Articles | Volume 18, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4657-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4657-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Tropical convection regimes in climate models: evaluation with satellite observations
Andrea K. Steiner
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC), University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Institute for Geophysics, Astrophysics, and Meteorology, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Doctoral Programme Climate Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Bettina C. Lackner
Doctoral Programme Climate Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Mark A. Ringer
Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, UK
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Kamilya Yessimbet, Andrea K. Steiner, Florian Ladstädter, and Albert Ossó
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Major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) and atmospheric blocking can markedly influence winter extratropical surface weather. To study the relationship between SSWs and blocking, we examine dynamic stratosphere–troposphere coupling using vertically highly resolved observations from global navigation satellite system radio occultation for 2007–2019. Our results provide a purely observational view of the evolution of major SSWs, their link to blocking, and their effect on the polar tropopause.
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A single tropopause separates the troposphere below from the stratosphere above. In regions of strong vertical wind shear, a second tropopause layer may be associated to complex weather patterns. From GNSS radio occultation data, the distribution of multiple tropopause and its possible relation to the variability of climate indices is explored. A cluster analysis is applied to geographically associate the DT occurrences with the climate indices and a multivariate linear regression is constructed
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1675–1709, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023, 2023
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Earth's climate is out of energy balance, and this study quantifies how much heat has consequently accumulated over the past decades (ocean: 89 %, land: 6 %, cryosphere: 4 %, atmosphere: 1 %). Since 1971, this accumulated heat reached record values at an increasing pace. The Earth heat inventory provides a comprehensive view on the status and expectation of global warming, and we call for an implementation of this global climate indicator into the Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake.
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The detection and monitoring of volcanic clouds are important for aviation management, climate and weather forecasts. We present in this paper the first comprehensive archive collecting spatial and temporal information about volcanic clouds generated by the 11 largest eruptions of this century. We provide a complete set of state-of-the-art data allowing the development and testing of new algorithms contributing to improve the accuracy of the estimation of fundamental volcanic cloud parameters.
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In this work, we provide a comprehensive archive of tropical cyclone vertical structure for the period 2001–2018. The tropical cyclone best tracks are co-located in time and space with high-vertical-resolution atmospheric profiles (temperature, pressure, humidity and refractivity) from radio occultations and with climatological profiles. This dataset can be used to analyze the inner vertical thermodynamic structure of tropical cyclones and the pre-cyclone environment.
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2013–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2013-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2013-2020, 2020
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Understanding how much and where the heat is distributed in the Earth system is fundamental to understanding how this affects warming oceans, atmosphere and land, rising temperatures and sea level, and loss of grounded and floating ice, which are fundamental concerns for society. This study is a Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) concerted international effort to obtain the Earth heat inventory over the period 1960–2018.
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High-quality observations are critically important for monitoring the Earth’s changing climate. We provide information on the consistency and long-term stability of observations from GPS radio occultation (RO). We assess, for the first time, RO records from multiple RO missions and all major RO data providers. Our results quantify where RO can be used for reliable trend assessment and confirm its climate quality.
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This paper analyzed the collocated GPS radio occultation profiles near the convective systems identified from ISCCP over two orographic regions of the Alps and Andes. Gravity wave (GW) analysis over both selected regions was also carried out. The gravity wave signature from the two case studies were investigated using mesoscale WRF simulations, ERA-Interim reanalysis data, and measured RO temperature profiles. The absence of fronts or jets during both case studies reveals similar relevant GWs.
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Tropical atmospheric variability is often described using proxy indices of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. We introduce new proxies derived from GNSS radio occultation (RO) satellite measurements. Using the high vertical resolution of the RO temperature fields we obtain altitude-resolved indices which can improve the description of atmospheric variability patterns and can be used in climate studies where a detailed knowledge of these patterns is required.
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Atmospheric blocking is a weather pattern where a stable high pressure system blocks the westerly flow at mid-latitudes. We provide, for the first time, a global perspective on blocking and related impacts, based on satellite observations from GPS radio occultation for 2006–2016. We find strong direct and remote effects on the vertical atmospheric structure revealing significant temperature and humidity anomalies up to 15 km. The observations will help for a better insight into blocking impacts.
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Atmospheric blocking refers to persistent high-pressure systems which block the climatological flow at midlatitudes. We explore blocking with observations from GPS radio occultation (RO), a satellite-based remote-sensing system. Using two example cases, we find that RO data robustly capture blocking, highlighting the potential of RO observations to complement models and reanalysis as a basis for blocking research.
