Stratosphere-troposphere Exchange Processes Research Articles

Influence of stratosphere-troposphere exchange on long-term trends of surface ozone in CMIP6

Surface ozone, which is a major air pollutant, has gained widespread public attention due to its significant harm to human health and ecosystems. Here we find that long-term trends of surface ozone are largely influenced by stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) using the historical simulations in the CMIP6 multi-model ensemble. It is found that STE contributes up to 39.5% of climatological surface ozone in the extratropics of the winter hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH), prominent stratospheric ozone depletion tends to reduce tropospheric and surface ozone due to STE over 1960–1997, which has been reversed during 1997–2014. In the Northern Hemisphere (NH), STE enhances surface ozone during both ozone depletion and recovery periods. About 29.5% of the positive trends of surface ozone over 1960–2014 can be attributed to STE processes in boreal winter in the NH extratropics. The enhancement of STE is related to the changes in atmospheric circulation associated with global warming. Our results suggest that STE will further worsen surface ozone pollution in the future associated with the stratospheric ozone recovery and global warming.

O3 and PAN in southern Tibetan Plateau determined by distinct physical and chemical processes

Abstract. Tropospheric ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) are both photochemical pollutants harmful to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, measurements of O3 and PAN as well as their precursors were conducted from May to July 2019 at Nam Co station (NMC), a highly pristine high-altitude site in the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP), to investigate how distinct transport processes and photochemistry contributed to their variations. Results revealed that, despite highly similar diurnal variations with steep morning rises and flat daytime plateaus that were caused by boundary layer development and downmixing of free-tropospheric air, day-to-day variations in O3 and PAN were in fact controlled by distinct physicochemical processes. During the dry spring season, air masses rich in O3 were associated with high-altitude westerly air masses that entered the TP from the west or the south, which frequently carried high loadings of stratospheric O3 to NMC. During the summer monsoon season, a northward shift of the subtropical jet stream shifted the stratospheric downward entrainment pathway also to the north, leading to direct stratospheric O3 entrainment into the troposphere of the northern TP, which traveled southwards to NMC within low altitudes via northerly winds in front of ridges or closed high pressures over the TP. Westerly and southerly air masses, however, revealed low O3 levels due to the overall less stratospheric O3 within the troposphere of low-latitude regions. PAN, however, was only rich in westerly or southerly air masses that crossed over polluted regions such as northern India, Nepal or Bangladesh before entering the TP and arriving at NMC from the south during both spring and summer. Overall, the O3 level at NMC was mostly determined by stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE), which explained 77 % and 88 % of the observed O3 concentration in spring and summer, respectively. However, only 0.1 % of the springtime day-to-day O3 variability could be explained by STE processes, while 22 % was explained during summertime. Positive net photochemical formation was estimated for both O3 and PAN based on observation-constrained box modeling. Near-surface photochemical formation was unable to account for the high O3 level observed at NMC, nor was it the determining factor for the day-to-day variability of O3. However, it was able to capture events with elevated PAN concentrations and explain its day-to-day variations. O3 and PAN formation were both highly sensitive to NOx levels, with PAN being also quite sensitive to volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations. The rapid development of transportation networks and urbanization within the TP may lead to increased emissions and loadings in NOx and VOCs, resulting in strongly enhanced O3 and PAN formation in downwind pristine regions, which should be given greater attention in future studies.

Middle atmospheric structure, dynamics, and coupling from three decades of Indian MST radar and complimentary observations: An overview

