scholarly journals Impact of deep convection in the tropical tropopause layer in West Africa: in-situ observations and mesoscale modelling

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Fierli ◽  
E. Orlandi ◽  
K. S. Law ◽  
C. Cagnazzo ◽  
F. Cairo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Site Model ◽  
Infrared Radiance ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. We present the analysis of the impact of convection on the composition of the tropical tropopause layer region (TTL) in West-Africa during the AMMA-SCOUT campaign. Geophysica M55 aircraft observations of water vapor, ozone, aerosol and CO2 during August 2006 show perturbed values at altitudes ranging from 14 km to 17 km (above the main convective outflow) and satellite data indicates that air detrainment is likely to have originated from convective cloud east of the flights. Simulations of the BOLAM mesoscale model, nudged with infrared radiance temperatures, are used to estimate the convective impact in the upper troposphere and to assess the fraction of air processed by convection. The analysis shows that BOLAM correctly reproduces the location and the vertical structure of convective outflow. Model-aided analysis indicates that convection can influence the composition of the upper troposphere above the level of main outflow for an event of deep convection close to the observation site. Model analysis also shows that deep convection occurring in the entire Sahelian transect (up to 2000 km E of the measurement area) has a non negligible role in determining TTL composition.

scholarly journals Impact of deep convection in the tropical tropopause layer in West Africa: in-situ observations and mesoscale modelling

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 4927-4961 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Fierli ◽  
E. Orlandi ◽  
K. S. Law ◽  
C. Cagnazzo ◽  
F. Cairo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Infrared Radiance ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Layer Region ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. We present the analysis of the impact of convection on the composition of the tropical tropopause layer region (TTL) in West-Africa during the AMMA-SCOUT campaign. Geophysica M55 aircraft observations of water vapor, ozone, aerosol and CO2 show perturbed values at altitudes ranging from 14 km to 17 km (above the main convective outflow) and satellite data indicates that air detrainment is likely originated from convective cloud east of the flight. Simulations of the BOLAM mesoscale model, nudged with infrared radiance temperatures, are used to estimate the convective impact in the upper troposphere and to assess the fraction of air processed by convection. The analysis shows that BOLAM correctly reproduces the location and the vertical structure of convective outflow. Model-aided analysis indicates that in the outflow of a large convective system, deep convection can largely modify chemical composition and aerosol distribution up to the tropical tropopause. Model analysis also shows that, on average, deep convection occurring in the entire Sahelian transect (up to 2000 km E of the measurement area) has a non negligible role in determining TTL composition.

scholarly journals The impact of overshooting deep convection on local transport and mixing in the tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS)

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 6467-6486 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Frey ◽  
R. Schofield ◽  
P. Hoor ◽  
D. Kunkel ◽  
F. Ravegnani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Transport And Mixing ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In this study we examine the simulated downward transport and mixing of stratospheric air into the upper tropical troposphere as observed on a research flight during the SCOUT-O3 campaign in connection with a deep convective system. We use the Advanced Research Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model with a horizontal resolution of 333 m to examine this downward transport. The simulation reproduces the deep convective system, its timing and overshooting altitudes reasonably well compared to radar and aircraft observations. Passive tracers initialised at pre-storm times indicate the downward transport of air from the stratosphere to the upper troposphere as well as upward transport from the boundary layer into the cloud anvils and overshooting tops. For example, a passive ozone tracer (i.e. a tracer not undergoing chemical processing) shows an enhancement in the upper troposphere of up to about 30 ppbv locally in the cloud, while the in situ measurements show an increase of 50 ppbv. However, the passive carbon monoxide tracer exhibits an increase, while the observations show a decrease of about 10 ppbv, indicative of an erroneous model representation of the transport processes in the tropical tropopause layer. Furthermore, it could point to insufficient entrainment and detrainment in the model. The simulation shows a general moistening of air in the lower stratosphere, but it also exhibits local dehydration features. Here we use the model to explain the processes causing the transport and also expose areas of inconsistencies between the model and observations.

scholarly journals The impact of overshooting deep convection on local transport and mixing in the tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS)

