Vertical Temperature Structure Research Articles

Potential Vorticity Diagnostics to Quantify Effects of Latent Heating in Extratropical Cyclones. Part II: Application to Idealized Climate Change Simulations

Abstract It is still debated how enhanced cloud-condensational latent heating (LH) in a warmer and moister climate may affect the dynamics of extratropical cyclones. In this study, a diagnostic method that explicitly quantifies the contribution of LH to the lower-tropospheric cyclonic potential vorticity (PV) anomaly is used to investigate the effects of stronger LH on the dynamics, intensity, and impacts of cyclones in two conceptually different sets of idealized climate change simulations. A first set of regional surrogate climate change simulations of individual moderate to intense Northern Hemisphere cyclones in a spatially homogeneously 4-K-warmer climate reveals that enhanced LH can largely but not exclusively explain the substantially varying increase in intensity and impacts of most of these cyclones. A second set of idealized aquaplanet GCM simulations demonstrates that the role of enhanced LH becomes multifaceted for large ensembles of cyclones if climate warming is additionally accompanied by changes in the horizontal and vertical temperature structure: cyclone intensity increases with warming due to the continuous increase in LH, reaches a maximum in climates warmer than present day, and decreases beyond a certain warming once the increase of LH is overcompensated by the counteracting reduction in mean available potential energy. Because of their substantially stronger increase in LH, the most intense cyclones reach their maximum intensity in warmer climates than moderately intense cyclones with weaker LH. This suggests that future projections of the extreme tail of the storm tracks might be particularly sensitive to a correct representation of LH.

Seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea

The seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea are investigated using the latest eddy dataset and ARMOR3D data. Eddy-centric composites reveal that the horizontal distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy in winter is more of a dipole pattern in upper 50 m and tends to be centrosymmetric below 50 m, while in summer the distribution pattern is centrosymmetric in the entire water column. The horizontal distribution of eddy-induced salinity anomaly exhibits similar seasonal characteristics, except that the asymmetry of the salinity anomaly is weaker. The vertical distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy shows a monolayer structure, while the salinity anomaly demonstrates a triple-layer structure. Further analysis indicates that the vertical distribution of the anomalies is related to the vertical structure of background temperature and salinity fields, and the asymmetry of the anomalies in upper 50 m is mainly caused by the horizontal advection of background temperature and salinity.

Assimilating INSAT‐3D Thermal Infrared Window Imager Observation With the Particle Filter: A Case Study for Vardah Cyclone

AbstractA big challenge in the satellite data assimilation is the effective use of InfraRed (IR) window channel radiances in the high‐resolution weather model. A hybrid data‐assimilation method is used in this study for very severe cyclonic storm “Vardah,” in which three‐dimensional variational method is used to assimilate control observations, and particle filter method is used to assimilate Indian geostationary satellite INSAT‐3D data. In the context of imperfect weather model, various particles (or ensembles) are prepared with different combinations of model physics. To implement particle filter, INSAT‐3D thermal IR window channel 1 (TIR‐1; center wavelength 11 μm) measured brightness temperature (BT) and cloud mask product are used to assign appropriate weights to different particles to reduce model uncertainties. This step is followed by resampling step in which new particles are generated from high weight particles using stochastic kinetic‐energy backscatter scheme method and dynamical variables are perturbed into the model physics. Results suggest that simulated TIR‐1 BT analysis and forecasts from WPF (with INSAT‐3D data using particle filter experiments) are closer to INSAT‐3D measured TIR‐1 BT in comparison to WCNT (without INSAT‐3D data using particle filter) experiments. Furthermore, approximately 10% to 50% improvements are found in mean track error forecasts in WPF experiments. An improvement of ~10% is noticed in cyclone center position in analysis. Prediction of storm intensity is also improved after assimilation. Results also suggest that vertical structure of WPF simulated humidity, temperature, wind speed, and surface pressure is improved over WCNT runs.

