Middle Atmospheric Water Vapor Research Articles

Absorption of Solar Radiation by Noctilucent Clouds in a Changing Climate

AbstractThe expected increase in climate change related methane emissions will result in an increase in middle atmospheric water vapor abundance. This will in turn amplify the brightness of noctilucent clouds (NLC). To examine how NLC will impact the absorption of solar radiation, we utilized both an atmospheric background model and a microphysical model spanning the period from 1950 to 2100. At a latitude of 69 ± 3°N, UV absorption at λ = 126 nm is projected to rise from ∼3% to ∼7%. In specific regions, the absorption may spike to approximately 30% by the year 2100. In the visible spectrum, we observe an absorption increase from 0.0030% in 1950 to 0.020% by 2100. Local absorption reach up to 0.35% by the year 2100. These trends are similar at 79 ± 3°N, but are smaller at 58 ± 3°N. Future average absorptions are comparable to solar cycle fluctuations, but local increases are significantly more pronounced. The ice mass contained in NLC is projected to surge from 677 to 1871 tons between 1950 and 2100.

Sensitivities of atmospheric composition and climate to altitude and latitude of hypersonic aircraft emissions

Abstract. Hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft are designed to travel in the middle stratosphere at approximately 30–40 km. These aircraft can have a considerable impact on climate-relevant species like stratospheric water vapor, ozone, and methane and thus would contribute to climate warming. The impact of hypersonic aircraft emissions on atmospheric composition and, in turn, on radiation fluxes differs strongly depending on cruise altitude. However, in contrast to variations in the altitude of emission, differences from variations in the latitude of emission are currently unknown. Using an atmospheric chemistry general circulation model, we show that a variation in the latitude of emission can have a larger effect on perturbations and stratospheric-adjusted radiative forcing than a variation in the altitude of emission. Our results include the individual impacts of water vapor and nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as unburned hydrogen, on middle-atmospheric water vapor, ozone, and methane and the resulting radiative forcing. Water vapor perturbation lifetime continues the known tropospheric increase with altitude and reaches almost 6 years in the middle stratosphere. Our results demonstrate how atmospheric composition changes caused by emissions of hypersonic aircraft are controlled by large-scale processes like the Brewer–Dobson circulation and, depending on the latitude of emission, local phenomena like polar stratospheric clouds. The analysis includes a model evaluation of ozone and water vapor with satellite data and a novel approach to reduce simulated years by one-third. A prospect for future hypersonic research is the analysis of seasonal sensitivities and simulations with emissions from combustion of liquefied natural gas instead of liquid hydrogen.

Variability of Water Vapor in the Tropical Middle Atmosphere Observed From Satellites and Interpreted Using SD‐WACCM Simulations

AbstractWater vapor in the middle atmosphere plays an essential role in global warming, ozone depletion, and the formation of polar stratospheric and mesospheric clouds. We show that tropical middle atmospheric water vapor simulated with the specified‐dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD‐WACCM) is consistent with changes observed in a merged satellite data set, which encompasses the period 1993–2020. Consistent with previous work, we find no significant trend in the stratosphere in either the observations or the simulation; in the mesosphere, we find a long‐term trend of 0.1 ppmv per decade, but only in the observations. We also analyze an SD‐WACCM simulation for the longer period 1980–2019 to quantify the contribution of various factors to the decadal variation of middle atmospheric water vapor. Over 1980–1995, the simulated water vapor in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere, averaged zonally and over ±30° latitude, increases by 0.30 ppmv per decade due to increasing methane emissions. After 1995, a significant abrupt decrease of water vapor of 0.37 ppmv per decade and then a gradual increase of 0.33 ppmv per decade result from changes in stratospheric cold point temperature. The cold‐point temperature is strongly influenced by the strength of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation. The acceleration of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation before about 2003 leads to a cooler tropical tropopause and a decrease of water vapor, and the deceleration thereafter leads to corresponding warming of the tropopause and an increase in water vapor.