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1041-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Frey ◽  
R. Schofield ◽  
P. Hoor ◽  
D. Kunkel ◽  
F. Ravegnani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Transport And Mixing ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In this study we examine the simulated downward transport and mixing of stratospheric air into the upper tropical troposphere as observed on a research flight during the SCOUT-O3 campaign in connection to a deep convective system. We use the Advanced Research Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model with a horizontal resolution of 333 m to examine this downward transport. The simulation reproduces the deep convective system, its timing and overshooting altitudes reasonably well compared to radar and aircraft observations. Passive tracers initialised at pre-storm times indicate the downward transport of air from the stratosphere to the upper troposphere as well as upward transport from the boundary layer into the cloud anvils and overshooting tops. For example, a passive ozone tracer (i.e. a tracer not undergoing chemical processing) shows an enhancement in the upper troposphere of up to about 30 ppbv locally in the cloud, while the in situ measurements show an increase of 50 ppbv. However, the passive carbon monoxide tracer exhibits an increase, while the observations show a decrease of about 10 ppbv, indicative of an erroneous model representation of the transport processes in the tropical tropopause layer. Furthermore, it could point to insufficient entrainment and detrainment in the model. The simulation shows a general moistening of air in the lower stratosphere but it also exhibits local dehydration features. Here we use the model to explain the processes causing the transport and also expose areas of inconsistencies between the model and observations.

scholarly journals Model study of the cross-tropopause transport of biomass burning pollution

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (14) ◽  
pp. 3713-3736 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. N. Duncan ◽  
S. E. Strahan ◽  
Y. Yoshida ◽  
S. D. Steenrod ◽  
N. Livesey
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Extreme Event ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
El Niño Event ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. We present a modeling study of the troposphere-to-stratosphere transport (TST) of pollution from major biomass burning regions to the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS). TST occurs predominately through 1) slow ascent in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) to the LS and 2) quasi-horizontal exchange to the lowermost stratosphere (LMS). We show that biomass burning pollution regularly and significantly impacts the composition of the TTL, LS, and LMS. Carbon monoxide (CO) in the LS in our simulation and data from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) shows an annual oscillation in its composition that results from the interaction of an annual oscillation in slow ascent from the TTL to the LS and seasonal variations in sources, including a semi-annual oscillation in CO from biomass burning. The impacts of CO sources that peak when ascent is seasonally low are damped (e.g. Southern Hemisphere biomass burning) and vice-versa for sources that peak when ascent is seasonally high (e.g. extra-tropical fossil fuels). Interannual variation of CO in the UT/LS is caused primarily by year-to-year variations in biomass burning and the locations of deep convection. During our study period, 1994–1998, we find that the highest concentrations of CO in the UT/LS occurred during the strong 1997–1998 El Niño event for two reasons: i. tropical deep convection shifted to the eastern Pacific Ocean, closer to South American and African CO sources, and ii. emissions from Indonesian biomass burning were higher. This extreme event can be seen as an upper bound on the impact of biomass burning pollution on the UT/LS. We estimate that the 1997 Indonesian wildfires increased CO in the entire TTL and tropical LS (>60 mb) by more than 40% and 10%, respectively, for several months. Zonal mean ozone increased and the hydroxyl radical decreased by as much as 20%, increasing the lifetimes and, subsequently TST, of trace gases. Our results indicate that the impact of biomass burning pollution on the UT/LS is likely greatest during an El Niño event due to favorable dynamics and historically higher burning rates.

scholarly journals Modelling study of the impact of deep convection on the UTLS air composition – Part II: Ozone budget in the TTL avenue de la Recherche Scientifique, 45071 Orléans cedex 2, France

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 9169-9205
Author(s):  
E. D. Rivière ◽  
V. Marécal ◽  
N. Larsen ◽  
S. Cautenet
Keyword(s):  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Flux ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Chemical Production ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
On Line ◽  
Local Impact ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In this second part of a series of two papers which aim to study the local impact of deep convection on the chemical composition of the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS), we focus on ozone simulation results using a mesoscale model that includes on-line chemistry. A severe convective system observed on 8 February 2001 at Bauru, Brazil, is studied. We show that there is an increase in the ozone concentration in the tropical transitional layer (TTL) in the model during this event, which is compatible with ozone sonde observations from Bauru during the 2004 convective season. The model horizontal variability of ozone in this layer is comparable with the variability of the ozone sonde observations in the same area. The calculation of the ozone budget in the TTL shows that the ozone behaviour in this layer is mainly driven by dynamics. The upward motions at the bottom of the TTL, related to the convection activity is the main contributor to the budget since it can explain 75% of the total ozone increase in the TTL, while the chemical ozone production inside the TTL is estimated to be 23.5% of the ozone increase if NOx production by lightning (LNOx) is taken into account. It is shown that downward motions at the tropopause induced by gravity waves generated by deep convection are non negligible in the TTL ozone budget, since it represents 11% of the ozone increase. The correlation between the convection activity and the vertical flux at 13 km, the vertical flux at 17 km, and the chemical production is brought to the fore in this simulation.

