NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Evidence of Stratosphere-to-Troposphere Transport Within a Mesoscale Model and TOMS Total OzoneWe present evidence for stratospheric mass transport into, and remaining in, the troposphere in an intense midlatitude cyclone. Mesoscale forecast model analysis fields from the Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System (MAPS) were compared with total ozone observations from the Total Ozone Measurement Spectrometer (TOMS). Coupled with parcel back-trajectory calculations, the analyses suggest two mechanisms contributed to the mass exchange: (1) A region of dynamical ly-induced exchange occurred on the cyclone's southern edge. Parcels originally in the stratosphere crossed the jet core and experienced dilution by turbulent mixing with tropospheric air. (2) Diabatic effects reduced parcel potential vorticity (PV) for trajectories traversing precipitation regions, resulting in a "PV-hole" signature in the cyclone center. Air with lower-stratospheric values of ozone and water vapor was left in the troposphere. The strength of the latter process may be atypical. These results, combined with other research, suggest that precipitation-induced diabatic effects can significantly modify, (either decreasing or increasing) parcel potential vorticity, depending on parcel trajectory configuration with respect to jet core and maximum heating regions. In addition, these results underscore the importance of using not only PV but also chemical constituents for diagnoses of stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE).
Document ID
20020002371
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Olsen, Mark A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Stanford, John L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Einaudi, Franco
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Meeting Information
Meeting: AGU Spring Meeting
Location: Boston, MA
Country: United States
Start Date: May 29, 2001
End Date: June 2, 2001
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available