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Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
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Cloud structure and cloud top height are key parameters for the monitoring of volcanic cloud movement and for characterizing eruptive processes and understanding the impact on short-term climate variability.
We have studied the eruption of Nabro volcano, which has been recognized as the largest stratospheric sulfur injection since Pinatubo (1991) and we have found a clear warming signature after the eruption of Nabro persisting for a few months.
R. Biondi, A. K. Steiner, G. Kirchengast, and T. Rieckh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5181–5193, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, 2015
F. Ladstädter, A. K. Steiner, M. Schwärz, and G. Kirchengast
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1819–1834, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1819-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1819-2015, 2015
A. K. Steiner, D. Hunt, S.-P. Ho, G. Kirchengast, A. J. Mannucci, B. Scherllin-Pirscher, H. Gleisner, A. von Engeln, T. Schmidt, C. Ao, S. S. Leroy, E. R. Kursinski, U. Foelsche, M. Gorbunov, S. Heise, Y.-H. Kuo, K. B. Lauritsen, C. Marquardt, C. Rocken, W. Schreiner, S. Sokolovskiy, S. Syndergaard, and J. Wickert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1469–1484, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1469-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1469-2013, 2013
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Major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) and atmospheric blocking can markedly influence winter extratropical surface weather. To study the relationship between SSWs and blocking, we examine dynamic stratosphere–troposphere coupling using vertically highly resolved observations from global navigation satellite system radio occultation for 2007–2019. Our results provide a purely observational view of the evolution of major SSWs, their link to blocking, and their effect on the polar tropopause.
Alejandro de la Torre, Peter Alexander, Torsten Schmidt, Andrea K. Steiner, Florian Ladstädter, Rodrigo Hierro, and Pablo Llamedo
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Short summary
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A single tropopause separates the troposphere below from the stratosphere above. In regions of strong vertical wind shear, a second tropopause layer may be associated to complex weather patterns. From GNSS radio occultation data, the distribution of multiple tropopause and its possible relation to the variability of climate indices is explored. A cluster analysis is applied to geographically associate the DT occurrences with the climate indices and a multivariate linear regression is constructed
Karina von Schuckmann, Audrey Minière, Flora Gues, Francisco José Cuesta-Valero, Gottfried Kirchengast, Susheel Adusumilli, Fiammetta Straneo, Michaël Ablain, Richard P. Allan, Paul M. Barker, Hugo Beltrami, Alejandro Blazquez, Tim Boyer, Lijing Cheng, John Church, Damien Desbruyeres, Han Dolman, Catia M. Domingues, Almudena García-García, Donata Giglio, John E. Gilson, Maximilian Gorfer, Leopold Haimberger, Maria Z. Hakuba, Stefan Hendricks, Shigeki Hosoda, Gregory C. Johnson, Rachel Killick, Brian King, Nicolas Kolodziejczyk, Anton Korosov, Gerhard Krinner, Mikael Kuusela, Felix W. Landerer, Moritz Langer, Thomas Lavergne, Isobel Lawrence, Yuehua Li, John Lyman, Florence Marti, Ben Marzeion, Michael Mayer, Andrew H. MacDougall, Trevor McDougall, Didier Paolo Monselesan, Jan Nitzbon, Inès Otosaka, Jian Peng, Sarah Purkey, Dean Roemmich, Kanako Sato, Katsunari Sato, Abhishek Savita, Axel Schweiger, Andrew Shepherd, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Leon Simons, Donald A. Slater, Thomas Slater, Andrea K. Steiner, Toshio Suga, Tanguy Szekely, Wim Thiery, Mary-Louise Timmermans, Inne Vanderkelen, Susan E. Wjiffels, Tonghua Wu, and Michael Zemp
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1675–1709, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Earth's climate is out of energy balance, and this study quantifies how much heat has consequently accumulated over the past decades (ocean: 89 %, land: 6 %, cryosphere: 4 %, atmosphere: 1 %). Since 1971, this accumulated heat reached record values at an increasing pace. The Earth heat inventory provides a comprehensive view on the status and expectation of global warming, and we call for an implementation of this global climate indicator into the Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake.