scholarly journals An overview of the HIBISCUS campaign

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2389-2475 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-P. Pommereau ◽  
A. Garnier ◽  
G. Held ◽  
A.-M. Gomes ◽  
F. Goutail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
South Atlantic Convergence Zone ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Major Mechanism ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. HIBISCUS was a field campaign for investigating the impact of deep convection on the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) and the Lower Stratosphere, which took place during the Southern Hemisphere summer in February–March 2004 in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Its objective was to provide a set of new observational data on meteorology, tracers of horizontal and vertical transport, water vapour, clouds, and chemistry in the tropical UT/LS from balloon observations at local scale over a land convective area, as well as at global scale using circumnavigating long-duration balloons. Overall, the composition of the TTL, the region between 14 and 19 km of intermediate lapse rate between the almost adiabatic upper troposphere and the stable stratosphere, appears highly variable. Tracers and ozone measurements performed at both the local and the global scale indicate a strong quasi-horizontal isentropic exchange with the lowermost mid-latitude stratosphere suggesting that the barrier associated to the tropical jet is highly permeable at these levels in summer. But the project also provides clear indications of strong episodic updraught of cold air, short-lived tracers, low ozone, humidity and ice particles across the lapse rate tropopause at about 15 km, up to 18 or 19 km at 420–440 K potential levels in the lower stratosphere, suggesting that, in contrast to oceanic convection penetrating little the stratosphere, fast daytime developing land convective systems could be a major mechanism in the troposphere-stratosphere exchange at the global scale. The present overview is meant to provide the background of the project, as well as overall information on the instrumental tools available, on the way they have been used within the highly convective context of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, and a brief summary of the results, which will be detailed in several other papers of this special issue.

scholarly journals Small-Scale Wind Fluctuations in the Tropical Tropopause Layer from Aircraft Measurements: Occurrence, Nature, and Impact on Vertical Mixing

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 3847-3869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélien Podglajen ◽  
T. Paul Bui ◽  
Jonathan M. Dean-Day ◽  
Leonhard Pfister ◽  
Eric J. Jensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Turbulence Theory ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Tracer Transport ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Vertical Scale ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The contribution of turbulent mixing to heat and tracer transport in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) is poorly constrained, partly owing to a lack of direct observations. Here, the authors use high-resolution (20 Hz) airborne measurements to study the occurrence and properties of small-scale (<100 m) wind fluctuations in the TTL (14–19 km) over the tropical Pacific. The fluctuations are highly intermittent and appear localized within shallow (100 m) patches. Furthermore, active turbulent events are more frequent at low altitude, near deep convection, and within layers of low gradient Richardson number. A case study emphasizes the link between the turbulent events and the occurrence of inertio-gravity waves having small horizontal or vertical scale. To evaluate the impact of the observed fluctuations on tracer mixing, their characteristics are examined. During active events, they are in broad agreement with inertial-range turbulence theory: the motions are close to 3D isotropic and the spectra follow a −5/3 power-law scaling. The diffusivity induced by turbulent bursts is estimated to be on the order of 10−1 m2 s−1 and increases from the top to the bottom of the TTL (from ~2 × 10−2 to ~3 × 10−1 m2 s−1). Given the uncertainties involved in the estimate, this is in reasonable agreement (about a factor of 3–4 lower) with the parameterized turbulent diffusivity in ERA-Interim, but it disagrees with other observational estimates from radar and radiosondes. The magnitude of the consequent vertical transport depends on the altitude and the tracer; for the species considered, it is generally smaller than that induced by the mean tropical upwelling.

scholarly journals Effects of tropical deep convection on interannual variability of tropical tropopause layer water vapor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Ye ◽  
Andrew E. Dessler ◽  
Wandi Yu
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Tropospheric Temperature ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Tropical Deep Convection ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Biennial Oscillation

Abstract. Water vapor interannual variability in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) is investigated using satellite observations and model simulations. We breakdown the influences of the Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC), the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), and the tropospheric temperature (ΔT) as a function of latitude and longitude using a 2-dimensional multivariable linear regression. This allows us to examine the spatial distribution of the impact on TTL water vapor from these physical processes. In agreement with expectation, we find that the impacts from the BDC and QBO act on TTL water vapor by changing TTL temperature. For ΔT, we find that TTL temperatures alone cannot explain the influence. We hypothesize a moistening role for the evaporation of convective ice from increased deep convection as troposphere warms. Tests with simulations from GEOSCCM and a corresponding trajectory model support this hypothesis.

scholarly journals Cross-hemispheric transport of central African biomass burning pollutants: implications for downwind ozone production

