High-ozone layers in the middle and upper troposphere above Central  Europe: strong import from the stratosphere over the Pacific Ocean

Abstract. Very dry high-ozone layers have been repeatedly observed with the ozone lidar in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) starting one or two days after the onset of high-pressure periods during the warm season. These episodes have been analysed by trajectory calculations and extended simulations with the FLEXPART particle dispersion model. Mixed contributions from the stratosphere over the Pacific Ocean and the boundary layers of East Asia and North America were found. The stratospheric influence is mostly dominating and caused by a rather shallow transfer from the stratosphere into these rapid upper- and mid-tropospheric air streams. The considerable vertical extent of these layers and peak ozone mixing ratios between 80 and 150 ppb suggest an important mechanism for stratosphere-to-troposphere transport.

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High-ozone layers in the middle and upper troposphere above Central Europe: potential import from the stratosphere along the subtropical jet stream

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-11-9343-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 9343-9366 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

T. Trickl ◽

N. Bärtsch-Ritter ◽

H. Eisele ◽

M. Furger ◽

R. Mücke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transport Model ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

Warm Season ◽

Particle Dispersion ◽

Jet Stream ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Mixing Ratios ◽

Subtropical Jet Stream ◽

Subtropical Jet ◽

The Pacific

Abstract. Specific very dry high-ozone layers, starting roughly two days after the onset of high-pressure periods during the warm season, have been reproducibly observed in the middle and upper troposphere with the ozone lidar in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). These episodes, previously not understood, were recently analysed based on extending backward simulations with the FLEXPART particle dispersion model to as many as twenty days and on jet-stream analyses including calculations with the LAGRANTO transport model. In all six cases analysed the model results indicate ozone import from the stratosphere on an extremely long path along the subtropical jet stream over the Pacific Ocean, Asia and, in part, all the way back to the Atlantic Ocean. The analysis suggests that stratospheric influence is the most important factor for the increase in ozone and is related to rather shallow transfer of air from the stratosphere into the upper- and mid-tropospheric air streams observed with the lidar. Contributions from the boundary layers of East Asia and North America are just occasionally present, in one case documented by a very dense aerosol plume from the Asian deserts. The considerable vertical and temporal extent of many of these layers and peak ozone mixing ratios between 80 and 150 ppb suggest that the observations are related to an important mechanism for stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) and also confirm the model predictions of pronounced and persistent STT along the subtropical jet stream.

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High-ozone layers in the middle and upper troposphere above Central Europe: potential import from the stratosphere along the subtropical jet stream

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-10-30473-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 30473-30537

Author(s):

T. Trickl ◽

N. Bärtsch-Ritter ◽

H. Eisele ◽

M. Furger ◽

R. Mücke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Transport Model ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

Warm Season ◽

Particle Dispersion ◽

Jet Stream ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

North West ◽

Subtropical Jet Stream ◽

Subtropical Jet

Abstract. Specific very dry high-ozone layers have been repeatedly observed in the middle and upper troposphere with the ozone lidar in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), starting roughly two days after the onset of high-pressure periods during the warm season. These episodes, previously not understood, were recently analysed based on extended simulations with the FLEXPART particle dispersion model and jet-stream analyses with the LAGRANTO transport model. The model results indicate import from the stratosphere along the subtropical jet stream over the Pacific Ocean and all the way back to the Atlantic Ocean, in some cases mixed with stratospheric air from intrusions over the North-West Pacific Ocean. Occasionally, also air from the boundary layers of East Asia and North America was admixed. The analysis suggests that stratospheric influence is the most important factor for the increase in ozone and is related to a rather shallow transfer of air from the stratosphere into the rapid upper-and mid-tropospheric air streams observed with the lidar. The in part considerable vertical and temporal extent of these layers and peak ozone mixing ratios between 80 and 150 \\unit{ppb} suggest this to be an important mechanism for stratosphere-to-troposphere transport.

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Sulfur dioxide as a source of condensation nuclei in the upper troposphere of the Pacific Ocean

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/95jd02273 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 101 (D1) ◽

pp. 1883-1890 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

D. C. Thornton ◽

A. R. Bandy ◽

B. W. Blomquist ◽

D. D. Davis ◽

R. W. Talbot

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Condensation Nuclei ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Pacific Ocean

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A comparison of radionuclide dispersion model performances for the Baltic Sea and Fukushima releases in the Pacific Ocean

Radioprotection ◽

10.1051/radiopro/2016053 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. S149-S151

Author(s):

R. Periáñez ◽

R. Bezhenar ◽

I. Brovchenko ◽

C. Cuffa ◽

M. Iosjpe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Pacific Ocean ◽

The Baltic

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Onboard measurement system of atmospheric carbon monoxide over the Pacific Ocean by voluntary observing ships

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions ◽

10.5194/amtd-4-4505-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 4505-4537

Author(s):

H. Nara ◽

H. Tanimoto ◽

Y. Nojiri ◽

H. Mukai ◽

T. Machida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Monoxide ◽

Pacific Ocean ◽

Measurement System ◽

Ambient Air ◽

The United States ◽

Automated System ◽

Mixing Ratios ◽

The Pacific ◽

Before And After ◽

The Pacific Ocean

Abstract. Long-term monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean is being carried out on commercial cargo vessels participating in the National Institute for Environmental Studies Voluntary Observing Ships program. The program provides a regular platform for measurement of atmospheric CO along four cruising routes: from Japan to Oceania, from Japan to the United States, from Japan to Canada, and from Japan to Southeast Asia. Flask samples are collected during every cruise for subsequent analysis in the laboratory, and in 2005, continuous shipboard CO measurements were initiated on three of the routes. Here, we describe the system we developed for onboard measurement of CO mixing ratios with a commercially available gas filter correlation CO analyzer. The fully automated system measures CO in ambient air, and the detector sensitivity and background signals are calibrated by referencing the measurements to a CO-in-air standard gas (~1 ppmv) and to CO-free air scrubbed with a catalyst, respectively. We examined the artificial production of CO in the high-pressure working gas standards (CO balanced with purified air at ppmv levels) during storage by referencing the measurements to CO standard gases maintained as our primary scale before and after use on the ships. The onboard performance of the continuous CO measurement system was evaluated by comparing its data with data from laboratory analyses of flask samples using gas chromatography with a reduction gas detector. The reasonably good consistency between the two independent measurement methods demonstrated the good performance of both methods over the course of 3–5 yr. The continuous measurement system was more useful than the flask sampling method for regionally polluted air masses, which were often encountered on Southeast Asian cruises.

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