Upper-tropospheric Humidity Research Articles

On the interpretation of upper-tropospheric humidity based on a second-order retrieval from infrared radiances

Abstract. We present a novel retrieval for upper-tropospheric humidity (UTH) from High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) channel 12 radiances that successfully bridges the wavelength change from 6.7 to 6.5 µm that occurred from HIRS/2 on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite NOAA-14 to HIRS/3 on satellite NOAA-15. The jump in average brightness temperature (in the water vapour channel; T12) that this change had caused (about −7 K) could be fixed with a statistical inter-calibration method (Shi and Bates, 2011). Unfortunately, the retrieval of UTHi (upper-tropospheric humidity with respect to ice) based on the inter-calibrated data was not satisfying at the high tail of the distribution of UTHi. Attempts to construct a better inter-calibration in the low T12 range (equivalent to the high UTHi range) were either not successful (Gierens et al., 2018) or required additional statistically determined corrections to the measured brightness temperatures (Gierens and Eleftheratos, 2017). The new method presented here is based on the original one (Soden and Bretherton, 1993; Stephens et al., 1996; Jackson and Bates, 2001), but it extends linearisations in the formulation of water vapour saturation pressure and in the temperature dependence of the Planck function to second order. To achieve the second-order formulation we derive the retrieval from the beginning, and we find that the most influential ingredient is the use of different optical constants for the two involved channel wavelengths (6.7 and 6.5 µm). The result of adapting the optical constant is an almost perfect match between UTH data measured by HIRS/2 on NOAA-14 and HIRS/3 on NOAA-15 on 1004 common days of operation. The method is applied to both UTH and UTHi. For each case retrieval coefficients are derived. We present a number of test applications, e.g. on computed brightness temperatures based on high-resolution radiosonde profiles, on the brightness temperatures measured by the satellites on the mentioned 1004 common days of operation. Further, we present time series of the occurrence frequency of high UTHi cases, and we show the overall probability distribution of UTHi. The two latter applications expose indications of moistening of the upper troposphere over the last 35 years. Finally, we discuss the significance of UTH. We state that UTH algorithms cannot be judged for their correctness or incorrectness, since there is no true UTH. Instead, UTH algorithms should fulfill a number of usefulness postulates, which we suggest and discuss.

An Uncertainty Quantified Fundamental Climate Data Record for Microwave Humidity Sounders

To date, there is no long-term, stable, and uncertainty-quantified dataset of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) that can be used for climate research. As intermediate step towards the overall goal of constructing such a climate data record (CDR) of UTH, we produced a new fundamental climate data record (FCDR) on the level of brightness temperature for microwave humidity sounders that will serve as basis for the CDR of UTH. Based on metrological principles, we constructed and implemented the measurement equation and the uncertainty propagation in the processing chain for the microwave humidity sounders. We reprocessed the level 1b data to obtain newly calibrated uncertainty quantified level 1c data in brightness temperature. Three aspects set apart this FCDR from previous attempts: (1) the data come in a ready-to-use NetCDF format; (2) the dataset provides extensive uncertainty information taking into account the different correlation behaviour of the underlying errors; and (3) inter-satellite biases have been understood and reduced by an improved calibration. Providing a detailed uncertainty budget on these data, this new FCDR provides valuable information for a climate scientist and also for the construction of the CDR.

Evaluation of Upper Tropospheric Humidity in WRF Model during Indian Summer Monsoon

In this work, we evaluate the upper tropospherichumidity (UTH) in a regional atmospheric model in conjunction with remote sensing observations and reanalysis products during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). We performed continuous Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model simulations from 1st May to 1st October for every year during 2001 to 2011 at 45 km spatial resolution. The maximum UTH zones viz. Bay of Bengal, and central and north-east Indian regions are well represented in WRF model when compared to the satellite observations and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) interim reanalysis (ERAI) during ISM season. Analyses found that ERAI exhibits higher magnitudes of UTH over the ISM region compared to that of satellite observations (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder:AIRS) and WRF. In terms of spatial distribution, WRF is in close agreement with satellite observations as compared to ERAI, is further supported by the pattern correlation coefficients. In addition to that, our analysis suggested that WRF model could simulate the seasonal evolution of the northward movement of maximum UTH band as in AIRS and ERAI. However, UTH variability over the equatorial Indian Ocean and western north Pacific (north of Madagascar region) is underestimated (overestimated) in the WRF model compared to the observations. Nevertheless, the model is able to represent high (low) UTH over the north Indian Ocean region during active (break) period, unable to capture the northward propagation of UTH well. This indicates that the model has considerable discrepancies in simulating UTH over the deep convective monsoon region during the ISM season. It is suggested that in order to improve the UTH representation in the model over the ISM region, it is essential to reduce biases over the equatorial and southern tropical regions. Thus, this study emphasized the variations in UTH at different time scales during monsoon season along with the credibility of remote sensing observations in WRF model.