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3027-3046 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Real ◽  
E. Orlandi ◽  
K. S. Law ◽  
F. Fierli ◽  
D. Josset ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
Production Rates ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Pollutant plumes with enhanced concentrations of trace gases and aerosols were observed over the southern coast of West Africa during August 2006 as part of the AMMA wet season field campaign. Plumes were observed both in the mid and upper troposphere. In this study we examined the origin of these pollutant plumes, and their potential to photochemically produce ozone (O3) downwind over the Atlantic Ocean. Their possible contribution to the Atlantic O3 maximum is also discussed. Runs using the BOLAM mesoscale model including biomass burning carbon monoxide (CO) tracers were used to confirm an origin from central African biomass burning fires. The plumes measured in the mid troposphere (MT) had significantly higher pollutant concentrations over West Africa compared to the upper tropospheric (UT) plume. The mesoscale model reproduces these differences and the two different pathways for the plumes at different altitudes: transport to the north-east of the fire region, moist convective uplift and transport to West Africa for the upper tropospheric plume versus north-west transport over the Gulf of Guinea for the mid-tropospheric plume. Lower concentrations in the upper troposphere are mainly due to enhanced mixing during upward transport. Model simulations suggest that MT and UT plumes are 16 and 14 days old respectively when measured over West Africa. The ratio of tracer concentrations at 600 hPa and 250 hPa was estimated for 14–15 August in the region of the observed plumes and compares well with the same ratio derived from observed carbon dioxide (CO2) enhancements in both plumes. It is estimated that, for the period 1–15 August, the ratio of Biomass Burning (BB) tracer concentration transported in the UT to the ones transported in the MT is 0.6 over West Africa and the equatorial South Atlantic. Runs using a photochemical trajectory model, CiTTyCAT, initialized with the observations, were used to estimate in-situ net photochemical O3 production rates in these plumes during transport downwind of West Africa. The mid-troposphere plume spreads over altitude between 1.5 and 6 km over the Atlantic Ocean. Even though the plume was old, it was still very photochemically active (mean net O3 production rates over 10 days of 2.6 ppbv/day and up to 7 ppbv/day during the first days) above 3 km especially during the first few days of transport westward. It is also shown that the impact of high aerosol loads in the MT plume on photolysis rates serves to delay the peak in modelled O3 concentrations. These results suggest that a significant fraction of enhanced O3 in mid-troposphere over the Atlantic comes from BB sources during the summer monsoon period. According to simulated occurrence of such transport, BB may be the main source for O3 enhancement in the equatorial south Atlantic MT, at least in August 2006. The upper tropospheric plume was also still photochemically active, although mean net O3 production rates were slower (1.3 ppbv/day). The results suggest that, whilst the transport of BB pollutants to the UT is variable (as shown by the mesoscale model simulations), pollution from biomass burning can make an important contribution to additional photochemical production of O3 in addition to other important sources such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) from lightning.

scholarly journals Impacts of tropical cyclones on the thermodynamic conditions in the tropical tropopause layer observed by A-Train satellites

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 15493-15518
Author(s):  
Jing Feng ◽  
Yi Huang
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Radiative Heating ◽  
Radiative Cooling ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Tropical Tropopause Layer ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The tropical tropopause layer (TTL) is the transition layer between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Tropical cyclones may impact the TTL by perturbing the vertical distributions of cloud, temperature, and water vapor. This study combines several A-Train instruments, including radar from CloudSat, lidar from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite, to detect signatures of cyclone impacts on the distribution patterns of cloud, water vapor, temperature, and radiation by compositing these thermodynamic fields relative to the cyclone center location. Based on the CloudSat 2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR product, this study finds that tropical cyclone events considerably increase the occurrence frequencies of TTL clouds, in the form of cirrus clouds above a clear troposphere. The amount of TTL cloud ice, however, is found to be mostly contributed by overshooting deep convection that penetrates the base of the TTL at 16 km. To overcome the lack of temperature and water vapor products in cloudy conditions, this study implements a synergistic method that retrieves temperature, water vapor, ice water content, and effective radius simultaneously by incorporating observations from AIRS, CloudSat, and CALIPSO. Using the synergistic method, we find a vertically oscillating pattern of temperature anomalies above tropical cyclones, with warming beneath the cloud top (around 16 km) and cooling above. Based on water vapor profiles retrieved by the synergistic method, we find that the layer integrated water vapor (LIWV) above 16 km is higher above tropical cyclones, especially above overshooting deep convective clouds, compared to climatological values. Moreover, we find that the longwave and net radiative cooling effect of clouds prevails within 1000 km of tropical cyclone centers. The radiative heating effects of clouds from the CloudSat 2B-FLXHR-LIDAR product are well differentiated by the collocated brightness temperature of an infrared window channel from the collocated AIRS L1B product. By performing instantaneous radiative heating rate calculations, we further find that TTL hydration is usually associated with radiative cooling of the TTL, which inhibits the diabatic ascent of moist air across isentropic surfaces to the stratosphere. Therefore, the radiative balance of the TTL under the impact of the cyclone does not favor the maintenance of moist anomalies in the TTL or transporting water vertically to the stratosphere.

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