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At least 181 records · Page 10

Planetary-scale waves in the Southern Hemisphere winter and early spring stratosphere - Stability analysis

A barotropic stability model linearized about a zonally symmetric flow is used to examine the stability characteristics of horizontal zonal-mean flow profiles representative of the Southern Hemisphere middle stratosphere during winter and early spring, with emphasis on periods when planetary wave growth appears confined to the stratosphere. Unstable modes of eastward-travelling waves 2 and 3 are found to have period sand spatial structures, similar to observations. Wave-2 and wave-3 momentum fluxes are similar in observations and model results and are consistent with the transfer of kinetic energy from the zonal-mean flow to the wave. When a barotropic model with a zonally symmetric basic flow is used, wave 3 is usually most unstable. Including a stationary wave 1 in the basic flow destabilizes both wave 2 and wave 3, but has little effect on their periods or spatial structures. The similarity between observed fields and model results in a number of cases when wave 2 appears to grow within the stratosphere suggests that in situ instabilities play a role in the evolution of the eastward-traveling wave-2 characteristic of the Southern Hemisphere winter and early spring stratosphere.

Manney, G. L.↗

Calibration of hemispherical-head flow angularity probes

The hemisphere-cylinder flow angularity probes were calibrated over a Mach number range of 0.5 to 2.0 at pitch and yaw angles of -5 to +5 deg. Each probe had five pressure orifices in the hemispherical head - one on the axis and four located 45 deg from the axis and equally spaced circumferentially. The probes were identical within fabrication tolerances. Details of probe design, test procedures and data analysis are described and selected test results are presented.

Clark, Edward L.↗

Spectral bidirectional and hemispherical reflectance characteristics of selected sites in the Streletskaya steppe

Measurements of plant canopy bidirectional reflectance made by the PARABOLA (portable apparatus for rapid acquisition of bidirectional observations of the land and atmosphere) instrument in three spectral bands are analyzed for steppe grassland sites of differing productivity levels. The variation of spectral reflectance and the normalized difference vegetation index in the solar principal plane is presented. Comparisons are made with PARABOLA measurements from selected first ISLSCP field experiment (FIFE) grassland sites in the Konza prairie, Kansas. The Streletskaya steppe sites showed no strong hot spot reflectance, while this effect was present in some FIFE sites but absent in others. The hot spot effect seems to be dependent on canopy geometry and background reflectance characteristics of these sites. Spectral hemispherical reflectance was computed from the angular integration of the bidirectional measurements for the steppe sites. Total shortwave albedo was estimated from these hemispherical reflectance measurements and compared to albedo measured by pyranometers. The albedo estimates from PARABOLA were found to be approximately 12-17 percent higher than the pyranometer measurements.

Eck, Thomas F.↗

Observational evidence of preferred flow regimes in the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere

Ten years of stratospheric geopotential height data are analyzed in an attempt to determine whether there are preferred flow regimes in the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere. The data are taken from Stratospheric Sounding Units on board NOAA satellites. The probability density estimate of the amplitude of the wavenumber 1 10-mb height is found to be bimodal. The density distribution is composed of a dominant large-amplitude mode and a less frequent low-amplitude mode. When the wavenumber 1 10-mb height data are projected onto the phase plane defined by the 10-mb zonal-mean winds and wavenumber 1 100-mb heights, three preferred regimes are evident. The small-amplitude mode separates into a strong zonal wind-weak wave regime and a weak zonal wind-weak wave regime. The large-amplitude mode is an intermediate zonal wind-strong wave regime. Transitions between the large-amplitude regime and the weak zonal wind-weak wave regime are found to be associated with major stratospheric warmings. The clustering of the stratospheric data into the preferred flow regimes is interpreted in light of the bifurcation properties of the Holton and Mass model. The interannual variability of the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere is interpreted in terms of the relative frequency of the observed preferred regimes.

Pierce, R. B.↗

Simulations of stratospheric warmings in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Simulations of stratospheric final warmings made with two primitive-equation models of the stratosphere and mesosphere are presented. The principal difference between the models is the choice of vertical coordinate; pressure is used in one, and potential temperature in the other. The Southern Hemisphere final warming of 1987 and the Northern Hemisphere final warming of 1985 are simulated. The general characteristics of the simulations are examined by comparing simulated planetary wave events with observations. The formation of baroclinic zones in the simulations is investigated. The zones had vertical temperature gradients of up to 10 K/km.