Assessing the Pattern Differences between Satellite-Observed Upper Tropospheric Humidity and Total Column Water Vapor during Major El Niño Events

As part of the activities for the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) water vapor assessment project, the consistency of satellite-observed upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) and total column water vapor (TCWV) is examined. The examination is focused on their respective patterns during major El Niño events. The analysis shows that the two datasets, consisting of one measurement of vertically averaged relative humidity in the upper troposphere and one of absolute water vapor integrated over the atmospheric vertical column with dominant contribution from the lower troposphere, are consistent over the equatorial central–eastern Pacific, both showing increases of water vapor during major El Niño events as expected. However, the magnitude of drying in the TCWV field over the western Pacific is much weaker than that of moistening over the central–eastern Pacific, while the UTH field exhibits equivalent magnitude of drying and moistening. Furthermore, the drying in the UTH field covers larger areas in the tropics. The difference in their patterns results in an opposite phase in the time series during a major El Niño event when a tropical average is taken. Both UTH and TCWV are closely correlated with major climate indices. However, they have significantly different lag correlations with the Niño 3.4 index in both the sign (positive or negative) and lag time over tropical oceans.

Effect of Upper Tropospheric Humidity and Sea Surface Temperature on Greenhouse Factor in Tropical Region

The availability of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH), sea surface temperature (SST) and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from INSAT-3D has given the opportunity for exploring the impact of these parameters on the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. The clear-sky greenhouse effect, G is defined as the energy trapped in the atmosphere due to gases present in it. Measurement of SST and OLR from satellites gives us the opportunity to estimate the energy trapped in the atmosphere. In the tropics, due to deep convection water vapour exists in the upper troposphere and influences the greenhouse effect. The impact of UTH and SST on greenhouse effect is explored using these observed data from INSAT-3D. This analysis shows that an increase of 2 K in sea surface temperature may increase the greenhouse absorption by about 22 W/m2.

Intercalibration between HIRS/2 and HIRS/3 channel 12 based on physical considerations

Abstract. High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) brightness temperatures at channel 12 (T12) can be used to assess the water vapour content of the upper troposphere. The transition from HIRS/2 to HIRS/3 in 1999 involved a shift in the central wavelength of channel 12 from 6.7 to 6.5 µm, causing a discontinuity in the time series of T12. To understand the impact of this change in the measured brightness temperatures, we have performed radiative transfer calculations for channel 12 of HIRS/2 and HIRS/3 instruments, using a large set of radiosonde profiles of temperature and relative humidity from three different sites. Other possible changes within the instrument, apart from the changed spectral response function, have been assumed to be of minor importance, and in fact, it was necessary to assume as a working hypothesis that the spectral and radiometric calibration of the two instruments did not change during the relatively short period of their common operation. For each radiosonde profile we performed two radiative transfer calculations, one using the HIRS/2 channel response function of NOAA 14 and one using the HIRS/3 channel response function of NOAA 15, resulting in negative differences of T12 (denoted as ΔT12:=T12/15-T12/14) ranging between −12 and −2 K. Inspection of individual profiles for large, medium and small values of ΔT12 pointed to the role of the mid-tropospheric humidity. This guided us to investigate the relation between ΔT12 and the channel 11 brightness temperatures which are typically used to detect signals from the mid-troposphere. This allowed us to construct a correction for the HIRS/3 T12, which leads to a pseudo-channel 12 brightness temperature as if a HIRS/2 instrument had measured it. By applying this correction we find an excellent agreement between the original HIRS/2 T12 and the HIRS/3 data inferred from the correction method with R=0.986. Upper-tropospheric humidity (UTH) derived from the pseudo HIRS/2 T12 data compared well with that calculated from intersatellite-calibrated data, providing independent justification for using the two intercalibrated time series (HIRS/2 and HIRS/3) as a continuous HIRS time series for long-term UTH analyses.

