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At least 19 records

Application of Satellite-Derived Land Surface Temperature to Minimum Temperature Forecasting

Satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) is studied for the purpose of understanding regional skin temperature dependency and variability, and its relationship to corresponding, site-specific air temperature. Skin temperature is highly correlated with surface-air temperature although it differs depending on land surface characteristics, terrain, and atmospheric conditions on a diurnal and seasonal scale. The high temporal resolution of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) -12 sounder is used to compare the diurnal cycles of LST and surface-air temperature. The minimum for both temperatures occurs near sunrise and LST is found to agree closely with surface-air temperatures a period of hours before sunrise on clear sky nights. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived LST renders more horizontal temperature structure - with its high spatial resolution (1 km at nadir) compared to the GOES-12 sounder (10 km). Nighttime MODIS-derived LST is extrapolated to the time of minimum temperature for a number of case study days and these are grouped by season and atmospheric conditions. These composites show that the variation in LST mirror the variation in minimum surface-air temperature under similar conditions.

Jones, P. R.↗

The structure of the temperature minimum region in solar flares and its significance for flare heating mechanisms

The paper analyzes Ca II K-line profiles of one flare and EUV continuum observations of two other flares in an effort to obtain values for temperature enhancements over active region values produced in the upper photosphere around and above the temperature minimum region. Results show that the flare temperature minimum is depressed some two scale heights below its preflare level and that substantial temperature enhancements are produced even at this depth. Consideration is also given to possible heating mechanisms which might be responsible for the observed enhancements, including (1) heating by EUV radiation, (2) heating by proton beams with low dispersion energy spectra centered at 10-20 MeV, and (3) localized heating at temperature minimum levels.

Machado, M. E.↗

The use of polar-orbiting satellite sounding data to estimate rural maximum and minimum temperatures

Atmospheric sounding products from NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites were used to derive and test predictive equations of rural shelter-level maximum and minimum temperatures. Sounding data from both winter and summer months were combined with surface data from over 5300 cooperative weather stations in the continental United States to develop multiple linear regression equations. Separate equations were developed for both maximum and minimum temperature, using the three types of sounding retrievals (clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy). Clear retrieval models outperformed others, and maximum temperatures were more accurately predicted than minimums. Average standard deviations of observed rural shelter temperatures within sounding search areas were of similar magnitude to root-mean-square errors from satellite estimates for most clear and partly cloudy cases, but were significantly less for cloudy retrieval cases. Model validation for surrogate polar and tropical climatic regions showed success in application of the four clear retrieval models (maximum and minimum temperature, for both winter and summer). This indicates the potential adaptability of these models to estimates of rural shelter temperature in areas outside of the United States.

Johnson, Gregory L.↗

The heating of the temperature minimum region in solar flares - A reassessment

The paper discusses and evaluates the suggestions made by Machado et al. (1978) on how to reconcile the observed temperature enhancements at temperature-minimum levels in solar flares with some theoretical heating mechanism. The objective is to gain deeper insight into the nature of the photospheric flare. The discussion focuses on the validity of the assumption of H(-) LTE at temperature-minimum levels, as well as on EUV irradiation and Joule heating by steady currents as heating mechanisms. It is found that, unless there are strong inhomogeneities associated with either heating mechanism, neither can reasonably be reconciled with observations. It is concluded that detailed high-resolution (both spatial and temporal) measurements are necessary to further the present understanding of the flare process at temperature-minimum levels.

Emslie, A. G.↗

Structure of the solar chromosphere. II - The underlying photosphere and temperature-minimum region

The paper presents a non-LTE empirical model of the quiet solar photosphere and the temperature-minimum region. The continuous spectrum computed from this model is in good overall agreement with available disk-center observations throughout the wavelength range from 0.125 to 500 microns. It is found that (1) absolute-intensity measurements are needed in the range between 1 and 2 microns to establish the structure of the deepest observable layers; (2) absolute-intensity or flux measurements are needed in the range between 20 and 200 microns to determine whether the minimum solar temperature occurring between the photosphere and the chromosphere is as low as indicated by present observations or much higher, as recent theoretical predictions indicate; (3) studies of the far-ultraviolet spectrum based on the assumption of LTE can be substantially in error; and (4) line opacity seems to account for the 'missing opacity' in the ultraviolet.