Pierre-Yves Tournigand, Valeria Cigala, Elzbieta Lasota, Mohammed Hammouti, Lieven Clarisse, Hugues Brenot, Fred Prata, Gottfried Kirchengast, Andrea K. Steiner, and Riccardo Biondi
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 3139–3159, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3139-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3139-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The detection and monitoring of volcanic clouds are important for aviation management, climate and weather forecasts. We present in this paper the first comprehensive archive collecting spatial and temporal information about volcanic clouds generated by the 11 largest eruptions of this century. We provide a complete set of state-of-the-art data allowing the development and testing of new algorithms contributing to improve the accuracy of the estimation of fundamental volcanic cloud parameters.
Elżbieta Lasota, Andrea K. Steiner, Gottfried Kirchengast, and Riccardo Biondi
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2679–2693, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2679-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2679-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this work, we provide a comprehensive archive of tropical cyclone vertical structure for the period 2001–2018. The tropical cyclone best tracks are co-located in time and space with high-vertical-resolution atmospheric profiles (temperature, pressure, humidity and refractivity) from radio occultations and with climatological profiles. This dataset can be used to analyze the inner vertical thermodynamic structure of tropical cyclones and the pre-cyclone environment.
Karina von Schuckmann, Lijing Cheng, Matthew D. Palmer, James Hansen, Caterina Tassone, Valentin Aich, Susheel Adusumilli, Hugo Beltrami, Tim Boyer, Francisco José Cuesta-Valero, Damien Desbruyères, Catia Domingues, Almudena García-García, Pierre Gentine, John Gilson, Maximilian Gorfer, Leopold Haimberger, Masayoshi Ishii, Gregory C. Johnson, Rachel Killick, Brian A. King, Gottfried Kirchengast, Nicolas Kolodziejczyk, John Lyman, Ben Marzeion, Michael Mayer, Maeva Monier, Didier Paolo Monselesan, Sarah Purkey, Dean Roemmich, Axel Schweiger, Sonia I. Seneviratne, Andrew Shepherd, Donald A. Slater, Andrea K. Steiner, Fiammetta Straneo, Mary-Louise Timmermans, and Susan E. Wijffels
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2013–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2013-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2013-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how much and where the heat is distributed in the Earth system is fundamental to understanding how this affects warming oceans, atmosphere and land, rising temperatures and sea level, and loss of grounded and floating ice, which are fundamental concerns for society. This study is a Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) concerted international effort to obtain the Earth heat inventory over the period 1960–2018.
Andrea K. Steiner, Florian Ladstädter, Chi O. Ao, Hans Gleisner, Shu-Peng Ho, Doug Hunt, Torsten Schmidt, Ulrich Foelsche, Gottfried Kirchengast, Ying-Hwa Kuo, Kent B. Lauritsen, Anthony J. Mannucci, Johannes K. Nielsen, William Schreiner, Marc Schwärz, Sergey Sokolovskiy, Stig Syndergaard, and Jens Wickert
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2547–2575, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2547-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2547-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
High-quality observations are critically important for monitoring the Earth’s changing climate. We provide information on the consistency and long-term stability of observations from GPS radio occultation (RO). We assess, for the first time, RO records from multiple RO missions and all major RO data providers. Our results quantify where RO can be used for reliable trend assessment and confirm its climate quality.
Rodrigo Hierro, Andrea K. Steiner, Alejandro de la Torre, Peter Alexander, Pablo Llamedo, and Pablo Cremades
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 3523–3539, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3523-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3523-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper analyzed the collocated GPS radio occultation profiles near the convective systems identified from ISCCP over two orographic regions of the Alps and Andes. Gravity wave (GW) analysis over both selected regions was also carried out. The gravity wave signature from the two case studies were investigated using mesoscale WRF simulations, ERA-Interim reanalysis data, and measured RO temperature profiles. The absence of fronts or jets during both case studies reveals similar relevant GWs.
Hallgeir Wilhelmsen, Florian Ladstädter, Barbara Scherllin-Pirscher, and Andrea K. Steiner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1333–1346, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1333-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1333-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Tropical atmospheric variability is often described using proxy indices of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. We introduce new proxies derived from GNSS radio occultation (RO) satellite measurements. Using the high vertical resolution of the RO temperature fields we obtain altitude-resolved indices which can improve the description of atmospheric variability patterns and can be used in climate studies where a detailed knowledge of these patterns is required.