The genesis for Indian Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere (MST) radar came from the Indian Middle Atmospheric Programme (IMAP) to study the middle atmospheric dynamics and its underlying processes. During the early 1990s VHF radar operating at 53 MHz has been set up at Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E), India, which started operating initially in the stratospheric and tropospheric (ST) mode. It is upgraded to MST mode in 1993. Since then, it has served various scientific experiments not only from India but under international collaboration. Numerous focused campaigns that have national and international importance were conducted. Using this unique data in the last 30 years along with complementary measurements, several stimulating results has been reported covering a wide range of topics that includes gravity wave characteristics, tides, planetary waves, oscillations, tropopause dynamics and stratosphere-troposphere exchange processes, monsoon dynamics and circulations, mesospheric structure and dynamics, vertical and lateral coupling and long-term trends. The present communication will highlight the unique results obtained using long-term observations of Indian MST radar and complementary techniques covering the complete middle atmosphere. Unique results include quantification of the momentum carried by the high-frequency waves generated in the troposphere up to the mesosphere, demarcating the complete tropical tropopause layer using MST radar observations alone, indication for the strengthening of the tropical easterly jet in the recent decade, unusual behavior of the Hadley circulation during drought and El Nino years, the revelation of the mechanisms for the occurrence of mesospheric echoes at the tropical latitudes, quantification of the turbulence, evidence for the role of anthropogenic changes on the dynamics of the mesosphere and generation of the empirical model by combing multi-instrument data sets. These data set also served in validating numerous ground-based and space-borne measurements including several re-analysis products over a tropical latitude. Issues remained unresolved and ways to tackle in future experiments are highlighted.

Spatiotemporal and Vertical Distribution of Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer Using Long-Term Multi-Source Data

The Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL) is an enhanced aerosol concentration layer in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Asia, and it has important effects on radiation balance, atmospheric circulation, regional climate, and atmospheric chemical processes. However, despite its importance, the specific structure and long-term variation trend of the ATAL have been rarely analyzed, which is critical for assessing the impact of ATAL on climate change and evaluating the performance of climate models. This study compared and analyzed the three-dimensional spatial distribution characteristics and temporal variability using CALIPSO, SAGEII, and MERRA-2 data and discussed the possible causes of the variation. The results showed that the ATAL began to appear in the mid-to-late 1990s and then strengthened rapidly until 2010, after which this trend was no longer observed. Moreover, significant heterogeneity existed in the distribution of aerosol concentration in the ATAL, showing north–south differences (NSDs) in both time and space. In addition, it was found that besides surface emissions, atmospheric circulation, the strength of convective transport, and stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes also contribute to this pattern. This study has important implications for quantifying the climate consequences of the ATAL.

A Rossby wave breaking-induced enhancement in the tropospheric ozone over the Central Himalayan region

The high-altitude regions in the Himalayas are prone to high ozone concentrations frequently resulting from diverse dynamical and transport mechanisms. Here, we report an unusual enhancement in the surface and tropospheric ozone concentrations over the central Himalayan region from ground-based and space-borne measurements in the month of December 2010. The surface ozone levels (~80 ppbv) on 18–19 December 2010 is observed to be two-fold higher relative to the seasonal average (December-January-February) of about 40–50 ppbv in the central Himalayan region. The space-borne measurements from Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer and Ozone Monitoring Instrument onboard Aqua satellite also show higher values in the tropospheric column ozone over this region. The satellite observations indicate an increase in tropopause temperature of about 5 °C and decrease in tropopause altitude about 1 km during 18–19 December 2010 resulting in the occurrence of tropopause fold facilitating the stratospheric-tropospheric exchange processes over the study region. The plausible reason for the occurrence of tropopause fold and subsequent enhancement of tropospheric and surface ozone is found to be associated with the breaking Rossby waves in the upper troposphere. The wave breaking leads to the advection of high-PV (potential vorticity) air, with magnitudes of about 3–4 PVU, towards the central Himalayan region from high-latitudes. The vertical component of PV advection also shows a deep stratospheric intrusion of high-PV air into the troposphere. The isentropic transport of ozone across the folding tropopause due to the wave breaking is clearly depicted from the satellite and reanalysis datasets. Therefore, the present study has strong implications of upper tropospheric wave dynamics to the tropospheric and surface ozone over the Himalayan regions having complex topography.