Diurnal variability of lower and middle atmospheric water vapour over the Asian summer monsoon region: first results from COSMIC-1 and TIMED-SABER measurements

First observations on the vertical structure of diurnal variability of water vapour in the lower and middle atmosphere using 13 years of COSMIC-1 and 18 years of SABER observations over the Asian summer monsoon region are presented in this paper. The most significant and new observation is that the middle stratospheric water vapour (SWV) enhancement is observed between 9 and 18 LT, whereas it is between 6 and 15 LT near tropopause in all the seasons. The diurnal amplitude of water vapour near tropopause is between 0.3 and 0.4 ppmv. Bimodal peaks are found in the diurnal amplitude of SWV, maximizing between 25 and 30 km (~ 0.4 ppmv), and between 45 and 50 km (~ 0.6 ppmv). The analysis reveals that the diurnal variability in the lower SWV is controlled by the tropical tropopause temperature, whereas the middle and upper SWV is primarily controlled by methane oxidation. The results are presented and discussed in the light of present understanding.

Impact of middle atmospheric humidity on boundary layer turbulence and clouds

An attempt is made to connect the moisture present above the boundary layer and its association with the cloud development and boundary layer turbulence using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and aircraft observations. The dry boundary layer (BL) with shallow clouds observed during Cloud-Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) over the arid Indian peninsula is investigated in this study. The constant altitude aircraft observations at different elevations are used to verify LES derived fluxes and variances. LES simulations with the drier conditions above BL resulted in deeper, warmer and drier BL with an enhanced boundary layer turbulent kinetic energy. A dynamic feedback from dry air intrusion into the BL resulted in energetic BL eddies in the dry conditions and a doubling of moisture exchange coefficients. The liquid water content in cloud updrafts rather than in downdrafts were depleted significantly in dry conditions. LES sensitivity indicates that the middle atmospheric water vapor alone could influence the shallow to deep cumulus cloud transitions in the monsoon regime in a dramatic way, by changing the population of cumulus, congestus or deep cumulus clouds. A 30% drying above the BL could drastically reduce the liquid water path and cloud albedo by 10–15%.

Small-scale variability of stratospheric ozone during the sudden stratospheric warming 2018/2019 observed at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Abstract. Middle atmospheric ozone, water vapour and zonal and meridional wind profiles have been measured with the two ground-based microwave radiometers GROMOS-C and MIAWARA-C. The instruments have been located at the Arctic research base AWIPEV at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard (79∘ N, 12∘ E), since September 2015. GROMOS-C measures ozone spectra in the four cardinal directions with an elevation angle of 22∘. This means that the probed air masses at an altitude of 3 hPa (37 km) have a horizontal distance of 92 km to Ny-Ålesund. We retrieve four separate ozone profiles along the lines of sight and calculate daily mean horizontal ozone gradients which allow us to investigate the small-scale spatial variability of ozone above Ny-Ålesund. We present the evolution of the ozone gradients at Ny-Ålesund during winter 2018/2019, when a major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) took place with the central date at 2 January, and link it to the planetary wave activity. We further analyse the SSW and discuss our ozone and water vapour measurements in a global context. At 3 hPa we find a distinct seasonal variation of the ozone gradients. The strong polar vortex during October and March results in a decreasing ozone volume mixing ratio towards the pole. In November the amplitudes of the planetary waves grow until they break in the end of December and an SSW takes place. From November until February ozone increases towards higher latitudes and the magnitude of the ozone gradients is smaller than in October and March. We attribute this to the planetary wave activity of wave numbers 1 and 2 which enabled meridional transport. The MERRA-2 reanalysis and the SD-WACCM model are able to capture the small-scale ozone variability and its seasonal changes.