Emerging Technologies and Synergies for Airborne and Space-Based Measurements of Water Vapor Profiles

A deeper understanding of how clouds will respond to a warming climate is one of the outstanding challenges in climate science. Uncertainties in the response of clouds, and particularly shallow clouds, have been identified as the dominant source of the discrepancy in model estimates of equilibrium climate sensitivity. As the community gains a deeper understanding of the many processes involved, there is a growing appreciation of the critical role played by fluctuations in water vapor and the coupling of water vapor and atmospheric circulations. Reduction of uncertainties in cloud-climate feedbacks and convection initiation as well as improved understanding of processes governing these effects will result from profiling of water vapor in the lower troposphere with improved accuracy and vertical resolution compared to existing airborne and space-based measurements. This paper highlights new technologies and improved measurement approaches for measuring lower tropospheric water vapor and their expected added value to current observations. Those include differential absorption lidar and radar, microwave occultation between low-Earth orbiters, and hyperspectral microwave remote sensing. Each methodology is briefly explained, and measurement capabilities as well as the current technological readiness for aircraft and satellite implementation are specified. Potential synergies between the technologies are discussed, actual examples hereof are given, and future perspectives are explored. Based on technical maturity and the foreseen near-mid-term development path of the various discussed measurement approaches, we find that improved measurements of water vapor throughout the troposphere would greatly benefit from the combination of differential absorption lidar focusing on the lower troposphere with passive remote sensors constraining the upper-tropospheric humidity.

Evolution of the Distribution of Upper-Tropospheric Humidity over the Indian Ocean: Connection with Large-Scale Advection and Local Cloudiness

AbstractThe spatial and temporal distribution of upper-tropospheric humidity (UTH) observed by the Sounder for Atmospheric Profiling of Humidity in the Intertropics by Radiometry (SAPHIR)/Megha-Tropiques radiometer is analyzed over two subregions of the Indian Ocean during October–December over 2011–14. The properties of the distribution of UTH were studied with regard to the phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation (active or suppressed) and large-scale advection versus local production of moisture. To address these topics, first, a Lagrangian back-trajectory transport model was used to assess the role of the large-scale transport of air masses in the intraseasonal variability of UTH. Second, the temporal evolution of the distribution of UTH is analyzed using the computation of the higher moments of its probability distribution function (PDF) defined for each time step over the domain. The results highlight significant differences in the PDF of UTH depending on the phase of the MJO. The modeled trajectories ending in the considered domain originate from an area that strongly varies depending on the phases of the MJO: during the active phases, the air masses are spatially constrained within the tropical Indian Ocean domain, whereas a distinct upper-tropospheric (200–150 hPa) westerly flow guides the intraseasonal variability of UTH during the suppressed phases. Statistical relationships between the cloud fractions and the UTH PDF moments of are found to be very similar regardless of the convective activity. However, the occurrence of thin cirrus clouds is associated with a drying of the upper troposphere (enhanced during suppressed phases), whereas the occurrence of thick cirrus anvil clouds appears to be significantly related to a moistening of the upper troposphere.

Technical note: On the intercalibration of HIRS channel 12 brightness temperatures following the transition from HIRS 2 to HIRS 3/4 for ice saturation studies

Abstract. In the present study we explore the capability of the intercalibrated HIRS brightness temperature data at channel 12 (the HIRS water vapour channel; T12) to reproduce ice supersaturation in the upper troposphere during the period 1979–2014. Focus is given on the transition from the HIRS 2 to the HIRS 3 instrument in the year 1999, which involved a shift of the central wavelength in channel 12 from 6.7 to 6.5 µm. It is shown that this shift produced a discontinuity in the time series of low T12 values ( < 235 K) and associated cases of high upper-tropospheric humidity with respect to ice (UTHi > 70 %) in the year 1999 which prevented us from maintaining a continuous, long-term time series of ice saturation throughout the whole record (1979–2014). We show that additional corrections are required to the low T12 values in order to bring HIRS 3 levels down to HIRS 2 levels. The new corrections are based on the cumulative distribution functions of T12 from NOAA 14 and 15 satellites (that is, when the transition from HIRS 2 to HIRS 3 occurred). By applying these corrections to the low T12 values we show that the discontinuity in the time series caused by the transition of HIRS 2 to HIRS 3 is not apparent anymore when it comes to calculating extreme UTHi cases. We come up with a new time series for values found at the low tail of the T12 distribution, which can be further exploited for analyses of ice saturation and supersaturation cases. The validity of the new method with respect to typical intercalibration methods such as regression-based methods is presented and discussed.