Seasonal characteristics of trace gas transport into the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Abstract. To investigate the seasonal characteristics of trace gas distributions in the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (ExUTLS) as well as stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes, origin fractions of air masses originating in the stratosphere, tropical troposphere, midlatitude lower troposphere (LT), and high-latitude LT in the ExUTLS are estimated using 10-year backward trajectories calculated with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim data as the meteorological input. Time series of trace gases obtained from ground-based and airborne observations are incorporated into the trajectories, thus reconstructing spatiotemporal distributions of trace gases in the ExUTLS. The reconstructed tracer distributions are analyzed with the origin fractions and the stratospheric age of air (AoA) estimated using the backward trajectories. The reconstructed distributions of SF6 and CO2 in the ExUTLS are linearly correlated with those of AoA because of their chemically passive behavior and quasi-stable increasing trends in the troposphere. Distributions of CH4, N2O, and CO are controlled primarily by chemical decay along the transport path from the source region via the stratosphere and subsequent mixing of such stratospheric air masses with tropospheric air masses in the ExUTLS.

Diurnal variability of the global tropical tropopause: results inferred from COSMIC observations

Short and long-term variability of the tropical tropopause controls the exchange of minor constituents between the troposphere and the stratosphere. We present the diurnal variability of the global tropical tropopause altitude and temperature using 7 years of COSMIC observations. The aim of the study is to extract diurnal tropopause signals and their impact on stratosphere-troposphere exchange processes. The possible role of atmospheric tides and convection in controlling the tropopause characteristics are discussed. The most significant and new observation is that in the deep tropics the cold-point tropopause altitude is higher and temperatue is cooler over the land (ocean) during evening to late evening hours (afternoon to early evening). Lower tropopause altitude allows the stratospheric air intrusion into the troposphere during the day time. The combined effect of diurnal tropopause altitude changes and turbulent mixing increases the possibility of stratospheric intrusions. A warmer forenoon tropopause allows increased injection of water vapor from the troposphere to the lower stratosphere. Over the tropical land (ocean), the zonal mean diurnal amplitude is 130–200 m (140–180 m) for tropopause altitude and 0.6–0.9 K (0.6–0.8 K) for tropopause temperature.

Climatology of cross‐tropopause mass exchange over the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings

ABSTRACTThe cross‐tropopause mass flux (CTMF) and long‐term trends in stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surroundings were analyzed using European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data. The gross CTMF (the sum of upward and downward mass flux) shows an evident wave train structure over the TP, which is mainly related to the horizontal exchange of air masses along the tropopause associated with the sharp meridional gradient in tropopause pressure or vertical discontinuity of the thermal tropopause in winter. The seasonal cycle of the STE over the TP shows that the gross mass flux is downwards in Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter and upwards in NH summer. The gross CTMF over the TP accounts for 2.96% of the global total CTMF arising from STE processes resolved by Wei method. Both the upward and downward CTMF over the TP exhibit statistically significant positive trends in winter during the period 1979–2009. The strong positive trends of STE in winter over the TP are resulted from the combined effects of the rising tropopause height, enhanced westerlies and decreasing plateau winter monsoon. In summer, both the upward and downward CTMF exhibit statistically significant negative trends over the northern TP, while the trend in upward CTMF is positive over the southern TP, in accordance with the increasing intensity of Asian summer monsoon in recent decades. The sensitivity simulations with a climate model confirm that changes in the Asian monsoon can significantly affect the tropopause and the CTMF over the TP.