Barbara Angerer, Florian Ladstädter, Barbara Scherllin-Pirscher, Marc Schwärz, Andrea K. Steiner, Ulrich Foelsche, and Gottfried Kirchengast
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4845–4863, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4845-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4845-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We present a detailed analysis of the latest Wegener Center GPS radio occultation reprocessing (OPSv5.6) output. Knowledge of differences in data quality, as well as of data consistency, is essential when combining data from different missions to a long-term climate record. We compare quality aspects of the various processed satellite missions and present satellite-dependent variations. Temperature data from various satellites are found to be highly consistent within 8 to 25 km.
Lukas Brunner and Andrea K. Steiner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4727–4745, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4727-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4727-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric blocking is a weather pattern where a stable high pressure system blocks the westerly flow at mid-latitudes. We provide, for the first time, a global perspective on blocking and related impacts, based on satellite observations from GPS radio occultation for 2006–2016. We find strong direct and remote effects on the vertical atmospheric structure revealing significant temperature and humidity anomalies up to 15 km. The observations will help for a better insight into blocking impacts.
Lukas Brunner, Andrea K. Steiner, Barbara Scherllin-Pirscher, and Martin W. Jury
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4593–4604, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4593-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4593-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric blocking refers to persistent high-pressure systems which block the climatological flow at midlatitudes. We explore blocking with observations from GPS radio occultation (RO), a satellite-based remote-sensing system. Using two example cases, we find that RO data robustly capture blocking, highlighting the potential of RO observations to complement models and reanalysis as a basis for blocking research.
Riccardo Biondi, Andrea Steiner, Gottfried Kirchengast, Hugues Brenot, and Therese Rieckh
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2015-974, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2015-974, 2016
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Cloud structure and cloud top height are key parameters for the monitoring of volcanic cloud movement and for characterizing eruptive processes and understanding the impact on short-term climate variability.
We have studied the eruption of Nabro volcano, which has been recognized as the largest stratospheric sulfur injection since Pinatubo (1991) and we have found a clear warming signature after the eruption of Nabro persisting for a few months.
R. Biondi, A. K. Steiner, G. Kirchengast, and T. Rieckh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5181–5193, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, 2015
F. Ladstädter, A. K. Steiner, M. Schwärz, and G. Kirchengast
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1819–1834, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1819-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1819-2015, 2015
A. K. Steiner, D. Hunt, S.-P. Ho, G. Kirchengast, A. J. Mannucci, B. Scherllin-Pirscher, H. Gleisner, A. von Engeln, T. Schmidt, C. Ao, S. S. Leroy, E. R. Kursinski, U. Foelsche, M. Gorbunov, S. Heise, Y.-H. Kuo, K. B. Lauritsen, C. Marquardt, C. Rocken, W. Schreiner, S. Sokolovskiy, S. Syndergaard, and J. Wickert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1469–1484, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1469-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1469-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Dynamics | Research Activity: Remote Sensing | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
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High resolution VHF radar measurements of tropopause structure and variability at Davis, Antarctica (69° S, 78° E)
Measurements of the movement of the jet streams at mid-latitudes, in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, 1979 to 2010
Continuous detection and characterization of the Sea Breeze in clear sky conditions using Meteosat Second Generation
Thermal structure of intense convective clouds derived from GPS radio occultations
Advances and limitations of atmospheric boundary layer observations with GPS occultation over southeast Pacific Ocean
Teleconnection between Australian winter temperature and Indian summer monsoon rainfall
First results from the GPS atmosphere sounding experiment TOR aboard the TerraSAR-X satellite
Updraft and downdraft characterization with Doppler lidar: cloud-free versus cumuli-topped mixed layer
Remote sensing of the tropical rain forest boundary layer using pulsed Doppler lidar
A new ENSO index derived from satellite measurements of column ozone
Turbulence associated with mountain waves over Northern Scandinavia – a case study using the ESRAD VHF radar and the WRF mesoscale model
Edward J. Strobach, Sunil Baidar, Brian J. Carroll, Steven S. Brown, Kristen Zuraski, Matthew Coggon, Chelsea E. Stockwell, Lu Xu, Yelena L. Pichugina, W. Alan Brewer, Carsten Warneke, Jeff Peischl, Jessica Gilman, Brandi McCarty, Maxwell Holloway, and Richard Marchbanks
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9277–9307, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9277-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9277-2024, 2024
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Large-scale weather patterns are isolated from local patterns to study the impact that different weather scales have on air quality measurements. While impacts from large-scale meteorology were evaluated by separating ozone (O3) exceedance (>70 ppb) and non-exceedance (<70 ppb) days, we developed a technique that allows direct comparisons of small temporal variations between chemical and dynamics measurements under rapid dynamical transitions.
