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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1985

Response of the mesoscale atmosphere to diabatic heating

A study was initiated to determine the influence of convective latent heat release/diabatic heating on the production of kinetic energy during AVE/SESAME I. The primary focus has been on the relative importance of thermally forced modification of the wind field through thickness and height gradient changes versus inertial-advective effects via the diabatic component of vertical motion. Preliminary results have shown that because of the strong vertical shear over the convective region, ageostrophic response is primarily caused by the latter process. The diagnostic parameterization of convective heating has been extended for use in conjunction with satellite precipitation estimates in data-poor oceanic regions. An initial application was made to a mesoscale convective system embedded in the South Pacific convergence zone. Comparison to the heating field diagnosed as a residual in the thermodynamic equation using the ECMWF III-b analyses showed that the methodology will be useful in explaining the observed heating fields and determining the relative contribution of moist processes to the total diabatic heating. Research activities are now concentrated in the following areas: (1) Determining the sensitivity of vertical heating profiles to partitioning of gridscale versus convective precipitation; (2) assessing the possible effects of incorrect analyzed gridscale vertical motions on residuals in the heat budgets computed with the ECMWF III-b data sets.

Robertson, F. R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

GOES Satellite Observations for the FIRE/SRB Wisconsin Experiment Region from October 11 Through November 2, 1986

A map, concise tables, and satellite images are presented which show ground-site locations, GOES visible/infrared instrument counts above each site, and cloud spatial distribution for the experiment region from 11 October through 2 November 1986. The cloud images are presented near times of the afternoon NOAA-9 satellite overpasses in order to provide a qualitative aid in the interpretation of TOVS, AVHRR, and heat budget data during the FIRE/SRB experiment.

Whitlock, Charles H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A simulation of the winter and summer circulations with the NMC Global Spectral Model

The medium range forecast model of the NMC has been integrated to produce winter and summer simulations. It is found that the model climatology is similar to that of the observed atmosphere as well as climatologies of other general circulation models. The stationary and transient features of the model circulation are described, including both tropical and extratropical regions. The model hydrological cycle, radiative balance, and surface heat budget are discussed. Comparison with observations shows that the model is colder than that observed in the troposphere and cools in the lower stratosphere in the tropics and near the poles in both simulations. It is suggested that the upper branch of the Hadley cell is poorly simulated in the integrated model. The simulations are in reasonable agreement with the observations in sea level pressure, the structure of the tropospheric zonal jets, and the winter hemispheric stationary waves.

Kinter, J. L., III↗

NASA NTRS1991

Cloud albedo control by cloud-top entrainment

Marine stratus and stratocumulus clouds exert a considerable influence on the earth's heat budget, mainly due to their high albedos relative to the ocean surface. It is therefore important to understand the processes that control the radiative properties of these extensive cloud systems, particularly during daylight hours. Aircraft measurements of a stratocumulus cloud deck taken around local noon during the 1987 field phase of the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project Regional Experiment are the topic of this paper. A mixing line analysis of data from a series of flight tracks across a strong gradient in cloud albedo provides evidence that variations in the water vapor content of the air above the marine inversion can be responsible for the albedo change. The implications of this unexpected result for climate modeling are discussed.

Hanson, Howard P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Mars boundary layer simulations - Comparison with Viking lander and entry observations

Diurnal variations of wind and temperature in the lower Martian atmosphere are simulated with a boundary layer model that includes radiative heating in a dusty CO2 atmosphere, turbulence generated by convection and/or shear stresses, a surface heat budget, and time varying pressure forces due to sloping terrain. Model results for early northern summer are compared with Viking lander observations to determine the model's strengths and weaknesses, and suitability as an engineering model.