Effect of tropical cyclones on the stratosphere–troposphere exchange observed using satellite observations over the north Indian Ocean

Abstract. Tropical cyclones play an important role in modifying the tropopause structure and dynamics as well as stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) region. In the present study, the impact of cyclones that occurred over the north Indian Ocean during 2007–2013 on the STE processes is quantified using satellite observations. Tropopause characteristics during cyclones are obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) measurements, and ozone and water vapour concentrations in the UTLS region are obtained from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite observations. The effect of cyclones on the tropopause parameters is observed to be more prominent within 500 km of the centre of the tropical cyclone. In our earlier study, we observed a decrease (increase) in the tropopause altitude (temperature) up to 0.6 km (3 K), and the convective outflow level increased up to 2 km. This change leads to a total increase in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) thickness of 3 km within 500 km of the centre of cyclone. Interestingly, an enhancement in the ozone mixing ratio in the upper troposphere is clearly noticed within 500 km from the cyclone centre, whereas the enhancement in the water vapour in the lower stratosphere is more significant on the south-east side, extending from 500 to 1000 km away from the cyclone centre. The cross-tropopause mass flux for different intensities of cyclones is estimated and it is found that the mean flux from the stratosphere to the troposphere for cyclonic storms is 0.05 ± 0.29 × 10−3 kg m−2, and for very severe cyclonic storms it is 0.5 ± 1.07 × 10−3 kg m−2. More downward flux is noticed on the north-west and south-west side of the cyclone centre. These results indicate that the cyclones have significant impact in effecting the tropopause structure, ozone and water vapour budget, and consequentially the STE in the UTLS region.

Atmospheric composition in the Eastern Mediterranean: Influence of biomass burning during summertime using the WRF-Chem model

The composition of the atmosphere over the Aegean Sea (AS) during an ‘Etesian’ outbreak under the influence of biomass burning (BB) activity is investigated. Simulations with the fully coupled WRF-Chem model during the Aegean-GAME campaign (29/8-9/9/2011) are used to examine the BB effect over the region. Two distinct Etesian flow patterns characterized by different transport conditions are analysed. The influence of the off-line calculated BB emissions on the atmospheric chemical composition over the AS under these conditions is estimated. In addition, sensitivity runs are used to examine the influence of the biogenic emissions calculated on-line and the realistic representation of the stratosphere-troposphere exchange processes are investigated through the time-varying chemical boundary conditions from the MOZART global chemical transport model. The horizontal and vertical distributions of gaseous and aerosol species are simulated under long-range transport conditions and interpreted in relation to the evolution of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). In the case of a weaker synoptic system (medium-range transport conditions), even a small variability of meteorological parameters in limited areas become critical for the spatial distribution of gases and aerosols. The BB activity increases O3, PM2.5 and organic matter concentrations up to 5.5 ppb, 5.8 μg m−3 and 3.3 μg m−3, respectively. The spatial extent of the simulated BB plumes is further examined by comparison with airborne measurements of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). The estimated effect of biogenic emissions on O3 and PM2.5 concentrations is either positive or negative (±6 ppb for O3 and up to ± 1 μg m−3 for PM2.5) depending on the emission algorithm employed. The realistic representation of the chemical boundary conditions reproduces an observed layer rich in O3 above 4 km, but also increases O3 concentrations inside the PBL by up to 40%.

Effect of tropical cyclones on the tropical tropopause parameters observed using COSMIC GPS RO data

Abstract. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are deep convective synoptic-scale systems that play an important role in modifying the thermal structure, tropical tropopause parameters and hence also modify stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes. In the present study, high vertical resolution and high accuracy measurements from COSMIC Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) measurements are used to investigate and quantify the effect of tropical cyclones that occurred over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea in the last decade on the tropical tropopause parameters. The tropopause parameters include cold-point tropopause altitude (CPH) and temperature (CPT), lapse-rate tropopause altitude (LRH) and temperature (LRT) and the thickness of the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), that is defined as the layer between convective outflow level (COH) and CPH, obtained from GPS RO data. From all the TC events, we generate the mean cyclone-centred composite structure for the tropopause parameters and removed it from the climatological mean obtained from averaging the GPS RO data from 2002 to 2013. Since the TCs include eye, eye walls and deep convective bands, we obtained the tropopause parameters based on radial distance from the cyclone eye. In general, decrease in the CPH in the eye is noticed as expected. However, as the distance from the cyclone eye increases by 300, 400, and 500 km, an enhancement in CPH (CPT) and LRH (LRT) is observed. Lowering of CPH (0.6 km) and LRH (0.4 km) values with coldest CPT and LRT (2–3 K) within a 500 km radius of the TC centre is noticed. Higher (2 km) COH leading to the lowering of TTL thickness (2–3 km) is clearly observed. There are multiple tropopause structures in the profiles of temperature obtained within 100 km from the centre of the TC. These changes in the tropopause parameters are expected to influence the water vapour transport from the troposphere to the lower stratosphere, and ozone from the lower stratosphere to the upper troposphere, hence influencing STE processes.