Jonnathan Céspedes, Simone Kotthaus, Jana Preissler, Clément Toupoint, Ludovic Thobois, Marc-Antoine Drouin, Jean-Charles Dupont, Aurélien Faucheux, and Martial Haeffelin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-520, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-520, 2024
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The Low-Level Jet (LLJ) and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) are common phenomena in the atmospheric boundary layer, while the UHI has been studied extensively, the interaction between them has received less attention. LLJ detection in the Paris region showed that the turbulence below the LLJ core is an indicator of the UHI intensity variation. This study demonstrates how wind observations in cities provide valuable insights into near-surface processes relevant to human and environmental health.
Bing Cao, Jennifer S. Haase, Michael J. Murphy, M. Joan Alexander, Martina Bramberger, and Albert Hertzog
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 15379–15402, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15379-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15379-2022, 2022
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Atmospheric waves that carry momentum from tropospheric weather systems into the equatorial stratosphere modify the winds there. The Strateole-2 2019 campaign launched long-duration stratospheric superpressure balloons to measure these equatorial waves. We deployed a GPS receiver on one of the balloons to measure atmospheric temperature profiles beneath the balloon. Temperature variations in the retrieved profiles show planetary-scale waves with a 20 d period and 3–4 d period waves.
Nikolas Angelou, Jakob Mann, and Ebba Dellwik
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2255–2268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2255-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2255-2022, 2022
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In this study we use state-of-the-art scanning wind lidars to investigate the wind field in the near-wake region of a mature, open-grown tree. Our measurements provide for the first time a picture of the mean and the turbulent spatial fluctuations in the flow in the wake of a tree in its natural environment. Our observations support the hypothesis that even simple models can realistically simulate the turbulent fluctuations in the wake and thus predict the effect of trees in flow models.
Sudip Chakraborty, Jonathon H. Jiang, Hui Su, and Rong Fu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12855–12866, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12855-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12855-2021, 2021
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Boreal autumn is the main wet season over the Congo basin. Thus, changes in its onset date have a significant impact on the rainforest. This study provides compelling evidence that the cooling effect of aerosols modifies the timing and strength of the southern African easterly jet that is central to the boreal autumn wet season over the Congo rainforest. A higher boreal summer aerosol concentration is positively correlated with the boreal autumn wet season onset timing.
Siying Chen, Rongzheng Cao, Yixuan Xie, Yinchao Zhang, Wangshu Tan, He Chen, Pan Guo, and Peitao Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11489–11504, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11489-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11489-2021, 2021
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In this study, the seasonal variation in Aeolus wind product performance over China is analyzed by using L-band radiosonde detection data and ERA5 reanalysis data. The results show that the Aeolus wind product performance is affected by seasonal factors, which may be caused by seasonal changes in wind direction and cloud distribution.
Fuchao Liu, Fan Yi, Zhenping Yin, Yunpeng Zhang, Yun He, and Yang Yi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2981–2998, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2981-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2981-2021, 2021
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Using high-resolution lidar measurements, this process-based study reveals that the clear-day convective boundary layer evolves in four distinct stages differing in depth growth rate and depth fluctuation magnitudes. The accompanying entrainment zone thickness (EZT) shows a discrepancy in statistical mean and standard deviation for different seasons and developing stages. Common EZT characteristics also exist. These findings help us understand the atmospheric boundary layer evolution.
Jianping Guo, Boming Liu, Wei Gong, Lijuan Shi, Yong Zhang, Yingying Ma, Jian Zhang, Tianmeng Chen, Kaixu Bai, Ad Stoffelen, Gerrit de Leeuw, and Xiaofeng Xu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2945–2958, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2945-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2945-2021, 2021
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Vertical wind profiles are crucial to a wide range of atmospheric disciplines. Aeolus is the first satellite mission to directly observe wind profile information on a global scale. However, Aeolus wind products over China have thus far not been evaluated by in situ comparison. This work is expected to let the public and science community better know the Aeolus wind products and to encourage use of these valuable data in future research and applications.
