Disentangling the impact of air-sea interaction and boundary layer cloud formation on stable water isotope signals in the warm sector of a Southern Ocean cyclone 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Thurnherr ◽  
Heini Wernli ◽  
Franziska Aemisegger
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Formation ◽  
Stable Water Isotopes ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Warm Sector ◽  
Moisture Fluxes ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Dew Deposition

<p>Stable water isotopes in marine boundary layer water vapour are strongly influenced by the strength of air-sea moisture fluxes and are thus tracers of air-sea interaction. Air-sea moisture fluxes in the extratropics are modulated by large-scale air advection, for instance the advection of warm and moist air masses in the warm sector of extratropical cyclones. A distinct isotopic composition of water vapour in the latter environment has been observed in near-surface water vapour over the Southern Ocean during the 2016/17 Antarctic Circumnavigation coordinated by the Swiss Polar Institute. Most prominently, the second-order isotope variable d-excess shows negative values in the cyclones’ warm sector. Here, we present three single-process air parcel models, which simulate the evolution of d-excess and specific humidity in an air parcel induced by dew deposition, decreasing ocean evaporation or upstream cloud formation, respectively. The air-parcel models are combined with simulations with the isotope-enabled numerical weather prediction model COSMO<sub>iso</sub> (i) to validate the air parcel models, (ii) to study the extent of non-linear interactions between the different processes, and (iii) to quantify the relevance of the three processes for stable water isotopes in the warm sector of the investigated extratropical cyclone. This analysis reveals that dew deposition and decreasing ocean evaporation lead to the strongest d-excess decrease in near-surface water vapour in the warm sector. Furthermore, COSMO<sub>iso</sub> air parcel trajectories show that the persistent low d-excess observed in the warm sector of extratropical cyclones is not a result of material conservation of low d-excess. Instead the latter feature is sustained by the continuous production of low d-excess values in new air parcels entering the warm sector. We show that with the mechanistic approach of using single-process air parcel models we are able to simulate the evolution of d-excess during the air parcel’s transport. This improves our understanding of the effect of air-sea interaction and boundary layer cloud formation on the stable water isotope variability of marine boundary layer water vapour.</p>

Drivers of stable water isotope variability in the cold and warm sector of extratropical cyclones from two case studies in the Southern Ocean

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Thurnherr ◽  
Franziska Aemisegger ◽  
Lukas Jansing ◽  
Katharina Hartmuth ◽  
Josué Gehring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Water ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Warm Sector ◽  
Moisture Fluxes ◽  
Dew Deposition

<p>Dynamical processes in the atmosphere strongly influence the large temporal and spatial variability of the atmospheric branch of the water cycle. For instance, the advection of air masses by synoptic-scale weather systems induces air-sea moisture fluxes such as evaporation, precipitation and dew deposition. It is important to better investigate and quantify this linkage between dynamical phenomena and details of the atmospheric water cycle. In addition, one of the big challenges in monitoring the atmospheric water cycle is the measurement of turbulent moisture fluxes over the ocean. Stable water isotopes (SWIs) serve as a tool to trace atmospheric processes which shape the atmospheric water cycle and, thus, provide important insights into moist processes associated with weather systems, in particular air-sea fluxes.</p><p>In this study, we investigate the impact of air-sea moisture fluxes on the variability of SWI signals in the marine boundary layer. Measurements of the second-order isotope variable deuterium excess in the marine boundary layer of the Southern Ocean show positive/negative anomalies in the cold/warm sector, respectively, of extra-tropical cyclone due to opposing moisture fluxes and non-equilibrium fractionation processes in the two sectors. The drivers of these contrasting SWI signals are analysed using the isotope-enabled Consortium for Small-Scale Modelling model for two case studies. The simulated isotope signals during the case studies show excellent agreement with ship-based isotope measurements from the Southern Ocean performed during the Antarctic Circumnavigation expedition in January and February 2017.</p><p>The main driver of SWI variability in the cold sector is enhanced ocean evaporation which substantially modifies the advected SWI signal from the Antarctic continent during a cold air outbreak. In the warm sector, dew deposition on the ocean surface and cloud formation are mainly driving the observed negative deuterium excess anomaly, which can be conserved and advected over several 100 km in the warm sector of an extratropical cyclone.</p><p>The results of this study illustrate the strong dependence of the isotopic composition of water vapour in the marine boundary layer on the predominant atmospheric large-scale flow situation. In particular in the storm track regions, the variability of SWIs in marine boundary layer water vapour is largely shaped by the sign and strength of air-sea fluxes induced by the meridional transport of air masses.</p>