Verification for Different Contrail Parameterizations Based on Integrated Satellite Observation and ECMWF Reanalysis Data

Aviation induced cloud termed contrail plays a more and more important role in the climate change, which makes a significant contribution to anthropogenic climate forcing through impacting the coverage of cirrus in the intersection of troposphere and stratosphere. In this paper, we propose one novel automatic contrail detecting method based on Himawari-8 stationary satellite imagery and two kinds of potential contrail coverage (PCC1 and PCC2) from contrail parameterization in ECHAM4 and HadGEM2. In addition, we propose one new climatological index called contrail occurrence and persistence (COP). According to the algorithm identification (AI) and artificial visual inspection (AVI), COP measured from Himawari-8 stationary satellite imagery is related to upper tropospheric relative humidity over ice (RHI) computed with the ECMWF reanalysis data by simple linear regression. Similarly, we compared the linear correlation between COP and PCCs fractions and found that PCC1 has better correspondence with COP than PCC2.

Observational evidence for aerosols increasing upper tropospheric humidity

Abstract. Aerosol–cloud interactions are the largest source of uncertainty in the radiative forcing of the global climate. A phenomenon not included in the estimates of the total net forcing is the potential increase in upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) by anthropogenic aerosols via changes in the microphysics of deep convection. Using remote sensing data over the ocean east of China in summer, we show that increased aerosol loads are associated with an UTH increase of 2.2 ± 1.5 in units of relative humidity. We show that humidification of aerosols or other meteorological covariation is very unlikely to be the cause of this result, indicating relevance for the global climate. In tropical moist air such an UTH increase leads to a regional radiative effect of 0.5 ± 0.4 W m−2. We conclude that the effect of aerosols on UTH should be included in future studies of anthropogenic climate change and climate sensitivity.

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of diurnal variability in tropospheric humidity using SAPHIR on-board Megha-Tropiques

The global diurnal variability of relative humidity (RH) from August 2012 to May 2014 is discussed for the first time using ‘Sounder for Atmospheric Profiling of Humidity in the Inter-tropical Regions (SAPHIR)’, a microwave humidity sounder onboard Megha-Tropiques (MT). It is superior to other microwave satellite humidity sounders in terms of its higher repetitive cycle in the tropics owing to its low-inclination orbit and the availability of six dedicated humidity sounding channels. The six layers obtained are 1000–850, 850–700, 700–550, 550–400, 400–250 and 250–100hPa. Three hourly data over a month has been combined using equivalent day analysis to attain a composite profile of complete diurnal cycle in each grid (2.5°×2.5°). A distinct diurnal variation is obtained over the continental and the oceanic regions at all the layers. The magnitude in the lower tropospheric humidity (LTH), middle tropospheric humidity (MTH) and the upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) show a large variability over the continental regions compared to that over oceans. The monthly variability of the diurnal variation over the years has also been discussed by segregating into five different continental and four different oceanic regions. Afternoon peaks dominate in the LTH over the land and the desert regions. The MTH is found to vary between the evening and the early morning hours over different geographical regions and not as consistent as that of the LTH. The UTH maximum magnitude is generally observed during the early morning hours, over the continents. Interestingly, the Oceanic regions are found to have a dominant magnitude in the afternoon hours similar to that of the continents in the LTH, evening maximum in the MTH and the early morning maximum in the UTH. The underlying mechanisms involved in the variability of humidity over different regions are also discussed. The study reveals the complexity involved in the understanding the diurnal variability over the continents and open oceans.