Kizhathur Narasimhan Uma, Siddarth Shankar Das, Madineni Venkat Ratnam, and Kuniyil Viswanathan Suneeth
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2083–2103, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2083-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2083-2021, 2021
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Reanalysis data of vertical wind (w) are widely used by the atmospheric community to determine various calculations of atmospheric circulations, diabatic heating, convection, etc. There are no studies that assess the available reanalysis data with respect to observations. The present study assesses for the first time all the reanalysis w by comparing it with 20 years of radar data from Gadanki and Kototabang and shows that downdrafts and peaks in the updrafts are not produced in the reanalyses.
Ghouse Basha, M. Venkat Ratnam, and Pangaluru Kishore
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6789–6801, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6789-2020, 2020
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This study explores the variability of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone (ASMA) spatial variability and trends using long-term observational and reanalysis data sets. The decadal variability of the anticyclone is very large at the edges compared with the core region. We propose that the transport process over the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian region is significant in active monsoon, strong monsoon and strong La Niña years. Thus, different phases of the monsoon are important in UTLS analyses.
Thomas Trickl, Hannes Vogelmann, Ludwig Ries, and Michael Sprenger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 243–266, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-243-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-243-2020, 2020
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Ozone transfer from the stratosphere to the troposphere seems to to have grown over the past decade, parallel to global warming. Lidar measurements, carried out in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, between 2007 and 2016 show a considerable stratospheric influence in the free troposphere over these sites, with observations of stratospheric layers in the troposphere on 84 % of the measurement days. This high fraction is almost reached also in North America, but frequently not throughout the year.
Mingjiao Jia, Jinlong Yuan, Chong Wang, Haiyun Xia, Yunbin Wu, Lijie Zhao, Tianwen Wei, Jianfei Wu, Lu Wang, Sheng-Yang Gu, Liqun Liu, Dachun Lu, Rulong Chen, Xianghui Xue, and Xiankang Dou
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 15431–15446, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15431-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15431-2019, 2019
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Gravitational waves (GWs) with periods ranging from 10 to 30 min over 10 h and 20 wave cycles are detected within a 2 km height in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) by a coherent Doppler wind lidar. Observations and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations lead to a conclusion that the GWs are excited by the wind shear of a low-level jet under the condition of light horizontal wind. The GWs are trapped in the ABL due to a combination of thermal and Doppler ducts.
Ming Shangguan, Wuke Wang, and Shuanggen Jin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 6659–6679, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6659-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6659-2019, 2019
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A significant warming in the troposphere and cooling in the stratosphere are found in satellite measurements (2002–2017). The newest ERA5 data are first used for analyzing temperature and ozone trends in the UTLS and show the best quality compared to other reanalyses. According to model simulations, the temperature increase in the troposphere and ozone decrease in the NH stratosphere are mainly connected to a surface warming of the ocean and subsequent changes in atmospheric circulation.
Christoph G. Hoffmann and Christian von Savigny
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4235–4256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4235-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4235-2019, 2019
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We examine a possible statistical linkage between atmospheric variability in the tropical troposphere on the intraseasonal timescale, which is known as Madden–Julian oscillation, and known variability of the solar radiation with a period of 27 days. This helps to understand tropospheric variability in more detail, which is generally of interest, e.g., for weather forecasting. We find indications for such a linkage; however, more research has to be conducted for an unambiguous attribution.
Wolfgang Woiwode, Andreas Dörnbrack, Martina Bramberger, Felix Friedl-Vallon, Florian Haenel, Michael Höpfner, Sören Johansson, Erik Kretschmer, Isabell Krisch, Thomas Latzko, Hermann Oelhaf, Johannes Orphal, Peter Preusse, Björn-Martin Sinnhuber, and Jörn Ungermann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 15643–15667, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15643-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15643-2018, 2018
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GLORIA observations during two crossings of the polar front jet stream resolve the fine mesoscale structure of a tropopause fold in high detail. Tracer–tracer correlations of H2O and O3 are presented as a function of potential temperature and reveal an active mixing region. Our study confirms conceptual models of tropopause folds, validates the high quality of ECMWF IFS forecasts, and suggests that mountain waves are capable of modulating exchange processes in the vicinity of tropopause folds.
Robin Pilch Kedzierski, Katja Matthes, and Karl Bumke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4093–4114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4093-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4093-2017, 2017
Wanchun Zhang, Jianping Guo, Yucong Miao, Huan Liu, Yong Zhang, Zhengqiang Li, and Panmao Zhai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 9951–9963, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9951-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9951-2016, 2016
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The PBL height retrieval from CALIOP aboard CALIPSO can significantly complement the traditional ground-based methods, which is only for one site. Our study, to our current knowledge, is the first intercomparison study of PBLH on a large scale using long-term radiosonde observations in China. Three matchup schemes were proposed based on the position of radiosondes relative to CALIPSO ground tracks in China. Results indicate that CALIOP is promising for reliable PBLH retrievals.