scholarly journals Effects of Large Eddies on the Structure of the Marine Boundary Layer under Strong Wind Conditions

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (24) ◽  
pp. 3049-3064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Ginis ◽  
Alexander P. Khain ◽  
Elena Morozovsky
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Cloud Formation ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Latent Heat Release ◽  
Air Humidity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Large Eddies

Abstract A model of the atmospheric boundary layer (BL) is presented that explicitly calculates a two-way interaction of the background flow and convective motions. The model is utilized for investigation of the formation of large eddies (roll vortices) and their effects on the structure of the marine boundary layer under conditions resembling those of tropical cyclones. It is shown that two main factors controlling the formation of large eddies are the magnitude of the background wind speed and air humidity, determining the cloud formation and latent heat release. When the wind speed is high enough, a strong vertical wind shear develops in the lower part of the BL, which triggers turbulent mixing and the formation of a mixed layer. As a result, the vertical profiles of velocity, potential temperature, and mixing ratio in the background flow are modified to allow for the development of large eddies via dynamic instability. Latent heat release in clouds was found to be the major energy source of large eddies. The cloud formation depends on the magnitude of air humidity. The most important manifestation of the effects of large eddies is a significant increase of the near-surface wind speed and evaporation from the sea surface. For strong wind conditions, the increase of the near-surface speed can exceed 10 m s−1 and evaporation from the sea surface can double. These results demonstrate an important role large eddies play in the formation of BL structure in high wind speeds. Inclusion of these effects in the BL parameterizations of tropical cyclone models may potentially lead to substantial improvements in the prediction of storm intensity.

Key controls of water vapour isotopes during oceanic evaporation and their global impact

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Werner ◽  
Jean-Louis Bonne ◽  
Alexandre Cauquoin ◽  
Hans Christian Steen-Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Stable Water Isotopes ◽  
New Findings

<p>Stable water isotopes are employed as hydrological tracers to quantify the diverse implications of atmospheric moisture for climate. In a recent study based on several years of in-situ isotope measurements in water vapour of the marine boundary layer it was shown that the isotope signal during evaporation is not modulated by wind speed, contrary to the commonly used theory, but controlled by relative humidity and sea surface temperature, only (Bonne et al., 2019). In sea ice covered regions, the sublimation of deposited snow on sea ice was found as another key process controlling the local water vapour isotopic composition. Here, we evaluate how these new findings will impact the stable water isotope signal both in vapour and precipitation on a global scale. For this purpose, the newly suggested parametrisations are included in two versions of the isotope-enabled atmospheric model ECHAM-wiso (Werner et al., 2016; Cauquoin et al., 2019) and a set of simulations is performed to disentangle the effects of the various controlling factors. Model results are evaluated against a compilation of short-term measurements of the isotopic composition in the marine boundary layer (Benetti et al., 2017), as well as data sets from several coastal stations (Steen-Larsen et al., 2014; 2015; 2017). In addition, the implications of the suggested parameterization changes for the interpretation of various isotope records in paleo-records will be discussed.</p>

scholarly journals Marine boundary layer cloud regimes and POC formation in a CRM coupled to a bulk aerosol scheme