The Influence of H2O Pressure Broadening in High-metallicity Exoplanet Atmospheres

Abstract Planet formation models suggest broad compositional diversity in the sub-Neptune/super-Earth regime, with a high likelihood for large atmospheric metal content (≥100× Solar). With this comes the prevalence of numerous plausible bulk atmospheric constituents including N2, CO2, H2O, CO, and CH4. Given this compositional diversity there is a critical need to investigate the influence of the background gas on the broadening of the molecular absorption cross sections and the subsequent influence on observed spectra. This broadening can become significant and the common H2/He or “air” broadening assumptions are no longer appropriate. In this work, we investigate the role of water self-broadening on the emission and transmission spectra as well as on the vertical energy balance in representative sub-Neptune/super-Earth atmospheres. We find that the choice of the broadener species can result in a 10 s of parts-per-million difference in the observed transmission and emission spectra and can significantly alter the one-dimensional vertical temperature structure of the atmosphere. Choosing the correct background broadener is critical to the proper modeling and interpretation of transit spectra observations in high-metallicity regimes, especially in the era of higher-precision telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

The Physical Study of Vertical Structure of Temperature, Salinity and Density Layer Structure Between Persian Gulf and Oman Se

Always oceanographers pay attention to layer structure in the sea environment. Creation of layer structures is because of some phenomenons like double diffusion, internal waves, turbulence modular mixing. In this paper with examination of vertical structure of temperature, salinity and density between Persian Gulf and Oman Sea in different seasons, layer structures appear clearly. Also, countors of the same physical parameters show the existence of regular structure which prove internal waves resulting from the Persian Gulf and flow into the Oman Sea.

Front delineation and tracking with multiple underwater vehicles

AbstractThis study describes a method for detecting and tracking ocean fronts using multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Multiple vehicles, equally spaced along the expected frontal boundary, complete near parallel transects orthogonal to the front. Two different techniques are used to determine the location of the front crossing from each individual vehicle transect. The first technique uses lateral gradients to detect when a change in the observed water property occurs. The second technique uses a measure of the vertical temperature structure over a single dive to detect when the vehicle is in upwelling water. Adaptive control of the vehicles ensure they remain perpendicular to the estimated front boundary as it evolves over time. This method was demonstrated in several experiment periods totaling weeks, in and around Monterey Bay, CA, in May and June of 2017. We compare the two front detection methods, a lateral gradient front detector and an upwelling front detector using the Vertical Temperature Homogeneity Index. We introduce two metrics to evaluate the adaptive control techniques presented. We show the capability of this method for repeated sampling across a dynamic ocean front using a fleet of three types of platforms: short‐range Iver AUVs, Tethys‐class long‐range AUVs, and Seagliders. This method extends to tracking gradients of different properties using a variety of vehicles.

Assessment of convective parametrization schemes over the Indian subcontinent using a regional climate model

An effort is made to investigate the performance of convective parameterization schemes on the simulation of characteristic features of monsoon rainfall over the Indian subcontinent using a regional climate model (RegCM). The sensitivity experiments with seven different convective parameterization schemes (CPSs) are carried out for this purpose. The simulated precipitation, temperature and wind fields are compared against the available observations and reanalysis dataset. The sensitivity experiments using “Grell” and “Massachusetts Institute of Technology over land and Grell over ocean (MLGO)” CPS show better performance in the simulation of precipitation, near-surface air temperature and circulation pattern over India as compared to the experiments using other CPSs. A systematic dry bias is seen in the simulations of summer monsoon rainfall in all the experiments, but the magnitude of the bias is lowest in the MLGO experiment. The Grell and MLGO experiments also show better performance in the simulation of seasonal cycle of summer monsoon rainfall. The relative performance of CPSs in simulating the vertical structure of temperature anomaly, relative vorticity anomaly and divergence anomaly associated with the summer monsoon rainfall over the Central Indian region is also investigated.