Lukas Brunner, Andrea K. Steiner, Barbara Scherllin-Pirscher, and Martin W. Jury
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4593–4604, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4593-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4593-2016, 2016
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Atmospheric blocking refers to persistent high-pressure systems which block the climatological flow at midlatitudes. We explore blocking with observations from GPS radio occultation (RO), a satellite-based remote-sensing system. Using two example cases, we find that RO data robustly capture blocking, highlighting the potential of RO observations to complement models and reanalysis as a basis for blocking research.
Christopher E. Sioris, Jason Zou, David A. Plummer, Chris D. Boone, C. Thomas McElroy, Patrick E. Sheese, Omid Moeini, and Peter F. Bernath
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3265–3278, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3265-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3265-2016, 2016
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The AM (annular mode) is the most important internal mode of climatic variability at high latitudes. Upper tropospheric water vapour (UTWV) at high latitudes increases by up to ~ 50 % during the negative phase of the AMs. The response of water vapour to the AMs vanishes above the tropopause. The ultimate goal of the study was to improve UTWV trend uncertainties by explaining shorter-term variability, and this was achieved by accounting for the AM-related response in a multiple linear regression.
Guiqian Tang, Jinqiang Zhang, Xiaowan Zhu, Tao Song, Christoph Münkel, Bo Hu, Klaus Schäfer, Zirui Liu, Junke Zhang, Lili Wang, Jinyuan Xin, Peter Suppan, and Yuesi Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2459–2475, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2459-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2459-2016, 2016
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This is the first paper to validate and characterize mixing layer height and discuss its relationship with air pollution, using a ceilometer in Beijing. The novelty, originality, and importance of this paper are as follows: (1) the applicable conditions of the ceilometer; (2) the variations of mixing layer height; (3) thermal/dynamic structure inside mixing layers with different degrees of pollution; and (4) critical meteorological conditions for the formation of heavy air pollution.
S. Ravindra Babu, M. Venkat Ratnam, G. Basha, B. V. Krishnamurthy, and B. Venkateswararao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10239–10249, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10239-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10239-2015, 2015
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The effect of tropical cyclones (TCs) that occurred over the north Indian Ocean in the last decade on the tropical tropopause parameters has been quantified for the first time. The vertical structure of temperature and tropopause parameters within the 5º radius away from the cyclone centre during TC period is also presented. The water vapour variability in the vicinity of TC is investigated.
It is demonstrated that the TCs can significantly affect the tropical tropopause and thus STE processes.
N. Andela, J. W. Kaiser, G. R. van der Werf, and M. J. Wooster
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 8831–8846, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8831-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8831-2015, 2015
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The polar orbiting MODIS instruments provide four daily observations of the fire diurnal cycle, resulting in erroneous fire radiative energy (FRE) estimates. Using geostationary SEVIRI data, we explore the fire diurnal cycle and its drivers for Africa to develop a new method to estimate global FRE in near real-time using MODIS. The fire diurnal cycle varied with climate and vegetation type, and including information on the fire diurnal cycle in the model significantly improved the FRE estimates.
J. R. Ziemke, A. R. Douglass, L. D. Oman, S. E. Strahan, and B. N. Duncan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 8037–8049, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8037-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-8037-2015, 2015
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Aura OMI and MLS measurements are combined to produce daily maps of tropospheric ozone beginning October 2004. We show that El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related inter-annual change in tropospheric ozone in the tropics is small compared to combined intra-seasonal/Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and shorter timescale variability. Outgoing Longwave Radiation indicates that deep convection is the primary driver of the observed ozone variability on all timescales.
A. Sandeep, T. N. Rao, and S. V. B. Rao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7605–7617, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7605-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7605-2015, 2015
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The afternoon-evening transition (AET) in the atmospheric boundary layer has been studied in an integrated approach using 3 years of tower, sodar and wind profiler measurements. Such a long-term data set has been used for the first time to understand the behavior of AET. It allowed us to study the seasonal variation. In contrast to the common belief that the transition evolves from bottom to top, the present study clearly showed that the start time of transition follows top-to-bottom evolution.