Dessler, Jimenez, Klein, and Nenes Receive 2012 Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Awards: Citation for Andrew E. Dessler

The Atmospheric Sciences section of AGU awards one of the four Ascent Awards to Professor Andrew E. Dessler of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University for fundamental contributions to the understanding of stratospheric‐tropospheric exchange processes and the physics of ozone depletion and for attempts to unravel water vapor and cloud feedbacks in the climate system. In addition, he is commended for his ceaseless work in communicating the science of climate change to the public.

Stratospheric aerosols from the Sarychev volcano eruption in the 2009 Arctic summer

Abstract. Aerosols from the Sarychev volcano eruption (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) were observed in the Arctic lower stratosphere a few days after the strongest SO2 injection which occurred on 15 and 16 June 2009. From the observations provided by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) an estimated 0.9 Tg of sulphur dioxide was injected into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The resultant stratospheric sulphate aerosols were detected from satellites by the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) limb sounder and by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and from the surface by the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Changes (NDACC) lidar deployed at OHP (Observatoire de Haute-Provence, France). By the first week of July the aerosol plume had spread out over the entire Arctic region. The Sarychev-induced stratospheric aerosol over the Kiruna region (north of Sweden) was measured by the Stratospheric and Tropospheric Aerosol Counter (STAC) during eight balloon flights planned in August and September 2009. During this balloon campaign the Micro Radiomètre Ballon (MicroRADIBAL) and the Spectroscopie d'Absorption Lunaire pour l'Observation des Minoritaires Ozone et NOx (SALOMON) remote-sensing instruments also observed these aerosols. Aerosol concentrations returned to near-background levels by spring 2010. The effective radius, the surface area density (SAD), the aerosol extinction, and the total sulphur mass from STAC in situ measurements are enhanced with mean values in the range 0.15–0.21 μm, 5.5–14.7 μm2 cm−3, 5.5–29.5 × 10−4 km−1, and 4.9–12.6 × 10−10 kg[S] kg−1[air], respectively, between 14 km and 18 km. The observed and modelled e-folding time of sulphate aerosols from the Sarychev eruption is around 70–80 days, a value much shorter than the 12–14 months calculated for aerosols from the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo. The OSIRIS stratospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 750 nm is enhanced by a factor of 6, with a value of 0.02 in late July compared to 0.0035 before the eruption. The HadGEM2 and MIMOSA model outputs indicate that aerosol layers in polar region up to 14–15 km are largely modulated by stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes. The spatial extent of the Sarychev plume is well represented in the HadGEM2 model with lower altitudes of the plume being controlled by upper tropospheric troughs which displace the plume downward and upper altitudes around 18–20 km, in agreement with lidar observations. Good consistency is found between the HadGEM2 sulphur mass density and the value inferred from the STAC observations, with a maximum located about 1 km above the tropopause ranging from 1 to 2 × 10−9 kg[S] kg−1[air], which is one order of magnitude higher than the background level.

Five blind men and the elephant: what can the NASA Aura ozone measurements tell us about stratosphere-troposphere exchange?