Haberle, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Terrestrial superrotation - A bifurcation of the general circulation

When sufficiently large zonally asymmetric tropical heating is introduced in a two-level model of global atmospheric flow, its general circulation becomes strongly superrotating. The nature of the superrotating solutions is studied by examining momentum and heat budgets for a range of values of thermal forcing. Changes in the transport of zonal momentum by transient eddies appear to play the key role in the transition to superrotation. The dramatic bifurcation of the solutions of this model may help explain the maintenance and variability of the zonal mean flow in the tropics.

Suarez, Max J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Variations in lithospheric thickness on Venus

Recent analyses of Magellan data have indicated many regions exhibiting topograhic flexure. On Venus, flexure is associated predominantly with coronae and the chasmata with Aphrodite Terra. Modeling of these flexural signatures allows the elastic and mechanical thickness of the lithosphere to be estimated. In areas where the lithosphere is flexed beyond its elastic limit the saturation moment provides information on the strength of the lithosphere. Modeling of 12 flexural features on Venus has indicated lithospheric thicknesses comparable with terrestrial values. This has important implications for the venusian heat budget. Flexure of a thin elastic plate due simultaneously to a line load on a continuous plate and a bending moment applied to the end of a broken plate is considered. The mean radius and regional topographic gradient are also included in the model. Features with a large radius of curvature were selected so that a two-dimensional approximation could be used. Comparisons with an axisymmetric model were made for some features to check the validity of the two-dimensional assumption. The best-fit elastic thickness was found for each profile crossing a given flexural feature. In addition, the surface stress and bending moment at the first zero crossing of each profile were also calculated. Flexural amplitudes and elastic thicknesses obtained for 12 features vary significantly. Three examples of the model fitting procedures are discussed.

Johnson, C. L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Mesoscale and large-scale variability of the Antarctic circumpolar current

This investigation of the physical oceanography of the Southern Ocean will carry out two parallel efforts during the years preceding the launch of TOPEX/POSEIDON. First, the Geosat data will be used to develop a preliminary descriptive picture of the mesoscale and large-scale, low-frequency surface circulation of the Southern Ocean. Some of this analysis of Geosat data has already begun. For example, as a measure of the geographical distribution of mesoscale variability, a color-coded map of the standard deviation of sea level from two years of Geosat data is shown. Efforts are presently under way to investigate the seasonal and year-to-year variability of this mesoscale energy. The data are also being used to generate low-pass filtered fields of sea level from which the temporal evolution of large-scale variability in the Southern Ocean may be investigated. The second parallel effort is the development and test of modeling and data assimilation techniques that will later be applied to TOPEX/POSEIDON data during the postlaunch phase. One objective of the modeling and data assimilation is to investigate the relation between mesoscale sea level variations and eddy flux in the Southern Ocean. Uncertainties in present estimates of the various components of meridional oceanic heat transport are large. The evidence presented indicates that the very energetic mesoscale variability in the ACC apparently accounts for much of the estimated 0.45x10(exp 15) watts of poleward heat transport across the ACC required to balance the heat budget. Eddy variability is strongly coherent vertically in the ACC, at least in the vicinity of Drake Passage where nearly all of the historical in situ data have been collected.

Chelton, Dudley B.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A boundary-layer model for Mars - Comparison with Viking lander and entry data

A 1D boundary-layer model of Mars based on a momentum equation that describes friction, pressure gradient, and Coriolis forces is presented. Frictional forces and convective heating are computed using the level-2 turbulence closure theory of Mellor and Yamada (1974). The model takes into account the radiative effects of CO2 gas and suspended dust particles. Both radiation and convection depend on surface temperatures which are computed from a surface heat budget. Model predictions are compared with available observations from Viking landers. It is concluded that, in general, the model reproduces the basic features of the temperature data. The agreement is particularly good at entry time for the V L-2 site, where the model and observations are within several degrees at all levels for which data are available.

