Journal article
Stratosphere-to-troposphere transport revealed by ground-based lidar and ozonesonde at a midlatitude site
Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres, Vol.117(D18), p.n/a
09/27/2012
DOI: 10.1029/2012JD017695
Abstract
This paper presents ozone structures measured by a ground-based ozone lidar and ozonesonde at Huntsville, Alabama, on 27-29 April 2010 originating from a stratosphere-to-troposphere transport event associated with a cutoff cyclone and tropopause fold. In this case, the tropopause reached 6 km and the stratospheric intrusion resulted in a 2-km thick elevated ozone layer with values between 70 and 85 ppbv descending from the similar to 306-K to 298-K isentropic surface at a rate of similar to 5 km day(-1). The potential temperature was provided by a collocated microwave profiling radiometer. We examine the corresponding meteorological fields and potential vorticity (PV) structures derived from the analysis data from the North American Mesoscale model. The 2-PVU (PV unit) surface, defined as the dynamic tropopause, is able to capture the variations of the ozone tropopause estimated from the ozonesonde and lidar measurements. The estimated ozone/PV ratio, from the measured ozone and model derived PV, for the mixing layer between the troposphere and stratosphere is similar to 41 ppbv/PVU with an uncertainty of similar to 33%. Within two days, the estimated mass of ozone irreversibly transported from the stratospheric into the troposphere is between 0.07 Tg (0.9 x 10(33) molecules) and 0.11 Tg (1.3 x 10(33) molecules) with an estimated uncertainty of 59%. Tropospheric ozone exhibited enormous variability due to the complicated mixing processes. Low ozone and large variability were observed in the mid-troposphere after the stratospheric intrusion due to the westerly advection including the transition from a cyclonic system to an anticyclonic system. This study using high temporal and vertical-resolution measurements suggests that, in this case, stratospheric air quickly lost its stratospheric characteristics once it is irreversibly mixed down into the troposphere.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Stratosphere-to-troposphere transport revealed by ground-based lidar and ozonesonde at a midlatitude site
- Creators
- Shi Kuang - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleM. J. Newchurch - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleJohn Burris - Goddard Space Flight CenterLihua Wang - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleKevin Knupp - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleGuanyu Huang - University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres, Vol.117(D18), p.n/a
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- DOI
- 10.1029/2012JD017695
- ISSN
- 2169-897X
- eISSN
- 2169-8996
- Number of pages
- 14
- Grant note
- NASA's Science Mission Directorate NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/27/2012
- Academic Unit
- Iowa Technology Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984721115602771
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