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 12549-12572 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Berner ◽  
C. S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
A. Muhlbauer
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
State Variables ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Cloud Regimes ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. A cloud-resolving model (CRM) coupled to a new intermediate-complexity bulk aerosol scheme is used to study aerosol–boundary-layer–cloud–precipitation interactions and the development of pockets of open cells (POCs) in subtropical stratocumulus cloud layers. The aerosol scheme prognoses mass and number concentration of a single lognormal accumulation mode with surface and entrainment sources, evolving subject to processing of activated aerosol and scavenging of dry aerosol by clouds and rain. The CRM with the aerosol scheme is applied to a range of steadily forced cases idealized from a well-observed POC. The long-term system evolution is explored with extended two-dimensional (2-D) simulations of up to 20 days, mostly with diurnally averaged insolation and 24 km wide domains, and one 10 day three-dimensional (3-D) simulation. Both 2-D and 3-D simulations support the Baker–Charlson hypothesis of two distinct aerosol–cloud "regimes" (deep/high-aerosol/non-drizzling and shallow/low-aerosol/drizzling) that persist for days; transitions between these regimes, driven by either precipitation scavenging or aerosol entrainment from the free-troposphere (FT), occur on a timescale of ten hours. The system is analyzed using a two-dimensional phase plane with inversion height and boundary layer average aerosol concentrations as state variables; depending on the specified subsidence rate and availability of FT aerosol, these regimes are either stable equilibria or distinct legs of a slow limit cycle. The same steadily forced modeling framework is applied to the coupled development and evolution of a POC and the surrounding overcast boundary layer in a larger 192 km wide domain. An initial 50% aerosol reduction is applied to half of the model domain. This has little effect until the stratocumulus thickens enough to drizzle, at which time the low-aerosol portion transitions into open-cell convection, forming a POC. Reduced entrainment in the POC induces a negative feedback between the areal fraction covered by the POC and boundary layer depth changes. This stabilizes the system by controlling liquid water path and precipitation sinks of aerosol number in the overcast region, while also preventing boundary layer collapse within the POC, allowing the POC and overcast to coexist indefinitely in a quasi-steady equilibrium.

scholarly journals Contrasting characteristics of open- and closed- cellular stratocumulus cloud in the Eastern North Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Jensen ◽  
Virendra P. Ghate ◽  
Dié Wang ◽  
Diana K. Apoznanski ◽  
Mary J. Bartholomew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Cold Air ◽  
Closed Cell ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Eastern North Atlantic ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. Extensive regions of marine boundary layer cloud impact the radiative balance through their significant shortwave albedo while having little impact on outgoing longwave radiation. Despite this importance, these cloud systems remain poorly represented in large-scale models due to difficulty in representing the processes that drive their lifecycle and coverage. In particular, the mesoscale organization, and cellular structure of marine boundary clouds has important implications for the subsequent cloud feedbacks. In this study, we use long-term (2013–2018) observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility's Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site on Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal to identify cloud cases with open- or closed-cellular organization. More than 500 hours of each organization type are identified. The ARM observations are combined with reanalysis and satellite products to quantify the cloud, precipitation, aerosol, thermodynamic and large-scale synoptic characteristics associated with these cloud types. Our analysis shows that both cloud organization populations occur during similar sea surface temperature conditions, but the open-cell cases are distinguished by stronger cold-air advection and large-scale subsidence compared to the closed-cell cases, consistent with their formation during cold-air outbreaks. We also find that the open-cell cases were associated with deeper boundary layers, stronger low-level winds, and higher-rain rates compared to their closed-cell counterparts. Finally, raindrops with diameters larger than one millimeter were routinely recorded at the surface during both populations, with a higher number of large drops during the open-cellular cases. The similarities and differences noted herein provide important insights into the environmental and cloud characteristics during varying marine boundary layer cloud mesoscale organization and will be useful for the evaluation of model simulations for ENA marine clouds.

scholarly journals A broadband cavity ringdown spectrometer for in-situ measurements of atmospheric trace gases