Significant decline of mesospheric water vapor at the NDACC site near Bern in the period 2007 to 2018

Abstract. The middle atmospheric water vapor radiometer MIAWARA is located close to Bern in Zimmerwald (46.88∘ N, 7.46∘ E; 907 m) and is part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Initially built in the year 2002, a major upgrade of the instrument's spectrometer allowed middle atmospheric water vapor to be continuously measured since April 2007. Thenceforward to May 2018, a time series of more than 11 years has been gathered, that makes a first trend estimate possible. For the trend estimation, a robust multilinear parametric trend model has been used. The trend model encompasses a linear term, a solar activity tracker, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) as well as the annual and semi-annual oscillation. In the time period April 2007 to May 2018 we find a significant decline in water vapor by -0.6±0.2 ppm per decade between 61 and 72 km. Below the stratopause level (∼48 km) a smaller reduction of H2O of up to -0.3±0.1 ppm per decade is detected.

Long-term observation of midlatitude quasi 2-day waves by a water vapor radiometer

Abstract. A mesospheric water vapor data set obtained by the middle atmospheric water vapor radiometer (MIAWARA) close to Bern, Switzerland (46.88∘ N, 7.46∘ E) during October 2010 to September 2017 is investigated to study the long-term evolution and variability of quasi 2-day waves (Q2DWs). We present a climatological overview and an insight on the dynamical behavior of these waves with the occurring spectrum of periods as seen from a midlatitude observation site. Such a large and nearly continuous measurement data set as ours is rare and of high scientific value. The core results of our investigation indicate that the activity of the Q2DW manifests in burst-like events and is higher during winter months (November–February) than during summer months (May–August) for the altitude region of the mesosphere (up to 0.02 hPa in winter and up to 0.05 hPa in summer) accessible for the instrument. Single Q2DW events reach at most about 0.8 ppm in the H2O amplitudes. Further, monthly mean Q2DW amplitude spectra are presented and reveal a high-frequency variability between different months. A large fraction of identified Q2DW events (20 %) develop periods between 38 and 40 h. Further, we show the temporal evolution of monthly mean Q2DW oscillations continuously for all months and separated for single months over 7 years. The analysis of autobicoherence spectra gives evidence that Q2DWs are sometimes phase coupled to diurnal oscillations to a high degree and to waves with a period close to 18 h.

Buildup of Abiotic Oxygen and Ozone in Moist Atmospheres of Temperate Terrestrial Exoplanets and Its Impact on the Spectral Fingerprint in Transit Observations

Abstract We investigate the abiotic production of oxygen and its photochemical byproduct ozone through water vapor photolysis in moist atmospheres of temperate terrestrial exoplanets. The amount of water vapor available for photolysis in the middle atmosphere of a planet can be limited by an atmospheric cold-trap, the formation of which largely depends on the amount of noncondensable gases. We study this effect using a photochemical model coupled to a 1D radiative-convective equilibrium model in atmospheres with N2, CO2, and H2O as the main constituents. We find that in atmospheres with a low N2 inventory, water vapor mixing ratios in the middle atmosphere can be more than two orders of magnitude higher compared to atmospheres with an Earth-like N2 inventory. Without a strong surface sink, the noncondensable oxygen can build up rapidly, drying out the upper atmosphere. With a moderate surface sink, the planet can approach a steady state with significant oxygen mixing ratios in which oxygen production is balanced by surface uptake. We use a radiative transfer model to study the spectroscopic fingerprint of these atmospheres in transit observations. Spectral signatures of abiotic oxygen and ozone can be of comparable magnitude as in spectra of Earth seen as an exoplanet. Middle atmospheric water vapor is unlikely to be a usable indicator of the abiotic origin of oxygen because of the influence of oxygen on the water vapor distribution. This suggests that atmospheric oxygen and ozone cannot be used as binary bioindicators and that their interpretation will likely require atmospheric and planetary models.