Manney, Gloria L.↗

Investigation of the Laminar Aerodynamic Heat-transfer Characteristics of a Hemisphere-cylinder in the Langley 11-inch Hypersonic Tunnel at a Mach Number of 6.8

A program to investigate the aerodynamic heat transfer of a nonisothermal hemisphere-cylinder has been conducted in the Langley 11-inch hypersonic tunnel at a Mach number of 6.8 and a Reynolds number from approximately 0.14 x 10(6) to 1.06 x 10(6) based on diameter and free-stream conditions. The experimental heat-transfer coefficients were slightly less over the whole body than those predicted by the theory of Stine and Wanlass (NACA technical note 3344) for an isothermal surface. For stations within 45 degrees of the stagnation point the heat-transfer coefficients could be correlated by a single relation between local Stanton number and local Reynolds number. Pitot pressure profiles taken at a Mach number of 6.8 on a hemisphere-cylinder have verified that the local Mach number or velocity outside the boundary layer required in the theories may be computed from the surface pressures by using isentropic flow relations and conditions immediately behind a normal shock. The experimental pressure distribution at Mach number of 6.8 is closely predicted by the modified Newtonian theory.

Crawford, Davis H↗

Geology of the southern hemisphere of Triton: No polar cap

The bright southern hemisphere, comprising Uhlanga Regio, is perhaps the most poorly understood geologic province on Triton. The entire bright southern hemisphere has been described as a bright polar 'cap', implying a seasonal origin, or as a permanent geologic terrain distinct from the equatorial terrains. Also, thermal models have predicted seasonal migration of frosts and ices from the presently sun-lit south latitudes to the dark northern latitudes. The distribution of frosts and geologic history of this region must be determined observationally. We reexamine the geology of this terrain with the goal of answering these questions.

Schenk, P.↗

Radio optical reference frame. 6: Additional source positions in the northern hemisphere

Radio and optical positions for northern hemisphere extragalactic sources are reported. Milliarcsecond (mas) accurate radio positions of 106 sources north of -2 deg declination are derived from Mark III Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations taken during ten experiments from 1990 January through 1990 October. The results presented supplement an ongoing project to define and maintain an all-sky radio/optical reference frame of 400 or more extragalactic sources with mas accurate radio and optical positions. Radio positions for 34 new sources are presented along with improved radio positions for 72 sources already in the reference frame catalog. An additional nine sources have been determined to be unsuitable reference frame objects. Radio observations of nine calibration sources tie the new positions to the existing catalogue. The radio positions of the new sources have formal mean errors of approximately 0.7 mas in right ascension and approximately 1.0 mas in declination. Sources for which we report improved radio positions now have formal mean errors of approximately 0.5 mas in both coordinates, an improvement in some cases by as much as 75%. Positions in the FK5 system have also been obtained for the optical counterparts of an additional five northern hemisphere radio sources using prime focus plates from the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 4 m telescope and a Ritchey-Chretien focus plate from the Calar Alto 2.2 m telescope. The optical positions have internal accuracies of about 0.03 sec and differ from the radio positions by about 0.07 sec on the average.

Fey, A. L.↗

Evolution of Southern Hemisphere spring air masses observed by HALOE

The evolution of Southern Hemisphere air masses observed by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) during September 21 through October 15, 1992, is investigated using isentropic trajectories computed from United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UKMO) assimilated winds and temperatures. Maps of constituent concentrations are obtained by accumulation of air masses from previous HALOE occultations. Lagged correlations between initial and subsequent HALOE observations of the same air mass are used to validate the air mass trajectories. High correlations are found for lag times as large as 10 days. Frequency distributions of the air mass constituent concentrations are used to examine constituent distributions in and around the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex.

Pierce, R. Bradley↗

Variation in Heat Transfer During Transient Heating of a Hemisphere at a Mach Number of 2

Convective heat-transfer tests were made on a 5-inch-diameter hemisphere to determine the variation of Stanton number with the ratio of wall temperature to total temperature. The tests were made at a nominal Mach number of 2 for stagnation temperatures of 760 deg R, 1,030 deg R, and 1,380 deg R. The model was constructed so that radiation effects and also streamwise conduction effects within the model skin were minimized. The results of the tests verified that these effects were small. Tests which were made with different masses of air inside the model to check for conduction effects to the internal air cavity showed these effects to be negligible. For laminar flow on the hemisphere, the Stanton number remained essentially constant as the ratio of wall temperature to total temperature increased. However, for fully established turbulent flow, the Stanton number at some stations decreased on the order of 50 percent as the ratio of wall temperature to total temperature increased. A theory which agreed fairly well with the trend of this decrease is shown for comparison.