Subsurface Fine‐Scale Patterns in an Anticyclonic Eddy Off Cap‐Vert Peninsula Observed From Glider Measurements

AbstractGlider measurements acquired along four transects between Cap‐Vert Peninsula and the Cape Verde archipelago in the eastern tropical North Atlantic during March–April 2014 were used to investigate fine‐scale stirring in an anticyclonic eddy. The anticyclone was formed near 12°N off the continental shelf and propagated northwest toward the Cape Verde islands. At depth, between 100 and –400 m, the isolated anticyclone core contained relatively oxygenated, low‐salinity South Atlantic Central Water, while the surrounding water masses were saltier and poorly oxygenated. The dynamical and thermohaline subsurface environment favored the generation of fine‐scale horizontal and vertical temperature and salinity structures in and around the core of the anticyclone. These features exhibited horizontal scales of O(10–30 km) relatively small with respect to the eddy radius of O(150 km). The vertical scales of O(5–100 m) were associated to density‐compensated gradient. Spectra of salinity and oxygen along isopycnals revealed a slope of around k−2 in the 10‐ to 100‐km horizontal scale range. Further analyses suggest that the fine‐scale structures are likely related to tracer stirring processes. Such mesoscale anticyclonic eddies and the embedded fine‐scale tracers in and around them could play a major role in the transport of South Atlantic Central Water masses and ventilation of the North Atlantic Oxygen Minimum Zone.

The dominant role of the atmospheric component of coupled models in ENSO amplitude simulations

To explore the relative contributions of the atmospheric and oceanic components of coupled models to ENSO amplitude simulations, we innovatively “assembled” four coupled models and performed analyses on their ENSO simulations. Specifically, the atmospheric and oceanic components of two commonly used coupled models are cross-coupled to construct four parent models. Based on the simulated ENSO amplitude, the four parent models are classified into two groups: Grid-point Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG Version 2 (GAMIL2)-based models whose ENSO amplitudes are comparable to (although slightly weaker than) observations, and Community Atmosphere Model Version 4.0 (CAM4)-based models whose ENSO amplitudes reach up to twice those of observations. The BJ-index analysis reveals that the atmospheric components modulate ENSO amplitude by affecting the atmospheric thermodynamic (TD) feedback and the oceanic thermocline (TH) feedback. The TD feedback biases in the CAM4-based models are attributable to an overly negative low-cloud fraction feedback and low-cloud liquid water feedback in the Nino-3 region. The underestimated TH feedback in the GAMIL2-based models is due to an underestimated mean upwelling ( $$\bar {w}$$ ), while the seemingly accurate TH term in the CAM4-based models is the result of compensation by an overestimated regression of zonal tilt of the thermocline on the equatorial zonal wind stress ( $${\beta _h}$$ ) and an underestimated $$\bar {w}$$ . Furthermore, $${\beta _h}$$ dominates TH differences in the two atmospheric groups, and is mainly associated with the normalized wind stress anomaly over the Nino-4 region and the vertical ocean subsurface temperature structure.

On the short-term variability of turbulence and temperature in the winter mesosphere

Abstract. Four mesosphere–lower thermosphere temperature and turbulence profiles were obtained in situ within ∼30 min and over an area of about 100 by 100 km during a sounding rocket experiment conducted on 26 January 2015 at Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska. In this paper we examine the spatial and temporal variability of mesospheric turbulence in relationship to the static stability of the background atmosphere. Using active payload attitude control, neutral density fluctuations, a tracer for turbulence, were observed with very little interference from the payload spin motion, and with high precision (<0.01 %) at sub-meter resolution. The large-scale vertical temperature structure was very consistent between the four soundings. The mesosphere was almost isothermal, which means more stratified, between 60 and 80 km, and again between 88 and 95 km. The stratified regions adjoined quasi-adiabatic regions assumed to be well mixed. Additional evidence of vertical transport and convective activity comes from sodium densities and trimethyl aluminum trail development, respectively, which were both observed simultaneously with the in situ measurements. We found considerable kilometer-scale temperature variability with amplitudes of 20 K in the stratified region below 80 km. Several thin turbulent layers were embedded in this region, differing in width and altitude for each profile. Energy dissipation rates varied between 0.1 and 10 mW kg−1, which is typical for the winter mesosphere. Very little turbulence was observed above 82 km, consistent with very weak small-scale gravity wave activity in the upper mesosphere during the launch night. On the other hand, above the cold and prominent mesopause at 102 km, large temperature excursions of +40 to +70 K were observed. Simultaneous wind measurements revealed extreme wind shears near 108 km, and combined with the observed temperature gradient, isolated regions of unstable Richardson numbers (0<Ri<0.25) were detected in the lower thermosphere. The experiment was launched into a bright auroral arc under moderately disturbed conditions (Kp∼5).