Haberle, Robert M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

An observational search for CO2 ice clouds on Mars

CO2 ice clouds were first directly identified on Mars by the Mariner 6 and 7 infrared spectrometer limb scans. These observations provided support for early theoretical modeling efforts of CO2 condensation. Mariner 9 IRIS temperature profiles of north polar hood clouds were interpreted as indicating that these clouds were composed of H2O ice at lower latitudes and CO2 ice at higher latitudes. The role of CO2 condensation on Mars has recently received increased attention because (1) Kasting's model results indicated that CO2 cloud condensation limits the magnitude of the proposed early Mars CO2/H2O greenhouse, and (2) Pollack el al.'s GCM results indicated that the formation of CO2 ice clouds is favorable at all polar latitudes during the fall and winter seasons. These latter authors have shown that CO2 clouds play an important role in the polar energy balance, as the amount of CO2 contained in the polar caps is constrained by a balance between latent heat release, heat advected from lower latitudes, and thermal emission to space. The polar hood clouds reduce the amount of CO2 condensation on the polar caps because they reduce the net emission to space. There have been many extensive laboratory spectroscopic studies of H2O and CO2 ices and frosts. In this study, we use results from these and other sources to search for the occurrence of diagnostic CO2 (and H2O) ice and/or frost absorption features in ground based near-infrared imaging spectroscopic data of Mars. Our primary goals are (1) to try to confirm the previous direct observations of CO2 clouds on Mars; (2) to determine the spatial extent, temporal variability, and composition (H2O/CO2 ratio) of any clouds detected; and (3) through radiative transfer modeling, to try to determine the mean particle size and optical depth of polar hood clouds, thus, assessing their role in the polar heat budget.

Bell, James F., III↗

NASA NTRS1994

Wave-modified mean exothermic heating in the mesopause region

We employ a model of wave-driven OH nightglow fluctuations to calculate the effects of gravity waves on the chemical exothermic heating due to reactions involving odd hydrogen and odd oxygen species in the mesopause region. Using a model based on time means and deviations from those means, it is demonstrated that gravity waves contribute to the time-average exothermic heating. The effect can be significant because the fractional fluctuations in minor species density can be substantially greater than the fractional fluctuation of the major gas density. Our calculations reveal that the waves mitigate the exothermic heating, demonstrating their potential importance in the heat budget of the mesopause region.

Hickey, Michael P.↗

NASA NTRS1995

On a generating mechanism for Yanai waves and the 25-day oscillation

A spectral Chebyshev-collocation method applied to the linear, 1.5 layer reduced-gravity ocean model equations is used to study the dynamics of Yanai (or mixed Rossby-gravity) wave packets. These are of interest because of the observations of equatorial instability waves (which have the characteristics of Yanai waves) and their role in the momentum and heat budgets in the tropics. A series of experiments is performed to investigate the generation of the waves by simple cross-equatorial wind stress forcings in various configurations and the influence of a western boundary on the waves. They may be generated in the interior ocean as well as from a western boundary. The observations from all the oceans indicate that the waves have a preferential period and wavelength of around 25 days and 1000 km respectively. These properties are also seen in the model results and a plausible explanation is provided as being due to the dispersive properties of Yanai waves.

Kelly, Brian G.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Computation of vertical profiles of longwave radiative cooling over the equatorial Pacific

An important quantity whose magnitude has not been throughly examined is the vertical distribution of heating in the Tropics. The details of the vertical distribution of heating have a significant impact on a number of phenomena, including the 30-60 day oscillation, sometimes known as the intraseasonal oscillation. Prior attempts to establish the structure of the heating relied on limited field data or assimilated data, coupled with climatological radiative heating parameters. The availability of high quality global-scale datasets has made it possible to make more accurate calculations than were possible a few years ago. An important component of the apparent heat budget is the longwave radiative cooling, which in this paper is found by using the ECMWF/WCRP/TOGA Archive 2 and ISCCP C1 datasets, together with a well-established parameterization scheme. A method is developed that can be used to estimate the vertical structure of cloud amounts based on top-of-atmosphere cloud observations, and the results are used with a wide-band longwave parameterization to produce longwave cooling rates over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Outgoing longwave radiation is calculated and compared the ERBE results. The calculated values are generally higher than those from ERBE, though the spatial distributions are similar. Some significant problems exist with the ECMWF upper-tropospheric water vapor amounts, which could imply uncertainties of 0.5 C/day in the calculated cooling rates. This is comparable to the differences associated with the minimum or random overlap assumptions used to generate cloud profiles.

