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Rood, R. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Rood, R. B..

14 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

High-Frequency Planetary Waves in the Polar Middle Atmosphere as seen in a data Assimilation System

This study examines the winter southern hemisphere vortex of 1998 using four times daily output from a data assimilation system to focus on the polar 2-day, wave number 2 component of the 4-day wave. The data assimilation system products are from a test version of the finite volume data assimilation system (fvDAS) being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and include an ozone assimilation system. Results show that the polar 2-day wave dominates during July 1998 at 70 degrees. The period of the quasi 2-day wave is somewhat shorter than 2 days (about 1.7 days) during July 1998 with an average perturbation temperature amplitude for the month of over 2.5 K. The 2-day wave propagates more slowly than the zonal mean zonal wind, consistent with Rossby wave theory, and has EP flux divergence regions associated with regions of negative horizontal potential vorticity gradients, as expected from linear instability theory. Results for the assimilation-produced ozone mixing ratio show that the 2-day wave represents a major source of ozone variation in this region. The ozone wave in the assimilation system is in good agreement with the wave seen in the POAM (Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement) ozone observations for the same time period. Some differences with linear instability theory are noted as well as spectral peaks in the ozone field, not seen in the temperature field, that may be a consequence of advection.

Coy, L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Comparison of the Variability of Constituents from a 3D Simulation with Observations in the Tropics

Fields from chemical transport models (CTMs) driven by assimilated winds have been shown to represent many aspects of observations at middle and high latitudes. Comparisons of modeled fields with observations have been much poorer in the tropics. Noise in the tropical winds produces variability in constituents in the tropics that greatly exceeds what is observed, Constituent gradients between the tropics, subtropics and middle latitudes are weaker than observed in the lower stratosphere. Tropical transport is shown to be much more realistic using a CTM driven by winds from the assimilation system that has recently been developed by the Data Assimilation Office at Goddard Space Flight Center. The Finite Volume Community Climate Model (FV-CCM), a general circulation model model that uses the NCAR CCM physics and the Lin and Rood dynamical core, is at the core of the new assimilation system. Realistic transport in the tropics, particularly troposphere to stratosphere exchange, is an obvious requirement for realistic representation of the stratosphere to troposphere transport of ozone and other stratospheric constituents to the middle latitude upper troposphere.

Douglass, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Evaluation of Tropical Transport in a Global Chemistry and Transport Model

Observations of constituents from satellite, aircraft and sondes can be utilized to develop diagnostics of various aspects of tropical transport. These include tropical mid-latitude isolation, the seasonal transport from the upper tropical troposphere to the mid-latitude lowermost stratosphere, the seasonal cycle of the tropical total ozone and its variability. These diagnostics will be applied to constituent fields from an off-line chemistry and transport model (CTM) driven by winds from two sources. These are the Finite Volume Community Climate Model (FV-CCM), a general circulation model that uses the NCAR CCM physics and the Lin and Rood dynamical core, and an assimilation system developed by the Data Assimilation Office at the Goddard Space Flight Center that uses the FV-CCM at its core. Signatures of the quasi-biennial oscillation present in the observations will be emphasized to understand differences between the two model transports and the transport inferred from the observations.

Douglass, Anne R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Seasonal Variability of Middle Latitude Ozone in the Lowermost Stratosphere Derived from Probability Distribution Functions

We present a study of the distribution of ozone in the lowermost stratosphere with the goal of understanding the relative contribution to the observations of air of either distinctly tropospheric or stratospheric origin. The air in the lowermost stratosphere is divided into two population groups based on Ertel's potential vorticity at 300 hPa. High [low] potential vorticity at 300 hPa suggests that the tropopause is low [high], and the identification of the two groups helps to account for dynamic variability. Conditional probability distribution functions are used to define the statistics of the mix from both observations and model simulations. Two data sources are chosen. First, several years of ozonesonde observations are used to exploit the high vertical resolution. Second, observations made by the Halogen Occultation Experiment [HALOE] on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite [UARS] are used to understand the impact on the results of the spatial limitations of the ozonesonde network. The conditional probability distribution functions are calculated at a series of potential temperature surfaces spanning the domain from the midlatitude tropopause to surfaces higher than the mean tropical tropopause [about 380K]. Despite the differences in spatial and temporal sampling, the probability distribution functions are similar for the two data sources. Comparisons with the model demonstrate that the model maintains a mix of air in the lowermost stratosphere similar to the observations. The model also simulates a realistic annual cycle. By using the model, possible mechanisms for the maintenance of mix of air in the lowermost stratosphere are revealed. The relevance of the results to the assessment of the environmental impact of aircraft effluence is discussed.