Monsoon low-level jet over the gateway of Indian summer monsoon: a comparative study for two distinct monsoon years

High-resolution radiosonde measurements are used to study the characteristics and dynamics of monsoon low-level jet at the monsoon onset region of Cochin (10.04 $$^\circ$$ N; 76.32 $$^\circ$$ E) in India under two contrasting monsoon years, 2013 and 2015. The core speed and core height of the low-level jet is significantly higher during the strong monsoon year of 2013 than for the monsoon-deficient year of 2015. The average core heights for these years are seen to exist at 2.03 and 2.20 km, respectively. The low-level jet-modulated parameters such as moisture flux, momentum flux and kinetic energy flux show higher values during monsoon of 2013 as compared to 2015. Among the monsoon low-level jet parameters, the moisture flux has the strongest influence on the observed rainfall over Cochin. Also, an exponential function is seen to best explain the moisture flux–rainfall relationship. The weakening of monsoon during 2015 is attributed most likely to an eastward shift of the core convective activity from the Indian subcontinent as revealed from satellite observation of the upper tropospheric humidity. A close association is seen between the rainfall over Cochin and the convective activity over the Indian subcontinent. Observational studies such as this, which links monsoon rainfall, monsoon low-level jet parameters and convective activity, are expected to enhance the understanding of monsoon processes in general and subsequently improve the forecasting skill of models.

Sensitivity of Amazonian TOA flux diurnal cycle composite monthly variability to choice of reanalysis.

Amazonian deep convection experiences a strong diurnal cycle driven by the cycle in surface sensible heat flux, which contributes to a significant diurnal cycle in the top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiative flux. Even when accounting for seasonal variability, the TOA flux diurnal cycle varies significantly on the monthly timescale. Previous work shows evidence supporting a connection between variability in the convective and radiative cycles, likely modulated by variability in monthly atmospheric state (e.g., convective instability). The hypothesized relationships are further investigated with regression analysis of the radiative diurnal cycle and atmospheric state using additional meteorological variables representing convective instability and upper tropospheric humidity. The results are recalculated with three different reanalyses to test the reliability of the results. The radiative diurnal cycle sensitivity to upper tropospheric humidity is about equal in magnitude to that of convective instability. In addition, the results are recalculated with the data subdivided into the wet and dry seasons. Overall, clear‐sky radiative effects have a dominant role in radiative diurnal cycle variability during the dry season. Because of this, even in a convectively active region, the clear‐sky radiative effects must be accounted for in order to fully explain the monthly variability in diurnal cycle. Finally, while there is general agreement between the different reanalysis‐based results when examining the full data time domain (without regard to time of year), there are significant disagreements when the data are divided into wet and dry seasons. The questionable reliability of reanalysis data is a major limitation.

Evaluating the Diurnal Cycle of Upper Tropospheric Humidity in Two Different Climate Models Using Satellite Observations

The diurnal cycle of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) is known to be influenced by such processes as convection and the formation of clouds which are parameterized in current global climate models. In this study, we evaluate the performance of two climate models, the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM-5) and the Global Atmosphere 3.0 (GA-3) model in simulating the diurnal cycle of UTH (represented by a combination of sinusoids of 12 and 24 h periods) by comparing with microwave and infrared (IR) measurements (where available). These comparisons were made over two convective land regions in South America and Africa, and over oceanic regions in the Atlantic, Indian and West Pacific for the month of January 2007. We analyzed how the diurnal cycles from IR and microwave instruments differ, and the reason for the differences. Our study suggests that the differences in the diurnal cycles of IR and microwave UTH result from sampling differences due to the presence of clouds. As noted by earlier studies, the models exhibit considerable discrepancies in diurnal amplitude and phase relative to observations, and these discrepancies have different magnitudes over land and ocean.

Upper tropospheric humidity changes under constant relative humidity

Abstract. Theoretical derivations are given on the change of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) in a warming climate. The considered view is that the atmosphere, which is getting moister with increasing temperatures, will retain a constant relative humidity. In the present study, we show that the upper tropospheric humidity, a weighted mean over a relative humidity profile, will change in spite of constant relative humidity. The simple reason for this is that the weighting function that defines UTH changes in a moister atmosphere. Through analytical calculations using observations and through radiative transfer calculations, we demonstrate that two quantities that define the weighting function of UTH can change: the water vapour scale height and the peak emission altitude. Applying these changes to real profiles of relative humidity shows that absolute UTH changes typically do not exceed 1 %. If larger changes would be observed they would be an indication of climatological changes of relative humidity. As such, an increase in UTH between 1980 and 2009 in the northern midlatitudes, as shown by earlier studies using the High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) data, may be an indication of an increase in relative humidity as well.

