Aircraft observations of gravity wave activity and turbulence in the tropical tropopause layer: prevalence, influence on cirrus clouds, and comparison with global storm-resolving models

Atlas, Rachel; Bretherton, Christopher S.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4009-2023

Articles | Volume 23, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4009-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4009-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 7

Research article

|

05 Apr 2023

Research article |

| 05 Apr 2023

Aircraft observations of gravity wave activity and turbulence in the tropical tropopause layer: prevalence, influence on cirrus clouds, and comparison with global storm-resolving models

Rachel Atlas and Christopher S. Bretherton

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4009-2023-supplement

Data sets

The Cirrus Guide II In-situ Aircraft Data Set M. Krämer, C. Rolf, and N. Spelten https://doi.org/10.34730/266ca2a41f4946ff97d874bfa458254c

NCEP/CPC L3 Half Hourly 4km Global (60S - 60N) Merged IR V1 J. Janowiak, B. Joyce, and P. Xie https://doi.org/10.5067/P4HZB9N27EKU

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Short summary

The tropical tropopause layer exists between the troposphere and the stratosphere in the tropics. Very thin cirrus clouds cool Earth's surface by scrubbing water vapor (a greenhouse gas) out of air parcels as they ascend through the tropical tropopause layer on their way to the stratosphere. We show observational evidence from aircraft that small-scale (< 100 km) gravity waves and turbulence increase the amount of ice in these clouds and may allow them to remove more water vapor from the air.