Cerniglia, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development of the Joint NASA/NCAR General Circulation Model

The Data Assimilation Office at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center is collaborating with NCAR/CGD in an ambitious proposal for the development of a unified climate, numerical weather prediction, and chemistry transport model which is suitable for global data assimilation of the physical and chemical state of the Earth's atmosphere. A prototype model based on the NCAR CCM3 physics and the NASA finite-volume dynamical core has been built. A unique feature of the NASA finite-volume dynamical core is its advanced tracer transport algorithm on the floating Lagrangian control-volume coordinate. The model currently has a highly idealized ozone production/loss chemistry derived from the observed 2D (latitude-height) climatology of the recent decades. Nevertheless, the simulated horizontal wave structure of the total ozone is in good qualitative agreement with the observed (TOMS). Long term climate simulations and NWP experiments have been carried out. Current up to date status and futur! e plan will be discussed in the conference.

Lin, S.-J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Seasonal Variability of Middle Latitude Ozone in the Lowermost Stratosphere Derived from Probability Distribution Functions

We present a study of the distribution of ozone in the lowermost stratosphere with the goal of understanding the relative contribution to the observations of air of either distinctly tropospheric or stratospheric origin. The air in the lowermost stratosphere is divided into two population groups based on Ertel's potential vorticity at 300 hPa. High [low] potential vorticity at 300 hPa suggests that the tropopause is low [high], and the identification of the two groups helps to account for dynamic variability. Conditional probability distribution functions are used to define the statistics of the mix from both observations and model simulations. Two data sources are chosen. First, several years of ozonesonde observations are used to exploit the high vertical resolution. Second, observations made by the Halogen Occultation Experiment [HALOE) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite [UARS] are used to understand the impact on the results of the spatial limitations of the ozonesonde network. The conditional probability distribution functions are calculated at a series of potential temperature surfaces spanning the domain from the midlatitude tropopause to surfaces higher than the mean tropical tropopause [approximately 380K]. Despite the differences in spatial and temporal sampling, the probability distribution functions are similar for the two data sources. Comparisons with the model demonstrate that the model maintains a mix of air in the lowermost stratosphere similar to the observations. The model also simulates a realistic annual cycle. By using the model, possible mechanisms for the maintenance of mix of air in the lowermost stratosphere are revealed. The relevance of the results to the assessment of the environmental impact of aircraft effluence is discussed.

Cerniglia, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Satellite observation and mapping of wintertime ozone variability in the lower stratosphere

Comparison is made between 30 mbar ozone fields that are generated by a transport chemistry model utilizing the winds from the Goddard Space Flight Center stratospheric data assimilation system (STRATAN), observations from the LIMS instrument on Nimbus-7, and the ozone fields that result from 'flying' a mathematical simulation of LIMS observations through the transport chemistry model ozone fields. The modeled ozone fields were found to resemble the LIMS observations, but the model fields show much more temporal and spatial structure than do the LIMS observations. The 'satellite mapped' model results resemble the LIMS observations much more closely. These results are very consistent with the earlier discussions of satellite space-time sampling by Salby.

Geller, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Natural Cycles, Gases

The major gaseous components of the exhaust of stratospheric aircraft are expected to be the products of combustion (CO2 and H2O), odd nitrogen (NO, NO2 HNO3), and products indicating combustion inefficiencies (CO and total unburned hydrocarbons). The species distributions are produced by a balance of photochemical and transport processes. A necessary element in evaluating the impact of aircraft exhaust on the lower stratospheric composition is to place the aircraft emissions in perspective within the natural cycles of stratospheric species. Following are a description of mass transport in the lower stratosphere and a discussion of the natural behavior of the major gaseous components of the stratospheric aircraft exhaust.