English, Roland D.↗

The Influence of Low Wall Temperature on Boundary-Layer Transition and Local Heat Transfer on 2-Inch-Diameter Hemispheres at a Mach Number of 4.95 and a Reynolds Number per Foot of 73.2 x 10(exp 6)

Measurements of the location of boundary-layer transition and the local heat transfer have been made on 2-inch-diameter hemispheres in the Langley gas dynamics laboratory at a Mach number of 4.95, a Reynolds number per foot of 73.2 x 10(exp 6), and a stagnation temperature of approximately 400 F. The transient-heating thin-skin calorimeter technique was used, and the initial values of the wall-to-stream stagnation- temperature ratios were 0.16 (cold-model tests) and 0.65 (hot-model test). During two of the four cold tests, the boundary-layer flow changed from turbulent to laminar over large regions of the hemisphere as the model heated. On the basis of a detailed consideration of the magnitude of roughness possibly present during these two cold tests, it appears that this destabilizing effect of low wall temperatures (cooling) was not caused by roughness as a dominant influence. This idea of a decrease in boundary-layer stability with cooling has been previously suggested. (See, for example, NASA Memorandum 10-8-58E.) For the laminar data obtained during the early part of the hot test, the correlation of the local-heating data with laminar theory was excellent.

Cooper, Morton↗

Experimental Investigation of Several Copper and Beryllium Hemispherical Models in Air at Stagnation Temperatures of 2,000 to 3,600 F

As part of an investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to determine the resistance to heating of various materials when used as a heat sink for hypersonic airframes, hemispherical nose-shape models of beryllium and copper have been tested in a Mach number 4 hot-air jet at stagnation temperatures of 2,000 F to 3,600 F and Reynolds numbers of 1.88 x 10(exp 6) to 2.93 x 10(exp 6). The experimental results of heating on the nose of the beryllium models agreed reasonably well with theoretical results, whereas heating on the nose of the copper models was almost twice that predicted by theory. Heating of the cylindrical wall behind the hemisphere agreed fairly well with that predicted by theory at lower temperatures. Beryllium produced a thin protective oxide when heated to its melting point with no tendency to ignite before melting. Copper produced a somewhat heavier layer of oxide upon heating, and ignited when heated to near its melting point. These tests indicate that beryllium is superior to copper as a heat-sink material because it absorbs more heat per unit weight, has greater resistance to oxidation in heated air, and does not ignite when heated in air up to its melting temperature.

Trout, Otto F., Jr.↗

SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes): A New Ozonesonde Data Set for the Earth Science Community

In the past several years, new tropical tropospheric ozone data products have been developed from TOMS and other satellites. Global chemical-transport models have been developed for interpretation of satellite data and to predict future ozone levels in the troposphere and stratosphere. However, the lack of ozone profile measurements for validation and evaluation of these data sets and models is critical in regions like the tropics. In 1998 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, in partnership with NOAA/CMDL (Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Lab) and other nations, began a 2-year project to collect weekly ozonesonde measurements at southern hemisphere tropical sites and make the data available to the scientific community at a single electronic location: http://code9lQ.gsfc.nasa.gov/Data services/Shadoz/shadoz hmpq2.htmi A summary of data from the SHADOZ sites will be presented: Ascension Island, Fiji, Tahiti, Galapagos, American Samoa, Natal (Brazil), Reunion Island, Watukosek (Java), Nairobi and Irene, South Africa. SHADOZ is designed to meet other needs: (1) Provide the first climatology of tropical ozone along the equatorial zone for the wave-one pattern in total ozone; (2) Supplement field project observations. (3) Guide algorithm development for future satellite instruments; (4) Train scientists and educators in southern hemisphere tropical locations. From time to time, intensive tropical campaigns are making data available to SHADOZ. Data from the first half of 1999 will include INDOEX (Indian Ocean Experiment), SOWER (Stratospheric Ozone and Water in the Equatorial Region) at Christmas Island (2N, 157W), and a cruise from Norfolk, Virginia to Cape Town and Mauritius on NOAA's RN 'Ronald H Brown.'

Witte, J. C.↗

Significant Centers of Tectonic Activity as Identified by Wrinkle Ridges for the Western Hemisphere of Mars

The western hemisphere region of Mars has been the site of numerous scientific investigations regarding its tectonic evolution. For this region of Mars, the dominant tectonic region is the Tharsis province. Tharsis is characterized by an enormous system of radiating grabens and a circumferential system of wrinkle ridges. Past investigations of grabens associated with Tharsis have identified specific centers of tectonic activity. A recent structural analysis of the western hemisphere region of Mars which includes the Tharsis region, utilized 25,000 structures to determine the history of local and regional centers of tectonic activity based primarily on the spatial and temporal relationships of extensional features. This investigation revealed that Tharsis is more structurally complex (heterogeneous) than has been previously identified: it consists of numerous regional and local centers of tectonic activity (some are more dominant and/or more long lived than others). Here we use the same approach as Anderson et al. to determine whether the centers of tectonic activity that formed the extensional features also contributed to wrinkle ridge (compressional) formation.