R. Biondi, A. K. Steiner, G. Kirchengast, and T. Rieckh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5181–5193, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5181-2015, 2015
H. Vogelmann, R. Sussmann, T. Trickl, and A. Reichert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 3135–3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3135-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3135-2015, 2015
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We quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal variability (minutes to hours, 500m to 10km) of water vapor (IWV and profiles) in the free troposphere recorded at the Zugspitze (Germany) with lidar and solar FTIR. We found that long-range transport of heterogeneous air masses may cause relative short-term variations of the water-vapor density which exceed the impact of local convection by 1 order of magnitude. Our results could be useful for issues of model parametrization and co-location.
E. Hammann, A. Behrendt, F. Le Mounier, and V. Wulfmeyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 2867–2881, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2867-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-2867-2015, 2015
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Measurements and upgrades of the rotational Raman lidar of the University of Hohenheim during the HD(CP)2 Observational Prototype Experiment are presented in this paper. This includes 25h long time series of temperature gradients and water vapor mixing ratio. Through simulation, optimum wavelengths for high- and low-background cases were identified and tested successfully. Low-elevation measurements were performed to measure temperature gradients at altitudes around 100m above ground level.
M. Collaud Coen, C. Praz, A. Haefele, D. Ruffieux, P. Kaufmann, and B. Calpini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13205–13221, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13205-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13205-2014, 2014
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An operational planetary boundary layer height detection method with several remote sensing instruments (wind profiler, Raman lidar, microwave radiometer) and algorithms (Parcel and bulk Richardson number methods, surface-based temperature inversion, aerosol and humidity gradient analysis) was validated against radio sounding. A comparison with the numerical weather prediction model COSMO-2 and the seasonal cycles of the day- and nighttime PBL for two stations on the Swiss plateau are presented.
Yuanchun Zhang, Fuqing Zhang, and Jianhua Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10741–10759, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10741-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-10741-2014, 2014
T. Trickl, H. Vogelmann, H. Giehl, H.-E. Scheel, M. Sprenger, and A. Stohl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 9941–9961, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9941-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9941-2014, 2014
F. Carminati, P. Ricaud, J.-P. Pommereau, E. Rivière, S. Khaykin, J.-L. Attié, and J. Warner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6195–6211, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6195-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6195-2014, 2014
A. Devasthale, J. Sedlar, T. Koenigk, and E. J. Fetzer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7441–7450, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7441-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-7441-2013, 2013
S. P. Alexander, D. J. Murphy, and A. R. Klekociuk
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 3121–3132, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3121-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3121-2013, 2013
R. D. Hudson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 7797–7808, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-7797-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-7797-2012, 2012
I. M. Lensky and U. Dayan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 6505–6513, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-6505-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-6505-2012, 2012
R. Biondi, W. J. Randel, S.-P. Ho, T. Neubert, and S. Syndergaard
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 5309–5318, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-5309-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-5309-2012, 2012
F. Xie, D. L. Wu, C. O. Ao, A. J. Mannucci, and E. R. Kursinski
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 903–918, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-903-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-903-2012, 2012
S.-Y. Lee and T. Y. Koh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 669–681, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-669-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-669-2012, 2012
G. Beyerle, L. Grunwaldt, S. Heise, W. Köhler, R. König, G. Michalak, M. Rothacher, T. Schmidt, J. Wickert, B. D. Tapley, and B. Giesinger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 6687–6699, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-6687-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-6687-2011, 2011
A. Ansmann, J. Fruntke, and R. Engelmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 7845–7858, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-7845-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-7845-2010, 2010
G. Pearson, F. Davies, and C. Collier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 5891–5901, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-5891-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-5891-2010, 2010
J. R. Ziemke, S. Chandra, L. D. Oman, and P. K. Bhartia
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 3711–3721, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3711-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3711-2010, 2010
S. Kirkwood, M. Mihalikova, T. N. Rao, and K. Satheesan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 3583–3599, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3583-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-3583-2010, 2010
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Short summary
We evaluate the representation of tropical convection regimes in atmospheric climate models with satellite-based observations from GPS radio occultation. We find that models have large temperature biases in the tropopause region. In moist convection regions, models underestimate moisture up to 40 % over oceans whereas in dry regions they overestimate it by 100 %. Our findings show that RO observations are a valuable data source for the evaluation and development of next generation climate models.
We evaluate the representation of tropical convection regimes in atmospheric climate models with...
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