Ramsey, Perry G.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Thermal History and Mantle Dynamics of Venus

One objective of this research proposal is to develop a 3-D thermal history model for Venus. The basis of our study is a finite-element computer model to simulate thermal convection of fluids with highly temperature- and pressure-dependent viscosities in a three-dimensional spherical shell. A three-dimensional model for thermal history studies is necessary for the following reasons. To study planetary thermal evolution, one needs to consider global heat budgets of a planet throughout its evolution history. Hence, three-dimensional models are necessary. This is in contrasts to studies of some local phenomena or local structures where models of lower dimensions may be sufficient. There are different approaches to treat three-dimensional thermal convection problems. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the choice of the various approaches is subjective and dependent on the problem addressed. In our case, we are interested in the effects of viscosities that are highly temperature dependent and that their magnitudes within the computing domain can vary over many orders of magnitude. In order to resolve the rapid change of viscosities, small grid spacings are often necessary. To optimize the amount of computing, variable grids become desirable. Thus, the finite-element numerical approach is chosen for its ability to place grid elements of different sizes over the complete computational domain. For this research proposal, we did not start from scratch and develop the finite element codes from the beginning. Instead, we adopted a finite-element model developed by Baumgardner, a collaborator of this research proposal, for three-dimensional thermal convection with constant viscosity. Over the duration supported by this research proposal, a significant amount of advancements have been accomplished.

Hsui, Albert T.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Automated All-Weather Lidar with Scanning Option

The design of the Depolarization and Backscatter Unattended Lidar (DABUL) was reported at the last ILRC. The addition of automated scanning in elevation angle within a single azimuthal plane permits more comprehensive sampling of clouds and more quantitative interpretation of the data, especially near the surface. Some highlights are described of measurements made during field tests of DABUL. Examples are also given of preliminary results from the current year-long deployment aboard a research vessel drifting in the arctic ice pack as part of the SHEBA (Surface HEat Budget of the Arctic) project and NASA's arctic cloud and satellite validation research.

Eberhard, Wynn L.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Cloud Statistics for NASA Climate Change Studies

The Principal Investigator participated in two field experiments and developed a global data set on cirrus cloud frequency and optical depth to aid the development of numerical models of climate. Four papers were published under this grant. The accomplishments are summarized: (1) In SUCCESS (SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Cloud Effects Special Study) the Principal Investigator aided weather forecasters in the start of the field program. A paper also was published on the clouds studied in SUCCESS and the use of the satellite stereographic technique to distinguish cloud forms and heights of clouds. (2) In SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget in the Arctic) FIRE/ACE (Arctic Cloud Experiment) the Principal Investigator provided daily weather and cloud forecasts for four research aircraft crews, NASA's ER-2, UCAR's C-130, University of Washington's Convert 580, and the Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service's Convert 580. Approximately 105 forecasts were written. The Principal Investigator also made daily weather summaries with calculations of air trajectories for 54 flight days in the experiment. The trajectories show where the air sampled during the flights came from and will be used in future publications to discuss the origin and history of the air and clouds sampled by the aircraft. A paper discussing how well the FIRE/ACE data represent normal climatic conditions in the arctic is being prepared. (3) The Principal Investigator's web page became the source of information for weather forecasting by the scientists on the SHEBA ship. (4) Global Cirrus frequency and optical depth is a continuing analysis of global cloud cover and frequency distribution are being made from the NOAA polar orbiting weather satellites. This analysis is sensitive to cirrus clouds because of the radiative channels used. During this grant three papers were published which describe cloud frequencies, their optical properties and compare the Wisconsin FM Cloud Analysis to other global cloud data such as the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program (ISCCP) and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE). A summary of eight years of HIRS data will be published in late 1998. Important information from this study are: 1) cirrus clouds cover most of the earth, 2) they are found about 40% of the time globally, 3) in the tropics cirrus cloud frequencies are even higher, from 80-100%, 4) there is slight evidence that cirnis cloud cover is increasing in the northern hemisphere at about 0.5% per year, and 5) cirrus clouds have an average infrared transmittance of about 40% of the terrestrial radiation. (5) Global Cloud Frequency Statistics published on the Principal Investigator's web page have been used in the planning of the future CRYSTAL experiment and have been used for refinements of a global numerical model operated at the Colorado State University.