Abstract. We examine whether the individual ozone (O3) measurements from the four Aura instruments can quantify the stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) flux of O3, an important term of the tropospheric O3 budget. The level 2 (L2) Aura swath data and the nearly coincident ozone sondes for the years 2005–2006 are compared with the 4-D, high-resolution (1° × 1° × 40-layer × 0.5 h) model simulation of atmospheric ozone for the same period from the University of California, Irvine chemistry transport model (CTM). The CTM becomes a transfer standard for comparing individual profiles from these five, not-quite-coincident measurements of atmospheric ozone. Even with obvious model discrepancies identified here, the CTM can readily quantify instrument-instrument biases in the tropical upper troposphere and mid-latitude lower stratosphere. In terms of STE processes, all four Aura datasets have some skill in identifying stratosphere-troposphere folds, and we find several cases where both model and measurements see evidence of high-O3 stratospheric air entering the troposphere. In many cases identified in the model, however, the individual Aura profile retrievals in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere show too much noise, as expected from their low sensitivity and coarse vertical resolution at and below the tropopause. These model-measurement comparisons of individual profiles do provide some level of confidence in the model-derived STE O3 flux, but it will be difficult to integrate this flux from the satellite data alone.

MST radar investigation on inertia-gravity waves associated with tropical depression in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E)

Continuous measurements of 3-dimensional winds, spectral parameters, and tropopause height for ∼114 h during the passage of a tropical depression using mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar at Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) are discussed. The spectral analysis of zonal and meridional winds shows the presence of inertia-gravity wave (IGW) with the dominant periodicity of 56 h and intrinsic period of 27 h in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The strengthening of easterly jet and associated wind shears during the passage of the depression is one of the causative mechanisms for exciting the IGW. A well-established radar method is used to identify the tropopause and to study its response to the propagating atmospheric disturbances. The significance of the present study lies in showing the response of tropopause height to the IGW during tropical depression for the first time, which will have implications in stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes.

Professor Zalman Makhover: a relevant contributor to early tropopause studies

We present an assessment of the work of Zalman Meerovich Makhover (1922-99), a leading expert on Tropopause studies in the former USSR. Although a much-respected scientist among his peers, his work remains unknown, possibly as a result of much of never having been translated into English. His most important contributions were on the subject of the spatial and temporal structure of the altitude and temperature of the Tropopause, as well as its variability over a range of different time scales from annual to daily. We describe the determination of the seasonal features of the Tropopause and note his achievements in determining the roles of synoptic conditions and the annual cycle on Tropopause characteristics. Recent Tropopause research has confirmed much of his earlier work and provided important results for, among other things, stratospheretroposphere exchange processes, climate change indicator studies, and the climatology of aircraft exhaust traces. The legacy of Makhover includes his own research on Tropopause phenomena, as well as a synthesis of the numerous studies conducted by former Soviet and other researchers. Here we provide a brief biography, citation data, as well as graphical material taken from his monographs and papers. Zusammenfassung ‐ To be included ‐ will prepared the copy editor

Exploring the geoengineering of climate using stratospheric sulfate aerosols: The role of particle size

Aerosols produced in the lower stratosphere can brighten the planet and counteract some of the effects of global warming. We explore scenarios in which the amount of precursors and the size of the aerosol are varied to assess their interactions with the climate system. Stratosphere‐troposphere exchange processes change in response to greenhouse gas forcing and respond to geoengineering by aerosols. Nonlinear feedbacks influence the amount of aerosol required to counteract the warming. More aerosol precursor must be injected than would be needed if stratosphere troposphere exchange processes did not change in response to greenhouse gases or aerosols. Aerosol particle size has an important role in modulating the energy budget. A prediction of aerosol size requires a much more complex representation and assumptions about the delivery mechanism beyond the scope of this study, so we explore the response when particle size is prescribed. More aerosol is required to counteract greenhouse warming if aerosol particles are as large as those seen during volcanic eruptions (compared to the smaller aerosols found in quiescent conditions) because the larger particles are less effective at scattering incoming energy, and trap some outgoing energy. About 1.5 Tg S/yr are found to balance a doubling of CO2 if the particles are small, while perhaps double that may be needed if the particles reach the size seen following eruptions.