Anderson, R.C.↗

Dominant Presence of Oxygenated Organic Species in the Remote Southern Hemisphere Troposphere

Oxygenated organic species are intimately involved with the fate of nitrogen oxides (NO(sub x)) and hydrogen oxides (HO(sub x)), which are necessary for tropospheric ozone formation. A recent airborne experiment (March-April, 1999) focused over the southern hemisphere (SH) Pacific Ocean (PEM-tropics-B) provided a first opportunity for a detailed characterization of the oxygenated organic composition of the remote southern hemisphere troposphere. Three co-located multi-channel airborne instruments measured a dozen key oxygenated species (carbonyls, alcohols, organic nitrates, organic pernitrates, peroxides) along with a comprehensive suite of C2-C8 Nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC). These measurements reveal that in the tropical SH (0-30 deg south), oxygenated chemical abundances are extremely large and collectively are nearly five times those of NMHC. Even in the NH remote atmospheres their burden is equal to or greater than that of NMHC. The relatively uniform global distribution oxygenates (EPSILON Ox-org) is indicative of the presence of large natural and distributed sources. A global 3-D model, reflecting the present state of science, is unable to correctly simulate the atmospheric distribution and variability of several of these species.

Singh, H.↗

The 1998-2000 SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional Ozonesondes) Tropical Ozone Climatology: Comparison with TOMS and Ground-Based Measurements

A network of 10 southern hemisphere tropical and Subtropical stations, designated the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes, (SHADOZ) project and established from operational sites, provided over 1000 ozone profiles during the period 1998-2000. Balloon-borne electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesondes, combined with standard radiosondes for pressure, temperature and relative humidity measurements, collected profiles in the troposphere and lower- to mid-stratosphere at: Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa: Reunion Island, Watukosek Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil.

Thompson, Anne M.↗

The 1998-2000 SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) Tropical Ozone Climatology: Ozonesonde Precision, Accuracy and Station-to-Station Variability

As part of the SAFARI-2000 campaign, additional launches of ozonesondes were made at Irene, South Africa and at Lusaka, Zambia. These represent campaign augmentations to the SHADOZ database described in this paper. This network of 10 southern hemisphere tropical and subtropical stations, designated the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) project and established from operational sites, provided over 1000 profiles from ozonesondes and radiosondes during the period 1998-2000. (Since that time, two more stations, one in southern Africa, have joined SHADOZ). Archived data are available at: http://code9l6.gsfc.nasa.gov/Data-services/shadoz>. Uncertainties and accuracies within the SHADOZ ozone data set are evaluated by analyzing: (1) imprecisions in stratospheric ozone profiles and in methods of extrapolating ozone above balloon burst; (2) comparisons of column-integrated total ozone from sondes with total ozone from the Earth-Probe/TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite and ground-based instruments; (3) possible biases from station-to-station due to variations in ozonesonde characteristics. The key results are: (1) Ozonesonde precision is 5%; (2) Integrated total ozone column amounts from the sondes are in good agreement (2-10%) with independent measurements from ground-based instruments at five SHADOZ sites and with overpass measurements from the TOMS satellite (version 7 data). (3) Systematic variations in TOMS-sonde offsets and in groundbased-sonde offsets from station to station reflect biases in sonde technique as well as in satellite retrieval. Discrepancies are present in both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone. (4) There is evidence for a zonal wave-one pattern in total and tropospheric ozone, but not in stratospheric ozone.

Witte, J. C.↗

SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional Ozonesondes): A Look at the First Three Years' (1998-2000) Tropospheric Ozone Data

The first climatological overview of total, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone in the southern hemisphere tropical and subtropics is based on ozone sounding data from 10 sites comprising the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) network. The period covered is 1998-2000. Observations were made over: Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; RCunion Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natai, Brazil. Campaign data were collected on a trans-Atlantic oceanographic cruise and during SAFARI-2000 in Zambia. The ozone data, with simultaneous temperature profiles to approx. 7 hPa and relative humidity to approx. 200 hPa, reside at an open archive: . SHADOZ ozone time-series and profiles give a perspective on tropical total, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone in 1998-2000. Prominent features are highly variable tropospheric ozone, a zonal wave-one pattern in total (and tropospheric) column ozone, and signatures of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in stratospheric ozone. Total, stratospheric and tropospheric column ozone amounts peak between August and November and are lowest between March and May. Tropospheric ozone variability over the Indian and Pacific Ocean displays influences of the Indian Ocean Dipole, ENSO, and Madden-Julian circulation on convective mixing. Pollution transport from Africa, South American and the Maritime Continent is a seasonal feature. Tropospheric ozone seasonality over the Atlantic Basin shows effects of regional subsidence and recirculation as well as biomass burning. Dynamical and chemical influences appear to be of comparable magnitude.

Thompson, Anne M.↗