Composite eddy structures on both sides of the Luzon Strait and influence factors

Combining Argo observations with satellite remote sensing data during the period of 2002–2014, the mean three-dimensional structures of mesoscale eddies on both sides of the Luzon Strait (LS) were obtained via a composite method and analyzed to statistically examine the influences of background marine environment and the Kuroshio current on the eddy structures. The significant signals of temperature and salinity anomalies within the composite eddies extend much deeper in the region east of the LS (zone E) than those in the region west of the strait (zone W) because of stronger eddy intensity and larger vertical gradients of background temperature and salinity in the deep layer in zone E. In the vertical structure of temperature anomaly within the eddies, two cores occur at around 200 and 400 dbar depths, respectively, in zone E and only one core is centered at about 100 dbar in zone W. There is a clear three-core sandwich pattern in the vertical structure of salinity anomaly within the eddies in zone E. The Kuroshio water trapped in the eddy is responsible for abnormally positive salinity anomaly in the surface layer of the anticyclonic eddy center in zone W. On both sides of the LS, an asymmetric dipole structure in the surface layer gradually turns into a monopole one at depths, which resulted from the competition between horizontal advection effect and eddy pumping effect. The Kuroshio current influences the distribution patterns of isotherms and isohalines and enhances background temperature and salinity horizontal gradients on both sides of the LS, determining the orientations of dipole temperature and salinity structures within eddies.

The Impact of Mount Washington on the Height of the Boundary Layer and the Vertical Structure of Temperature and Moisture

Discrimination of the type of air mass along mountain slopes can be a challenge and is not commonly performed, but is critical for identifying factors responsible for influencing montane weather, climate, and air quality. A field campaign to measure air mass type and transitions on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA was performed on 19 August 2016. Meteorological observations were taken at the summit and at several sites along the east and west slopes. Ozone concentrations were measured at the summit and on the valley floor. Additionally, water vapor stable isotopes were measured from a truck that drove up and down the Mount Washington Auto Road concurrent with radiosonde launches that profiled the free atmosphere. This multivariate perspective revealed thermal, moisture, and air mass height differences among the free atmosphere, leeward, and windward mountain slopes. Both thermally and mechanically forced upslope flows helped shape these differences by altering the height of the boundary layer with respect to the mountain surface. Recommendations for measurement strategies hoping to develop accurate observational climatologies of air mass exposure in complex terrain are discussed and will be important for evaluating elevation-dependent warming and improving forecasting for weather and air quality.

Simulation of Vertical Water Temperature Structure Variation in the Yellow Sea Typhoon MEARI

ABSTRACT Kwon, Y.-Y.; Jeong, J.-Y.; Choi, J.-Y.; Shim, J.-S., and Kwon, J.-I., 2018. The simulation of vertical water temperature structure variation in the Yellow Sea typhoon MEARI. In: Shim, J.S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1016–1020. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Typhoon MEARI developed on June 22, 2011 in the eastern Philippines and passed through the central part of Yellow Sea for the first time in the history of meteorological observations. The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) observed surface water temperature, salinity, flow velocity, and the vertical profile of temperature and salinity at a buoy located near the Eocheong Island off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula during Typhoon MEARI (1105). The purpose of this study is to analyze the change of water temperature and velocity characteristics of the typhoon p...

Coastal upwelling events along the southern coast of Java during the 2008 positive Indian Ocean Dipole

To understand the coastal upwelling system along the southern coast of Java, we investigated ocean temperature and salinity obtained from an Argo float. In 2008, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event began to develop in early May and anomalously cool SST developed around south of Java from May to September. During the peak of the IOD, an Argo float successfully observed vertical structure of temperature and salinity within 90 km from Java. The float observed two intraseasonal-scale temperature cooling events in July and August, with significant upward movements of the thermocline more than 90 m. Concurrent with the signals, anomalous southeasterly alongshore winds, lowering of local SST and sea level, and upward expansion of high-salinity water were also observed. During the event in August, vertical velocity estimated by the anomalous wind stress agreed well with the observations. These results indicate that the Argo float observed the coastal upwelling, which was enhanced by the 2008 positive IOD, along the southern coast of Java.