Quasi 18 h wave activity in ground-based observed mesospheric H<sub>2</sub>O over Bern, Switzerland

Abstract. Observations of oscillations in the abundance of middle-atmospheric trace gases can provide insight into the dynamics of the middle atmosphere. Long-term, high-temporal-resolution and continuous measurements of dynamical tracers within the strato- and mesosphere are rare but would facilitate better understanding of the impact of atmospheric waves on the middle atmosphere. Here we report on water vapor measurements from the ground-based microwave radiometer MIAWARA (MIddle Atmospheric WAter vapor RAdiometer) located close to Bern during two winter periods of 6 months from October to March. Oscillations with periods between 6 and 30 h are analyzed in the pressure range 0.02–2 hPa. Seven out of 12 months have the highest wave amplitudes between 15 and 21 h periods in the mesosphere above 0.1 hPa. The quasi 18 h wave signature in the water vapor tracer is studied in more detail by analyzing its temporal evolution in the mesosphere up to an altitude of 75 km. Eighteen-hour oscillations in midlatitude zonal wind observations from the microwave Doppler wind radiometer WIRA (WInd RAdiometer) could be identified within the pressure range 0.1–1 hPa during an ARISE (Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe)-affiliated measurement campaign at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (355 km from Bern) in France in 2013. The origin of the observed upper-mesospheric quasi 18 h oscillations is uncertain and could not be determined with our available data sets. Possible drivers could be low-frequency inertia-gravity waves or a nonlinear wave–wave interaction between the quasi 2-day wave and the diurnal tide.

Trajectory mapping of middle atmospheric water vapor by a mini network of NDACC instruments

Abstract. The important task to observe the global coverage of middle atmospheric trace gases like water vapor or ozone usually is accomplished by satellites. Climate and atmospheric studies rely upon the knowledge of trace gas distributions throughout the stratosphere and mesosphere. Many of these gases are currently measured from satellites, but it is not clear whether this capability will be maintained in the future. This could lead to a significant knowledge gap of the state of the atmosphere. We explore the possibilities of mapping middle atmospheric water vapor in the Northern Hemisphere by using Lagrangian trajectory calculations and water vapor profile data from a small network of five ground-based microwave radiometers. Four of them are operated within the frame of NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change). Keeping in mind that the instruments are based on different hardware and calibration setups, a height-dependent bias of the retrieved water vapor profiles has to be expected among the microwave radiometers. In order to correct and harmonize the different data sets, the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aura satellite is used to serve as a kind of traveling standard. A domain-averaging TM (trajectory mapping) method is applied which simplifies the subsequent validation of the quality of the trajectory-mapped water vapor distribution towards direct satellite observations. Trajectories are calculated forwards and backwards in time for up to 10 days using 6 hourly meteorological wind analysis fields. Overall, a total of four case studies of trajectory mapping in different meteorological regimes are discussed. One of the case studies takes place during a major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) accompanied by the polar vortex breakdown; a second takes place after the reformation of stable circulation system. TM cases close to the fall equinox and June solstice event from the year 2012 complete the study, showing the high potential of a network of ground-based remote sensing instruments to synthesize hemispheric maps of water vapor.

Variations in middle atmospheric water vapor from 2004 to 2013

AbstractWe show measurements of middle atmospheric water vapor as measured by two ground‐based Water Vapor Millimeter‐wave Spectrometer instruments and three satellite‐based instruments: the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder, the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), and the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). We also show CH4 measurements from the MIPAS and ACE instruments and use these to help interpret the H2O variations. We find that interannual changes in stratospheric H2O of ~0.5 ppmv, observed from Table Mountain, California, at 26 km and 40 km from 2010 to 2012, are caused primarily by dynamically driven changes in CH4 during this period. The interannual variations in H2O observed over Mauna Loa, Hawaii, are shown to be quite similar to the average variations observed over 50°S–50°N in the lower mesosphere; thus, we conclude that a single ground‐based microwave instrument can provide a useful estimate of interannual globally averaged lower mesospheric H2O variations, even when such changes are as small as ~0.2–0.3 ppmv. We find that the increase of ~0.2–0.3 ppmv in H2O in the lower mesosphere since 2006 is qualitatively consistent with an increase in tropical tropopause temperature since around 2001.