The atmospheric chemistry general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy1: consistent simulation of ozone from the surface to the mesosphere

Abstract. The new Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy) describes atmospheric chemistry and meteorological processes in a modular framework, following strict coding standards. It has been coupled to the ECHAM5 general circulation model, which has been slightly modified for this purpose. A 90-layer model setup up to 0.01 hPa was used at spectral T42 resolution to simulate the lower and middle atmosphere. With the high vertical resolution the model simulates the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation. The model meteorology has been tested to check the influence of the changes to ECHAM5 and the radiation interactions with the new representation of atmospheric composition. In the simulations presented here a Newtonian relaxation technique was applied in the tropospheric part of the domain to weakly nudge the model towards the analysed meteorology during the period 1998–2005. This allows an efficient and direct evaluation with satellite and in-situ data. It is shown that the tropospheric wave forcing of the stratosphere in the model suffices to reproduce major stratospheric warming events leading e.g. to the vortex split over Antarctica in 2002. Characteristic features such as dehydration and denitrification caused by the sedimentation of polar stratospheric cloud particles and ozone depletion during winter and spring are simulated well, although ozone loss in the lower polar stratosphere is slightly underestimated. The model realistically simulates stratosphere-troposphere exchange processes as indicated by comparisons with satellite and in situ measurements. The evaluation of tropospheric chemistry presented here focuses on the distributions of ozone, hydroxyl radicals, carbon monoxide and reactive nitrogen compounds. In spite of minor shortcomings, mostly related to the relatively coarse T42 resolution and the neglect of inter-annual changes in biomass burning emissions, the main characteristics of the trace gas distributions are generally reproduced well. The MESSy submodels and the ECHAM5/MESSy1 model output are available through the internet on request.

A climatology of cut-off lows at 200 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere, 1990–1994

A statistical study of the size, temporal and spatial distribution of cut-off low (COL) systems on the 200 hPa pressure surface has been conducted for the Northern Hemisphere. The 200 hPa surface is of relevance for stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes. The study covered a 5-year period and recorded information (duration, size, position, movement) for all COLs that lasted for 2 days or more. Cut-off lows form more often in summer than winter and in preferred geographical regions. The majority of COLs lasted 2–3 days and very few lasted more than 10 days. Cut-off lows were found over a wide range of sizes, but the majority were between 200 and 1200 km (max diameter in latitude). Approximately 50% of the COLs that lasted more than 3 days moved considerable (>600 km) distances. Although their motion was, as a rule, rather irregular, it was seen that COL systems would characteristically move northwards, or eastwards–northwards as they began to decay. Finally, there was some degree of interannual variability in COL distribution. © 1998 Royal Meteorological Society

Regional and Global Tropopause Fold Occurrence and Related Ozone Flux Across the Tropopause

This paper gives a synthesis of three algorithms to detect the presenceof tropopause folds from vertical ozone/radio-sounding profiles and frommeteorological analysis. Also an algorithm to identify injection ofstratospheric air into the lower troposphere fromozone/7beryllium time series is presented. Differences in theresults obtained from the algorithms are observed and discussed with respectto the criteria for fold detection and input data used. Spatial gradients inthe obtained folding frequencies are made evident on a global scale from thealgorithm based on meteorological analysis (Q-vector/potential vorticity)and probably also on a regional European scale from algorithms both basedmeteorological analyses and on ozone/PTU soundings. The observed seasonalvariation of folding occurrence is rather flat except during summer whenalso some differences appear between the algorithms. By combining thefolding frequencies with literature estimates of the cross-tropopause ozonetransfer in single folding events, an average stratospheric ozone influxinto the troposphere of 5.7 ± 1.3× 1010 mol.cm-2 s-1 is obtained for the Northern hemisphereand 12± 2.7× 1010 mol. cm-2s-1 for Western Europe. Potential additional contributions dueto other stratosphere-troposphere exchange processes than folds are not yetincluded in these estimates. Finally, the link between statistics fromozone/7beryllium data and folding statistics is brieflydiscussed.