Water vapour variability in the high-latitude upper troposphere – Part 2: Impact of volcanic eruptions

Abstract. The impact of volcanic eruptions on water vapour in the high-latitude upper troposphere is studied using deseasonalized time series based on observations by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) water vapour sensors, namely MAESTRO (Measurements of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) and the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). The two eruptions with the greatest impact on the high-latitude upper troposphere during the time frame of this satellite-based remote sensing mission are chosen. The Puyehue–Cordón Caulle volcanic eruption in June 2011 was the most explosive in the past 24 years and is shown to be able to account for the observed (50 ± 12) % increase in water vapour in the southern high-latitude upper troposphere in July 2011 after a minor adjustment for the simultaneous influence of the Antarctic oscillation. Eyjafjallajökull erupted in the spring of 2010, increasing water vapour in the upper troposphere at northern high latitudes significantly for a period of ∼ 1 month. These findings imply that extratropical volcanic eruptions in windy environments can lead to significant perturbations to high-latitude upper tropospheric humidity mostly due to entrainment of lower tropospheric moisture by wind-blown plumes. The Puyehue–Cordón Caulle eruption must be taken into account to properly determine the magnitude of the trend in southern high-latitude upper tropospheric water vapour over the last decade.

Physical Mechanisms of Tropical Climate Feedbacks Investigated Using Temperature and Moisture Trends*

Abstract Tropical climate feedback mechanisms are assessed using satellite-observed and model-simulated trends in tropical tropospheric temperature from the MSU/AMSU instruments and upper-tropospheric humidity from the HIRS instruments. Despite discrepancies in the rates of tropospheric warming between observations and models, both are consistent with constant relative humidity over the period 1979–2008. Because uncertainties in satellite-observed tropical-mean trends preclude a constraint on tropical-mean trends in models regional features of the feedbacks are also explored. The regional pattern of the lapse rate feedback is primarily determined by the regional pattern of surface temperature changes, as tropical atmospheric warming is relatively horizontally uniform. The regional pattern of the water vapor feedback is influenced by the regional pattern of precipitation changes, with variations of 1–2 W m−2 K−1 across the tropics (compared to a tropical-mean feedback magnitude of 3.3–4 W m−2 K−1). Thus the geographical patterns of water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks are not correlated, but when the feedbacks are calculated in precipitation percentiles rather than in geographical space they are anticorrelated, with strong positive water vapor feedback associated with strong negative lapse rate feedback. The regional structure of the feedbacks is not related to the strength of the tropical-mean feedback in a subset of the climate models from the CMIP5 archive. Nevertheless the approach constitutes a useful process-based test of climate models and has the potential to be extended to constrain regional climate projections.

Enhancement in the upper tropospheric humidity associated with aerosol loading over tropical Pacific

Many modeling studies have indicated that aerosol interactions with clouds increase the upper tropospheric humidity (UTH), but observational evidences are sparse. Using satellite datasets of upper tropospheric humidity and aerosols, this study shows that aerosols increase the upper tropospheric humidity over the tropical North West Pacific (NWP) and North East Pacific (NEP). The observations show an increase in the UTH by 2.8%RH over NEP for an increment of 0.12 in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and 2%RH increase in UTH over NWP for an increment of 0.19 in AOD. The study also quantifies the change in longwave cloud radiative forcing (LWCRF) as a consequence of the increase in UTH due to aerosols. The LWCRF increases by 3.38 W m−2 over NEP and by 4.46 W m−2 over NWP. The result that aerosols increase the upper tropospheric humidity is significant since the latter plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's radiation budget and water vapor feedback.

Tropical upper tropospheric humidity variations due to potential vorticity intrusions

Abstract. Four cases (March 2009, May 2009, April 2010 and February 2012) are presented in which the ERA-interim relative humidity (RH) shows consistent increase by more than 50 % in the upper troposphere (200–250 hPa) over tropics at the eastward side of the potential vorticity (PV) intrusion region. The increase in RH is confirmed with the spaceborne microwave limb sounder observations and radiosonde observations over Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E) and is observed irrespective of whether the PV intrusions are accompanied by deep convection or not. It is demonstrated that the increase in RH is due to poleward advection induced by the PV intrusions in their eastward side at the upper tropospheric heights. It is suggested that the low-latitude convection, which is not necessarily triggered by the PV intrusion, might have transported water vapour to the upper tropospheric heights.