The aura mission: measurements, validation plan, and synergies with NDSC
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Barnett, J. J..
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ISAMS is a limb sounding radiometer flying on the UARS, and designed to measure temperature, pressure, O3, CO, NO, NO2, N2O5, HNO3, CH4, H2O, N2O, and aerosol. Its capabilities are described, together with the present status of validation of its data products, and plans for future improvement.
Two groups, in the Unites States and the United Kingdom, proposed to further develop and use infrared limb scanning instruments in atmospheric studies from Earth Observing System (EOS). Subsequent review showed that the scientific objectives and basic measurement approaches were very similar, although there were differences in the proposed instrumentation. Their teams agreed to merge the two investigations into the High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS). Under the resulting understanding, the two teams have combined, and will produce a single design to satisfy the scientific requirements of their investigations. The characteristics of limb scanning and earlier experiments are reviewed. The HIRDLS scientific objectives and requirements on the derived geophysical quantities are presented, and the way in which they drive the design of HIRDLS is indicated. A brief description of the HIRDLS instrument and a summary of HIRDLS capabilities follow.
The mean behavior of the earth atmosphere from 0 to 120 km altitude is briefly characterized on the basis of the COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA) for 1986. The CIRA annual zonal mean for 30 deg N is used to derive single profiles for the pressure, height, temperature, and zonal wind, and the results are presented in a table.
The new zonal mean COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA-86) of temperature, zonal wind, and geopotential/geometric height is presented. This data can be used as a function of altitude or pressure and has nearly pole-to-pole coverage (80 deg S - 80 deg N) extending from the ground to approximately 120 km. Data sources and methods of computation are described; in general, hydrostatic and thermal wind balance are maintained at all levels and latitudes. As shown by a series of cross sectional plots, the new CIRA accurately reproduces most of the characteristic features of the atmosphere such as the equatorial wind and the general structure of the tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause.
A series of plots that describe the state of the stratosphere and to some degree, the mesosphere as revealed by satellite observations are shown. The pertinent instrument features, spatial and temporal coverage, and details of accuracy and precision for the experiments providing the data were described. The main features of zonal mean cross sections and polar stereographic projections were noted and intercomparisons were discussed where a parameter was measured by more than one experiment. The main purpose was to collect the available data in one place and provide enough inforamation on limitations or cautions about the data so that they could be used in model comparisons and science studies.
A draft of a new reference atmosphere for the region between 20 and 80 km which depends largely on recent satellite experiments covering the globe from 80 deg S to 80 deg N is given. A separate international tropical reference atmosphere is given, as well as reference ozone models for the middle atmosphere.
Several satellites and sounding systems used for measuring the temperature of the middle atmosphere are discussed. Retrieval methods, geopotential height data, the merging of data sets, and an analysis of long term temperature trends are discussed.
Zonally averaged temperature and geostrophic zonal wind for each month and for latitudes from 80 S to 80 N with pressure scale height as a vertical coordinate are given tabular form. The pressure scale height is defined as -ln (p/P sub O) where p is pressure and P sub O is surface pressure. The height interval corresponding to one pressure scale height is proportional to absolute temperature, and is 7 km at 240 K. Values in are given at intervals of 0.5 pressure scale heights, i.e., approximately 3,5 km. The geopotential height fields for the principal seasons are given. Temperature, pressure and density with geometric height as the vertical coordinate at invervals of 5 km. The temperature values were obtained from a combination of satellite data above 30 mb with values supplied by the Berlin Free University at 30 mb and the climatology derived by OORT (1983) for 50 mb and below. The geopotential height fields were obtained from these temperature fields by integrating up and down from the 30 mb geopotential height supplied by Berlin Free University. The geostrophic winds were obtained by differentiating these geopotential height fields.
The mean temperature field at various pressure levels for January and July for both hemispheres are given. In summer (July in the Northern Hemisphere, January in the Southern Hemisphere) the fields are nearly zonally symmetric, but in winter large longitudinal variations are evident. These are mainly of low wave number, i.e., they may be represented by Fourier analysis around the globe using just a few (one or two) waves. This is the basis for representing the climatology of longitudinal variation in terms of wave components, since the fields may be defined with fewer values than by using a grid in longitude that has a sufficiently small interval to adequately represent the smooth variations. The amplitude and phase of temperature and geopotential height for wave numbers one and two, with In(pressure) as the vertical coordinate are given. The fields were calculated and plotted at pressure intervals of 0.2 in In(pressure) and at latitude intervals of 4 deg, but were interpolated to intervals of 0.5 in In(pressure) (approximately 3.5 km) and 10 deg latitude for tabulation. Tables and figures give wave coefficients for the monthly mean temperature fields. Thus they represent the quasi-statinary planetary waves.
The middle atmosphere exhibits variation on a time scale of a few days. Short term variations include travelling waves which are found at all seasons (although those occurring in summer have very small amplitudes). However, stratospheric warming which are connected with a very strong intensification of the planetary waves one or two, have the largest effect. They affect the stratosphere and mesosphere over periods varying between a few days and several months. The magnitude of temperature changes which can occur are shown. At some level (e.g., 50 km) changes exceed 70 K over 15 days from 28 December to 18 January. The sudden warming is such a large phenomenon that it strongly affects individual monthly means, giving larger planetary wave amplitudes than for months without large warmings. However, sudden warmings are part of the climatology, and their mean effect needs to be included, but an average over a small number of years for a given month can possibly be inadequate to obtain a reliable mean. Consequently, the means given here must be treated with caution. During the summer season, planetary wave amplitudes are small (a few K) so the year to year variability will cause little absolute error in the amplitude. Year to year variability of the monthly mean is illustrated.
The SCR/PMR monthly temperature mean values were Fourier analysed at each latitude and pressure level to obtain the annual mean and the amplitude and phase of the annual and semiannual cycles. The phase is the month of the maximum, such that 1 = January 1, 1.5 = January 16, 2 = February 1, etc. Some very marked hemispheric differences noted are: (1) at 80 N there is a maximum amplitude of the annual cycle of 26 K at 2.5 mb, the corresponding maximum at 80 S is much stronger (35 K) and at a lower altitude (11 mb); (2) the semiannual amplitudes show the well known maximum over the tropics in the upper stratosphere, but also maxima at high latitudes; and (3) the annual mean shows a minimum at 50 S, 1 mb, and a corresponding weaker minimum at 60 N. In general, the hemispheres are remarkably similar and six months out of phase above about 0.3 mb (56 km). The two hemispheres are significantly different especially in winter after allowing for a six month shift. Changes rom summer to winter are so large by comparison that the annual cycles appear to be very similar.
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Global monthly mean charts for both hemispheres are given for four mid-season months, and for the pressure levels 30, 10, 1, and 0.1 mbar for temperature and 0.4 mbar for ozone. Charts of total ozone are provided separately. This set of charts shows clearly the very close coupling between the temperature and ozone distributions and demonstrates the influence of the large-scale planetary waves which give rise to very large longitudinal variations. The regular and interannual variability of temperature and ozone are discussed.
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Nimbus 4 satellite selective chopper radiometer data on IR radiation emitted by carbon dioxide, considering stratospheric warming