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 3491-3532 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bitter ◽  
S. M. Ball ◽  
I. M. Povey ◽  
R. L. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Thermal Dissociation ◽  
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Absorption Bands ◽  
Optical Extinction ◽  
Cavity Ringdown

Abstract. This paper describes a broadband cavity ringdown spectrometer and its deployment during the 2002 North Atlantic Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (NAMBLEX) to measure ambient concentrations of NO3, N2O5, I2 and OIO at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station, Co. Galway, Ireland. The effective absorption path lengths accessible with the spectrometer generally exceeded 10 km, enabling sensitive localised ''point'' measurements of atmospheric absorbers to be made adjacent to the other instruments monitoring chemically related species at the same site. For the majority of observations, the spectrometer was used in an open path configuration thereby avoiding surface losses of reactive species. A subset of observations targeted the N2O5 molecule by detecting the additional NO3 formed by the thermal dissociation of N2O5. In all cases the concentrations of the atmospheric absorbers were retrieved by fitting the differential structure in the broadband cavity ringdown spectra using a methodology adapted from long path differential optical absorption spectroscopy. The uncertainty of the retrieval depends crucially on the correct treatment and fitting of the absorption bands due to water vapour, a topic that is discussed in the context of analysing broadband cavity ringdown spectra. The quality of the measurements and the retrieval method are illustrated with representative spectra acquired during NAMBLEX in spectral regions around 660 nm (NO3 and N2O5) and 570 nm (I2 and OIO). Typical detection limits were 1 pptv for NO3 in an integration time of 100 s, 4 pptv for OIO and 20 pptv for I2 in an integration time of 10 min. Additionally, the concentrations of atmospheric water vapour and the aerosol optical extinction were retrieved in both spectral regions. A companion paper in this issue presents the time series of the measurements and discusses their significance for understanding the variability of short lived nitrogen and iodine compounds in the marine boundary layer.

scholarly journals Atmospheric electric field in the Atlantic marine boundary layer: first results from the SAIL project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Barbosa ◽  
Mauricio Camilo ◽  
Carlos Almeida ◽  
José Almeida ◽  
Guilherme Amaral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
The Other ◽  
Atmospheric Electric Field ◽  
Fair Weather ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
First Results

<p><span>The study of the electrical properties of the atmospheric marine boundary layer is important as the effect of natural radioactivity in driving near surface ionisation is significantly reduced over the ocean, and the concentration of aerosols is also typically lower than over continental areas, allowing a clearer examination of space-atmosphere interactions. Furthermore, cloud cover over the ocean is dominated by low-level clouds and most of the atmospheric charge lies near the earth surface, at low altitude cloud tops. </span></p><p><span>The relevance of electric field observations in the marine boundary layer is enhanced by the the fact that the electrical conductivity of the ocean air is clearly linked to global atmospheric pollution and aerosol content. The increase in aerosol pollution since the original observations made in the early 20th century by the survey ship Carnegie is a pressing and timely motivation for modern measurements of the atmospheric electric field in the marine boundary layer. Project SAIL (Space-Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions in the marine boundary Layer) addresses this challenge by means of an unique monitoring campaign on board the ship-rigged sailing ship NRP Sagres during its 2020 circumnavigation expedition. </span></p><p><span>The Portuguese Navy ship NRP Sagres departed from Lisbon on January 5th in a journey around the globe that will take 371 days. Two identical field mill sensors (CS110, Campbell Scientific) are installed </span><span>o</span><span>n the mizzen mast, one at a height of 22 m, and the other at a height of 5 meters. </span><span>A visibility sensor (SWS050, Biral) was also set-up on the same mast in order to have measurements of the extinction coefficient of the atmosphere and assess fair-weather conditions.</span><span> Further observations include gamma radiation measured with a NaI(Tl) scintillator from 475 keV to 3 MeV, cosmic radiation up to 17 MeV, and atmospheric ionisation from a cluster ion counter (Airel). The</span><span> 1 Hz measurements of the atmospheric electric field</span><span> and from all the other sensors</span><span> are </span><span>linked to the same rigorous temporal reference frame and precise positioning through kinematic GNSS observations. </span></p><p><span>Here the first results of the SAIL project will be presented, focusing on fair-weather electric field over the Atlantic. The observations obtained in the first three sections of the circumnavigation journey, including Lisbon (Portugal) - Tenerife (Spain), from 5 to 10 January, Tenerife - Praia (Cape Verde) from 13 to 19 January, and across the Atlantic from Cape Verde to Rio de Janeiro (Brasil), from January 22nd to February 14th, will be presented and discussed.</span></p>