Validation of middle-atmospheric campaign-based water vapour measured by the ground-based microwave radiometer MIAWARA-C

Abstract. Middle atmospheric water vapour can be used as a tracer for dynamical processes. It is mainly measured by satellite instruments and ground-based microwave radiometers. Ground-based instruments capable of measuring middle-atmospheric water vapour are sparse but valuable as they complement satellite measurements, are relatively easy to maintain and have a long lifetime. MIAWARA-C is a ground-based microwave radiometer for middle-atmospheric water vapour designed for use on measurement campaigns for both atmospheric case studies and instrument intercomparisons. MIAWARA-C's retrieval version 1.1 (v1.1) is set up in a such way as to provide a consistent data set even if the instrument is operated from different locations on a campaign basis. The sensitive altitude range for v1.1 extends from 4 hPa (37 km) to 0.017 hPa (75 km). For v1.1 the estimated systematic error is approximately 10% for all altitudes. At lower altitudes it is dominated by uncertainties in the calibration, with altitude the influence of spectroscopic and temperature uncertainties increases. The estimated random error increases with altitude from 5 to 25%. MIAWARA-C measures two polarisations of the incident radiation in separate receiver channels, and can therefore provide two measurements of the same air mass with independent instrumental noise. The standard deviation of the difference between the profiles obtained from the two polarisations is in excellent agreement with the estimated random measurement error of v1.1. In this paper, the quality of v1.1 data is assessed for measurements obtained at two different locations: (1) a total of 25 months of measurements in the Arctic (Sodankylä, 67.37° N, 26.63° E) and (2) nine months of measurements at mid-latitudes (Zimmerwald, 46.88° N, 7.46° E). For both locations MIAWARA-C's profiles are compared to measurements from the satellite experiments Aura MLS and MIPAS. In addition, comparisons to ACE-FTS and SOFIE are presented for the Arctic and to the ground-based radiometer MIAWARA for the mid-latitude campaigns. In general, all intercomparisons show high correlation coefficients, confirming the ability of MIAWARA-C to monitor temporal variations of the order of days. The biases are generally below 13% and within the estimated systematic uncertainty of MIAWARA-C. No consistent wet or dry bias is identified for MIAWARA-C. In addition, comparisons to the reference instruments indicate the estimated random error of v1.1 to be a realistic measure of the random variation on the retrieved profile between 45 and 70 km.

Diurnal variations in middle-atmospheric water vapor by ground-based microwave radiometry

Abstract. In this paper, we compare the diurnal variations in middle-atmospheric water vapor as measured by two ground-based microwave radiometers in the Alpine region near Bern, Switzerland. The observational data set is also compared to data from the chemistry–climate model WACCM. Due to the small diurnal variations of usually less than 1%, averages over extended time periods are required. Therefore, two time periods of five months each, December to April and June to October, were taken for the comparison. The diurnal variations from the observational data agree well with each other in amplitude and phase. The linear correlation coefficients range from 0.8 in the upper stratosphere to 0.5 in the upper mesosphere. The observed diurnal variability is significant at all pressure levels within the sensitivity of the instruments. Comparing our observations with WACCM, we find that the agreement of the phase of the diurnal cycle between observations and model is better from December to April than from June to October. The amplitudes of the diurnal variations for both time periods increase with altitude in WACCM, but remain approximately constant at 0.05 ppm in the observations. The WACCM data are used to separate the processes that lead to diurnal variations in middle-atmospheric water vapor above Bern. The dominating processes were found to be meridional advection below 0.1 hPa, vertical advection between 0.1 and 0.02 hPa and (photo-)chemistry above 0.02 hPa. The contribution of zonal advection is small. The highest diurnal variations in water vapor as seen in the WACCM data are found in the mesopause region during the time period from June to October with diurnal amplitudes of 0.2 ppm (approximately 5% in relative units).