Douglass, Anne R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Interpretation of ozone temperature correlations. II - Analysis of SBUV ozone data

In an effort to understand the behavior of ozone in the transition region, the terms in the perturbation continuity equation have been evaluated from solar backscattered ultraviolet ozone data, National Meteorological Center temperature data, and geostrophic winds derived from the temperature data at 2 mbar, winter 1978-1979. A linear parameterization is used to estimate the chemical source term. The perturbation ozone field calculated by integrating the net forcing evaluated from the data compares well with the measured perturbation ozone field. There are occasions during the winter when the sum of the dynamic terms is small due to cancellation, and the ozone and temperature perturbations are anticorrelated. The -1 correlation between the ozone and temperature perturbations does not necessarily imply that chemical forcing is dominant.

Douglass, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Interpretation of ozone temperature correlations. I - Theory

Correlations between ozone and temperature are commonly used to investigate the photochemical and dynamical aspects of satellite-derived ozone data. In this paper, the dynamical contributions to the ozone temperature correlations are examined using simple analytic and numerical models. It is shown that the phase differences between ozone and temperature waves caused by dynamical forcing can mimic the phase relationships predicted for photochemical equilibrium. Furthermore, the dynamical contribution to the phase relationship between ozone and temperature waves is routinely significant for chemistry time scales of approximately 0.5 days and is potentially important for time scales as short as 2 hours during stratospheric warmings. The model results are highly relevant to the analysis of the limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere and solar backscatter ultraviolet data taken during the winter of 1979.

Rood, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Ozone transport by diabatic and planetary wave circulations on a beta plane

A beta plane model is used to study the transport of ozone and a tracer distributed like ozone. In the first experiment, ozone is transported with a time dependent diabatic circulation in a beta channel. Increase in the ozone column density occurs principally through downward advection from the high altitude source region into the lower stratosphere. Compared with observations, the maximum in the total ozone field occurs too late and is too large. Transient planetary waves produce large temporary increases in total ozone near the pole during sudden warming events, but permanent increases are much smaller. Warmings which penetrate below the chemical transition region (major warmings) are most effective in changing the zonal mean ozone distribution. Combining the sudden warming and diabatic circulations simulates many of the observed features of the seasonal changes in total ozone at high latitudes. The diabatic circulation provides the major enhancement of the ozone column density while the transient planetary waves move ozone to high latitudes. This result suggests sudden warmings can play an important role in our understanding of the fluctuations in total ozone, and the final warming may be the key event which determines the date and magnitude of the spring maximum.

Rood, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A mechanistic model of Eulerian, Lagrangian mean, and Lagrangian ozone transport by steady planetary waves

Ozone transport is calculated for steady, dissipative planetary waves using the Eulerian, Lagrangian mean, and residual circulation. A Lagrangian model of parcel dynamics is used to interpret planetary wave-photochemistry interaction. In chemically active regions the mean field ozone changes are found to be significant only where there are large gradients in chemical sources and sinks along parcel trajectories. The largest changes in the mean field are found in the lower stratosphere and are due to the Lagrangian mean advection. When the Lagrangian mean advection is approximated by the residual circulation, errors in the transport velocities as large as 30 pct may occur.

Rood, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Transport and the seasonal variation of ozone

The transport mechanisms responsible for the seasonal behavior of total ozone are deduced from the comparison of model results to stratospheric data. The seasonal transport is dominated by a combination of the diabatic circulation and transient planetary wave activity acting on a diffusively and photochemically determined background state. The seasonal variation is not correctly modeled as a diffusive process. The buildup of total ozone at high latitudes during winter is dependent upon transient planetary wave activity of sufficient strength to cause the breakdown of the polar vortex. While midwinter warmings are responsible for enhanced ozone transport to high latitudes, the final warming marking the transition from zonal mean westerlies to zonal mean easterlies is the most important event leading to the spring maximum. The final warming is not followed by reacceleration of the mean flow; so that the ozone transport associated with this event is more pronounced than that associated with midwinter warmings.

Rood, R. B.↗