Vernazza, J. E.↗

Temperature minimum heating in solar flares by resistive dissipation of Alfven waves

The possibility that the strong heating produced at temperature-minimum levels during solar flares is due to resistive dissipation of Alfven waves generated by the primary energy release process in the corona is studied. It is shown how, for suitable parameters, these waves can carry their energy essentially undamped into the temperature-minimum layers and can then produce a degree of heating consistent with observations.

Emslie, A. G.↗

Evidence for a 250 second brightness oscillation at 1600 A in the solar temperature minimum region

A 330 s sequence of solar images at 1600 A, where the solar flux arises predominantly from the temperature minimum continuum, obtained from a sounding rocket flight, has been studied. The statistical distributions of the periods and amplitudes which result from fitting a sine wave to each individual 5 arcsec square box within a 350 x 350 arcsec quiet-sun field were obtained. Evidence is found for 250 s oscillations in the quiet-sun brightness temperature in about 10 arcsec coherent patches, with an average amplitude of 50 K. The amplitude corresponds to an energy flux of 180,000 ergs/sq cm/s for undamped, adiabatic, propagating sound waves, which is small compared to the heating requirement in the temperature minimum region.

Cook, J. W.↗

Rocket photographs of fine structure and wave patterns in the solar temperature minimum

A new series of high resolution pictures of the sun has been obtained during the second flight of the Transition Region Camera which occurred on September 23, 1980. The qualitative analysis of the results indicates that a substantial portion of the solar surface at the temperature minimum radiates in non-magnetic regions and from features below 1 arcsec in size. Wave patterns are observed on the 160 nm temperature minimum pictures. They are absent on the Lyman alpha pictures. Their physical characteristics are compatible with those of gravitational and acoustic waves generated by exploding granules.

Bonnet, R. M.↗

Relationship of magnetic field strength and brightness of fine-structure elements in the solar temperature minimum region

A quantitative relationship was determined between magnetic field strength (or magnetic flux) from photospheric magnetograph observations and the brightness temperature of solar fine-structure elements observed at 1600 A, where the predominant flux source is continuum emission from the solar temperature minimum region. A Kitt Peak magnetogram and spectroheliograph observations at 1600 A taken during a sounding rocket flight of the High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph from December 11, 1987 were used. The statistical distributions of brightness temperature in the quiet sun at 1600 A, and absolute value of magnetic field strength in the same area were determined from these observations. Using a technique which obtains the best-fit relationship of a given functional form between these two histogram distributions, a quantitative relationship was determined between absolute value of magnetic field strength B and brightness temperature which is essentially linear from 10 to 150 G. An interpretation is suggested, in which a basal heating occurs generally, while brighter elements are produced in magnetic regions with temperature enhancements proportional to B.

Cook, J. W.↗

On the Trend of the Annual Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Temperature and the Diurnal Temperature Range in the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, Dataset, 1844 -2012

Examined are the annual averages, 10-year moving averages, decadal averages, and sunspot cycle (SC) length averages of the mean, maximum, and minimum surface air temperatures and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) for the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, during the interval 1844-2012. Strong upward trends are apparent in the Armagh surface-air temperatures (ASAT), while a strong downward trend is apparent in the DTR, especially when the ASAT data are averaged by decade or over individual SC lengths. The long-term decrease in the decadaland SC-averaged annual DTR occurs because the annual minimum temperatures have risen more quickly than the annual maximum temperatures. Estimates are given for the Armagh annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures and the DTR for the current decade (2010-2019) and SC24.