The effect of zonal asymmetries in the Brewer‐Dobson circulation on ozone and water vapor distributions in the northern middle atmosphere

AbstractThe longitudinal variations in the time‐mean transport by the Brewer‐Dobson circulation are studied using a three‐dimensional (3‐D) residual circulation approach to analyze the effects on zonal asymmetries in stratospheric ozone (O3) and middle atmospheric water vapor (H2O). For January, the monthly mean residual winds, including both the Eulerian flow and the eddy‐induced time‐mean flow, were derived from general circulation model simulations with interactive chemistry (HAMMONIA), reanalysis (ERA‐Interim), and satellite data (Aura/MLS). Extending the picture of the zonal mean two‐dimensional Brewer‐Dobson circulation, we find a 3‐D circulation structure in relation to the zonal wave one in the middle atmosphere, including northward and downward residual winds over northern Europe/Asia with the downwelling directed toward the center of the polar vortex over northern Siberia, as well as southward and upward residual winds over the northern Pacific/Aleutians, and a pronounced cross‐polar transport from Asia to North America in the middle stratosphere. The residual advection of O3 and H2O shows that the observed wave one patterns in O3 and H2O are produced by the zonal asymmetries in the residual mass transport in which Eulerian and eddy time‐mean transports are largely counteracting. In comparison to observations, the model underestimates the effects of planetary waves but overestimates those of transient waves in configuring the stationary waves in O3 and H2O. Overall, the 3‐D residual circulation approach provides a useful diagnostic for understanding regional differences in middle atmospheric trace gas distributions and for validating general circulation models with interactive chemistry.

Observations of middle atmospheric H<sub>2</sub>O and O<sub>3</sub> during the 2010 major sudden stratospheric warming by a network of microwave radiometers

Abstract. In this study, we present middle atmospheric water vapor (H2O) and ozone (O3) measurements obtained by ground-based microwave radiometers at three European locations in Bern (47° N), Onsala (57° N) and Sodankylä (67° N) during Northern winter 2009/2010. In January 2010, a major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) occurred in the Northern Hemisphere whose signatures are evident in the ground-based observations of H2O and O3. The observed anomalies in H2O and O3 are mostly explained by the relative location of the polar vortex with respect to the measurement locations. The SSW started on 26 January 2010 and was most pronounced by the end of January. The zonal mean temperature in the middle stratosphere (10 hPa) increased by approximately 25 Kelvin within a few days. The stratospheric vortex weakened during the SSW and shifted towards Europe. In the mesosphere, the vortex broke down, which lead to large scale mixing of polar and midlatitudinal air. After the warming, the polar vortex in the stratosphere split into two weaker vortices and in the mesosphere, a new, pole-centered vortex formed with maximum wind speed of 70 m s−1 at approximately 40° N. The shift of the stratospheric vortex towards Europe was observed in Bern as an increase in stratospheric H2O and a decrease in O3. The breakdown of the mesospheric vortex during the SSW was observed at Onsala and Sodankylä as a sudden increase in mesospheric H2O. The following large-scale descent inside the newly formed mesospheric vortex was well captured by the H2O observations in Sodankylä. In order to combine the H2O observations from the three different locations, we applied the trajectory mapping technique on our H2O observations to derive synoptic scale maps of the H2O distribution. Based on our observations and the 3-D wind field, this method allows determining the approximate development of the stratospheric and mesospheric polar vortex and demonstrates the potential of a network of ground-based instruments.