Fishing ground analysis of Japanese horse mackerel in northern South China Sea based on vertical structure of water temperature

Fishing ground analysis of Japanese horse mackerel in northern South China Sea based on vertical structure of water temperature

The Effects of Deep Convection on Regional Temperature Structure in the Tropical Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of deep convection on the thermodynamic structure of the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) is vital because convection and temperatures play an important role in regulating stratospheric water vapor through direct convective injection and in enhancing the presence of thin cirrus clouds, both of which play a significant role in the climate. This study quantifies the UTLS vertical temperature structure changes near deep convection over the Pacific Warm Pool and the Tropical Atlantic Continental and Oceanic region. The deep convection observed from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite are collocated with high vertical resolution temperature profiles from the COSMIC GPS Radio Occultation satellites along with ERA‐Interim reanalysis from 2007 to 2011. COSMIC and ERA‐Interim observe warm temperature anomalies (0.2 to 0.8 K) within 10–14 km, then transitioning to a layer of cool anomalies (−0.4 to −1.5 K) within 14–17 km. Above the cold‐point tropopause, warm anomalies (<1 K) are observed for oceanic convection, whereas cool anomalies are displayed for land convection within 17–20 km. The amplitude of temperature anomalies increases for deeper convection, marked by higher 20 dBZ radar echo top heights or colder infrared cloud top temperatures. COSMIC also observes enhanced UTLS diurnal temperature variations of about 0.2–0.3 K in both regions near deep convection. ERA‐Interim shows generally good agreement with COSMIC on the UTLS temperature anomalies near deep convection but displays larger differences above the tropopause, especially near land convection.

Vertical Structures of Nocturnal Potential Temperature under Clear and Weak Wind Conditions in the Central Urban Area of Tokyo, Japan: Statistical Analysis Using Observation Data at Tokyo Tower

本研究は，東京タワーの5高度（4, 64, 169, 205, 250m）における気温観測値（2001～2010年度）を用いて，晴天弱風夜間の東京都心における温位鉛直分布の特徴を明らかにした．解析に先立ち，強風時には鉛直方向に温位が一様となることを仮定して，観測値を補正した．通年の晴天弱風夜間を対象に，毎時の温位傾度鉛直分布にクラスター分析を施し，温位の鉛直分布を類型化した．このうち，下層から上層まで安定な場合や上層が強安定で下層が弱安定な場合は，冬季（11～2月）にはその頻度が夜半前から増加し日の出頃に極大となるが，夏季（5～8月）には全く現れない．上層の強安定層は都市上空の安定層の底面とみなされ，冬季夜間の混合層高度は約200mまたはそれ以上と考えられた．この高度は1960年代の観測結果よりも高く，都市化の影響が示唆された．また，温位鉛直分布の時間変化には，鉛直混合の促進・抑制とともに上空安定層底面の上昇・低下の関与が考えられた．

A near-inertial current event in the homogeneous deep layer of the northern Sea of Japan during winter

Under strong surface wind forcing during winter, direct current observations in the northern Sea of Japan show the existence of strong near-inertial currents in the deep water that is characterized by the extremely homogeneous vertical structures of temperature and salinity. However, the mechanism generating internal waves in the deep water of the northern Sea of Japan has not been well understood. In this study, to clarify the dynamical link between the surface wind forcing and near-inertial currents in the deep water of the northern Sea of Japan, we drive a general circulation model taking into account realistic wind stress, ocean bottom and land topography. In the northern Sea of Japan, the numerical results show that vertically coherent horizontal currents with a speed of ~ 0.05 m s−1 are excited throughout the homogeneous deep water. A two-layer model successfully reproduces the pattern of the horizontal current velocities shown by the general circulation model, indicating that internal waves emanate westward from the northwestern coast of Japan through coastal adjustment to the strong wind forcing event and, while propagating into the ocean interior, they excite evanescent near-inertial response throughout the lower layer below the interface.