Wilson, Robert M.↗

Preliminary study of the minimum temperatures for valid testing in a cryogenic wind tunnel

The minimum operating temperature which avoids real-gas effects, such as condensation, was determined for M sub infinity = 0.85 flow over a 0.137-meter NACA 0012-64 airfoil mounted in the Langley 1/3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel. For temperatures within 5 K of reservoir saturation and total pressures from 1.2 to 4.5 atmospheres, the pressure distributions over the airfoil are not altered by real-gas effects. This ability to test at total temperatures below those which avoid saturation over the airfoil allows an increase in Reynolds number capability of at least 17 percent for a constant tunnel total pressure. Similarly, 17 percent less total pressure is required to obtain a given Reynolds number.

Hall, R. M.↗

An analysis of data related to the minimum temperatures for valid testing in cryogenic wind tunnels using nitrogen as the test gas

The minimum operating temperature which avoids adverse low temperature effects, such as condensation, has been determined at a free stream Mach number of 0.85 for flow over a 0.137 meter airfoil mounted at zero incidence in the Langley 1/3 meter transonic cryogenic tunnel. The onset of low temperature effects is established by comparing the pressure coefficient measured at a given orifice for a particular temperature with those measured at temperatures sufficiently above where low temperature effects might be expected to occur. The pressure distributions over the airfoil are presented in tabular form. In addition, the comparisons of the pressure coefficient as a function of total temperature are presented graphically for chord locations of 0, 25, 50, and 75 percent. Over the 1.2 to 4.5 atmosphere total pressure range investigated, low temperature effects are not detected until total temperatures are 2 K, or more, below free stream saturation temperatures.

Hall, R. M.↗

The breakup of the Southern Hemisphere spring polar ozone and temperature minimums from 1979 to 1987

The purpose of this study is to quantify the observations of the polar vortex breakup. The data used in this study consist of Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, and National Meteorological Center (NMC) analyses. The final warming is diagnosed using the difference between zonal means at 80 degrees and 50 degrees S for temperature, ozone, and layer mean temperature. The polar vortex breakup can also be diagnosed by the onset of weak zonal mean zonal winds (i.e., u, overbar denotes a zonal average) at 60 degrees S. Computations of the polar vortex breakdown date using NMC meteorological data and TOMS total ozone data indicate that the breakdown is occurring later in the spring in the lowest portion of the stratosphere. At altitudes above 100 mb, the large interannual variance of the breakdown date renders any trend determination of the breakdown date difficult. Individual plots of TOMS total ozone indicate that the total ozone minimum remains intact for a longer period of time than is observed in earlier years.

Newman, Paul A.↗

A comparison of measured and estimated meteorological data for use in crop growth modeling

Gridded spatial estimates of maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation, prepared for agricultural use from World Meteorological Organization surface reports and enhanced by polar orbiting satellites were compared with daily meteorological data measured at various agricultural research facilities across the United States to determine their level of accuracy. Preliminary results indicate that daily maximum temperature can be determined to within 9.1 degrees Celsius with ninety percent confidence. With similar levels of confidence, daily minimum temperature can be determined to within 6.7 degrees Celsius, daily solar radiation to within 231.2 cal/sq cm min, and daily precipitation to within 9.7 millimeters.

Perry, C. R., Jr.↗

Stellar model chromospheres. III - Arcturus /K2 III/

Models are constructed for the upper photosphere and chromosphere of Arcturus based on the H, K, and IR triplet lines of Ca II and the h and k lines of Mg II. The chromosphere model is derived from complete redistribution solutions for a five-level Ca II ion and a two-level Mg II ion. A photospheric model is derived from the Ca II wings using first the 'traditional' complete-redistribution limit and then the more realistic partial-redistribution approximation. The temperature and mass column densities for the temperature-minimum region and the chromosphere-transition region boundary are computed, and the pressure in the transition region and corona are estimated. It is found that the ratio of minimum temperature to effective temperature is approximately 0.77 for Arcturus, Procyon, and the sun, and that mass tends to increase at the temperature minimum with decreasing gravity. The pressure is found to be about 1 percent of the solar value, and the surface brightness of the Arcturus transition region and coronal spectrum is estimated to be much less than for the sun. The partial-redistribution calculation for the Ca II K line indicates that the emission width is at least partially determined by damping rather than Doppler broadening, suggesting a reexamination of previous explanations for the Wilson-Bappu effect.

Ayres, T. R.↗