Wylie, Donald P.↗

NASA NTRS2001

The Continuation of Cloud Statistics for NASA Climate Change Studies

The weather systems, cyclones, and anticyclones, along with air trajectories and cloud forms, are compared to past studies of the Arctic to assess compatibility of the four month study of the Arctic Cloud Experiment flights of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE/ACE) with past climatologies. The frequency and movement of cyclones (lows) and anticyclones (highs) followed the general eastward and northeastward directions indicated by past studies. Most cyclones (lows) came from eastern Siberia and the Bering Sea to the south and moved north across the Bering Straight or Alaska into the Arctic Ocean. They generally weakened in central pressure as they moved poleward. Anticyclones (highs) were most common in the eastern Beaufort Sea near Canada in June and July as predicted from previous studies. However, many cyclones and anticyclones moved in westward directions which is rare in other latitudes. Erratic changes in shape and intensity on a daily basis also were observed. The National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) analysis generally reflected the Surface Heat Budget in the Arctic (SHEBA) Ship World Meteorological Organization (WMO) observations which it used. However, NCEP temperatures were biased warm by 1.0 to 1.5 C in April and early May. In July when the surface temperature were at the freezing/thawing point, the NCEP analysis changed to a cold bias of -1.0 C. Dew points had smaller biases except for July where they were biased cold by -1.4 C. Wind speeds had a -2 m/s low bias for the six windiest days. Surface barometric pressures had consistently low biases from -1.2 to -2.8 hPa in all four months. Air parcel historical trajectories were mainly from the south or from local anticyclonic gyres in the Beaufort Sea. Most air came to the SHEBA Ship from the north Pacific Ocean or from Alaska and Canada and occasionally from eastern Siberia. Very few trajectories traced back across the pole to Europe and Central Asia. Cloud cover was high, as expected, from 69-86% of the time. Satellite data also indicate frequent stratus, altostratus, and cirrus clouds (occurring 61% of the time) above the expected boundary layer fog and Arctic stratus clouds.

Wylie, Donald P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Principal Component Analysis of Arctic Solar Irradiance Spectra

During the FIRE (First ISCPP Regional Experiment) Arctic Cloud Experiment and coincident SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean) campaign, detailed moderate resolution solar spectral measurements were made to study the radiative energy budget of the coupled Arctic Ocean - Atmosphere system. The NASA Ames Solar Spectral Flux Radiometers (SSFRs) were deployed on the NASA ER-2 and at the SHEBA ice camp. Using the SSFRs we acquired continuous solar spectral irradiance (380-2200 nm) throughout the atmospheric column. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to characterize the several tens of thousands of retrieved SSFR spectra and to determine the number of independent pieces of information that exist in the visible to near-infrared solar irradiance spectra. It was found in both the upwelling and downwelling cases that almost 100% of the spectral information (irradiance retrieved from 1820 wavelength channels) was contained in the first six extracted principal components. The majority of the variability in the Arctic downwelling solar irradiance spectra was explained by a few fundamental components including infrared absorption, scattering, water vapor and ozone. PCA analysis of the SSFR upwelling Arctic irradiance spectra successfully separated surface ice and snow reflection from overlying cloud into distinct components.

Rabbette, Maura↗