolution simulations. Several overshooting updrafts penetrating the tropopause are produced in the simulations during the mature stage of Hector. The penetration of rising towering cumulus clouds into the LS maintains the entrainment of air at the interface between the UT and the LS. Vertical exchanges resulting from this entrainment process have a significant impact on the redistribution of atmospheric constituents within the UT/LS region at the scale of the islands. In particular, a large amount of water is injected in the LS. The fate of the ice particles as Hector develops drives the water vapor mixing ratio to saturation by sublimation of the injected ice particles, moistening the air in the LS. The moistening was found to be fairly significant above 380 K and averaged about 0.06 ppmv in the range 380–420 K for ARW. As for UM, the moistening was found to be much larger (about 2.24 ppmv in the range of 380–420 K) than for ARW. This result confirms that convective transport can play an important role in regulating the water vapor mixing ratio in the LS.

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