scholarly journals Contrasting characteristics of open- and closed-cellular stratocumulus cloud in the eastern North Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 14557-14571
Author(s):  
Michael P. Jensen ◽  
Virendra P. Ghate ◽  
Dié Wang ◽  
Diana K. Apoznanski ◽  
Mary J. Bartholomew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Cold Air ◽  
Closed Cell ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Eastern North Atlantic ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. Extensive regions of marine boundary layer cloud impact the radiative balance through their significant shortwave albedo while having little impact on outgoing longwave radiation. Despite this importance, these cloud systems remain poorly represented in large-scale models due to difficulty in representing the processes that drive their life cycle and coverage. In particular, the mesoscale organization and cellular structure of marine boundary clouds have important implications for the subsequent cloud feedbacks. In this study, we use long-term (2013–2018) observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility's Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site on Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal, to identify cloud cases with open- or closed-cellular organization. More than 500 h of each organization type are identified. The ARM observations are combined with reanalysis and satellite products to quantify the cloud, precipitation, aerosol, thermodynamic, and large-scale synoptic characteristics associated with these cloud types. Our analysis shows that both cloud organization populations occur during similar sea surface temperature conditions, but the open-cell cases are distinguished by stronger cold-air advection and large-scale subsidence compared to the closed-cell cases, consistent with their formation during cold-air outbreaks. We also find that the open-cell cases were associated with deeper boundary layers, stronger low-level winds, and higher rain rates compared to their closed-cell counterparts. Finally, raindrops with diameters larger than 1 mm were routinely recorded at the surface during both populations, with a higher number of large drops during the open-cellular cases. The similarities and differences noted herein provide important insights into the environmental and cloud characteristics during varying marine boundary layer cloud mesoscale organization and will be useful for the evaluation of model simulations for ENA marine clouds.

Variability of the atmospheric electric field in the South Atlantic marine boundary layer from the SAIL campaign

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Barbosa ◽  
Mauricio Camilo ◽  
Carlos Almeida ◽  
Guilherme Amaral ◽  
Nuno Dias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Atmospheric Electric Field ◽  
Surface Ionization ◽  
Diurnal Pattern ◽  
The South ◽  
Near Surface

<p>The marine boundary layer offers a unique opportunity to investigate the electrical properties of the atmosphere, as the effect of natural radioactivity in driving near surface ionization is significantly reduced over the ocean, and the concentration of aerosols is also typically lower than over land. This work addresses the temporal variability of the atmospheric electric field in the South Atlantic marine boundary layer based on measurements from the SAIL (Space-Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions in the marine boundary Layer) project. The SAIL monitoring campaign took place on board the Portuguese navy tall ship NRP Sagres during its circumnavigation expedition in 2020.  Two identical field mills (CS110, Campbell Scientific) were installed on the same mast but at different heights (about 5 and 22 meters), recording the atmospheric electric field every 1-second. Hourly averages of the atmospheric electric field are analyzed for the ship’s leg from 3<sup>rd</sup> to 25<sup>th</sup> March, between Buenos Aires (South America) and Cape Town (South Africa). The median daily curve of the electric field has a shape compatible with the Carnegie curve, but significant variability is found in the daily pattern of individual days, with only about 30% of the days exhibiting a diurnal pattern consistent with the Carnegie curve.</p>

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