First detection of tidal behaviour in polar mesospheric water vapour by ground based microwave spectroscopy

Abstract. Mesospheric water vapour has been observed above ALOMAR in northern Norway (69° N 16° E) by our group since 1995 using a 22 GHz ground based microwave spectrometer. A new instrument with higher sensitivity, providing a much better time resolution especially in the upper mesosphere, was installed in May 2008. The time resolution is high enough to provide observations of daily variations in the water vapour mixing ratio. We present the first ground based detections of tidal behaviour in the polar middle atmospheric water vapour distribution. Diurnal and semidiurnal variations of water vapour have been observed and due to the long chemical lifetime of water they are assumed to be caused by changing wind patterns which transport water-rich or poor air into the observed region. The detected tidal behaviour does not follow any single other dynamical field but is instead assumed to be a result of the different wind components. Both the diurnal and semidiurnal amplitude and phase components are resolved. The former shows a stable seasonal behaviour consistent with earlier observations of wind fields and model calculations, whereas the latter appears more complex and no regular behaviour has so far been observed.

The fourth‐generation Water Vapor Millimeter‐Wave Spectrometer

For 20 years the Naval Research Laboratory has been making continuous water vapor profile measurements at 22.235 GHz with the Water Vapor Millimeter‐Wave Spectrometer (WVMS) instruments, with the program expanding from one to three instruments in the first 6 years. Since the initial deployments there have been gradual improvements in the instrument design which have improved data quality and reduced maintenance requirements. Recent technological developments have made it possible to entirely redesign the instrument and improve not only the quality of the measurements but also the capability of the instrument. We present the fourth‐generation instrument now operating at Table Mountain, California, which incorporates the most recent advances in microwave radiometry. This instrument represents the most significant extension of our measurement capability to date, enabling us to measure middle atmospheric water vapor from ∼26–80 km.

Development of a 22 GHz ground-based spectrometer for middle atmospheric water vapour monitoring

The water Vapour Emission SPectrometer for Antarctica at 22 GHz (VESPA-22) has been designed for long-term middle atmospheric climate change monitoring and satellite data validation. It observes the water vapour spectral line at 22.235 GHz using the balanced beam-switching technique. The receiver antenna has been characterized, showing an HPBW of 3.5° and a sidelobe level 40 dB below the main lobe. The receiver front-end has a total gain of 105 dB and a LNA noise temperature of 125 K. A FFT spectrometer (bandwidth 1 GHz, resolution 63 kHz) will be used as back-end, allowing the retrieval of H2O concentration profiles in the 20 to 80 km altitude range. The control I/O interface is based on reconfigurable hardware (USB-CPLD).

Zonal asymmetries in middle atmospheric ozone and water vapour derived from Odin satellite data 2001–2010

Abstract. Stationary wave patterns in middle atmospheric ozone (O3) and water vapour (H2O) are an important factor in the atmospheric circulation, but there is a strong gap in diagnosing and understanding their configuration and origin. Based on Odin satellite data from 2001 to 2010 we investigate the stationary wave patterns in O3 and H2O as indicated by the seasonal long-term means of the zonally asymmetric components O3* = O3-[O3] and H2O* = H2O-[H2O] ([O3], [H2O]: zonal means). At mid- and polar latitudes we find a pronounced wave one pattern in both constituents. In the Northern Hemisphere, the wave patterns increase during autumn, maintain their strength during winter and decay during spring, with maximum amplitudes of about 10–20 % of the zonal mean values. During winter, the wave one in O3* shows a maximum over the North Pacific/Aleutians and a minimum over the North Atlantic/Northern Europe and a double-peak structure with enhanced amplitude in the lower and in the upper stratosphere. The wave one in H2O* extends from the lower stratosphere to the upper mesosphere with a westward shift in phase with increasing height including a jump in phase at upper stratosphere altitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, similar wave patterns occur mainly during southern spring. By comparing the observed wave patterns in O3* and H2O* with a linear solution of a steady-state transport equation for a zonally asymmetric tracer component we find that these wave patterns are primarily due to zonally asymmetric transport by geostrophically balanced winds, which are derived from observed temperature profiles. In addition temperature-dependent photochemistry contributes substantially to the spatial structure of the wave pattern in O3* . Further influences, e.g., zonal asymmetries in eddy mixing processes, are discussed.