Climatology and interannual variability of dynamic variables in multiple reanalyses evaluated by the SPARC Reanalysis Intercomparison Project (S-RIP)

Abstract. Two of the most basic parameters generated from a reanalysis are temperature and winds. Temperatures in the reanalyses are derived from conventional (surface and balloon), aircraft, and satellite observations. Winds are observed by conventional systems, cloud tracked, and derived from height fields, which are in turn derived from the vertical temperature structure. In this paper we evaluate as part of the SPARC Reanalysis Intercomparison Project (S-RIP) the temperature and wind structure of all the recent and past reanalyses. This evaluation is mainly among the reanalyses themselves, but comparisons against independent observations, such as HIRDLS and COSMIC temperatures, are also presented. This evaluation uses monthly mean and 2.5° zonal mean data sets and spans the satellite era from 1979–2014. There is very good agreement in temperature seasonally and latitudinally among the more recent reanalyses (CFSR, MERRA, ERA-Interim, JRA-55, and MERRA-2) between the surface and 10 hPa. At lower pressures there is increased variance among these reanalyses that changes with season and latitude. This variance also changes during the time span of these reanalyses with greater variance during the TOVS period (1979–1998) and less variance afterward in the ATOVS period (1999–2014). There is a distinct change in the temperature structure in the middle and upper stratosphere during this transition from TOVS to ATOVS systems. Zonal winds are in greater agreement than temperatures and this agreement extends to lower pressures than the temperatures. Older reanalyses (NCEP/NCAR, NCEP/DOE, ERA-40, JRA-25) have larger temperature and zonal wind disagreement from the more recent reanalyses. All reanalyses to date have issues analysing the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) winds. Comparisons with Singapore QBO winds show disagreement in the amplitude of the westerly and easterly anomalies. The disagreement with Singapore winds improves with the transition from TOVS to ATOVS observations. Temperature bias characteristics determined via comparisons with a reanalysis ensemble mean (MERRA, ERA-Interim, JRA-55) are similarly observed when compared with Aura HIRDLS and Aura MLS observations. There is good agreement among the NOAA TLS, SSU1, and SSU2 Climate Data Records and layer mean temperatures from the more recent reanalyses. Caution is advised for using reanalysis temperatures for trend detection and anomalies from a long climatology period as the quality and character of reanalyses may have changed over time.

The Flying Saucer: Tomography of the thermal and density gas structure of an edge-on protoplanetary disk

Context. Determining the gas density and temperature structures of protoplanetary disks is a fundamental task in order to constrain planet formation theories. This is a challenging procedure and most determinations are based on model-dependent assumptions. Aims. We attempt a direct determination of the radial and vertical temperature structure of the Flying Saucer disk, thanks to its favorable inclination of 90 degrees. Methods. We present a method based on the tomographic study of an edge-on disk. Using ALMA, we observe at 0.5″ resolution the Flying Saucer in CO J = 2–1 and CS J = 5–4. This edge-on disk appears in silhouette against the CO J = 2–1 emission from background molecular clouds in ρ Oph. The combination of velocity gradients due to the Keplerian rotation of the disk and intensity variations in the CO background as a function of velocity provide a direct measure of the gas temperature as a function of radius and height above the disk mid-plane. Results. The overall thermal structure is consistent with model predictions, with a cold (<12−15 K) CO-depleted mid-plane and a warmer disk atmosphere. However, we find evidence for CO gas along the mid-plane beyond a radius of about 200 au, coincident with a change of grain properties. Such behavior is expected in the case of efficient rise of UV penetration re-heating the disk and thus allowing CO thermal desorption or favoring direct CO photo-desorption. CO is also detected at up to 3–4 scale heights, while CS is confined to around 1 scale height above the mid-plane. The limits of the method due to finite spatial and spectral resolutions are also discussed. Conclusions. This method appears to be a very promising way to determine the gas structure of planet-forming disks, provided that the molecular data have an angular resolution which is high enough, on the order of 0.3−0.1″ at the distance of the nearest star-forming regions.