ALBERT

Description: HALOE observations of H2O and CH4 are compared with in situ techniques aboard the ER-2 aircraft during the northern winter of 1991/92, in particular for the dates 911208, 920108, 920217, 920222, and 920320 when the spatial coincidences are close, within +/- 1 deg latitude and +/- 12 deg longitude. The results reveal the limitations of comparing high resolution in situ aircraft data with a remote sounding limb scanner. Of the five comparison dates, three had HALOE/ER-2 coincidences which occurred near the edge of the Arctic vortex; the vertical variability in the HALOE results and the horizontal variability in the ER-2 observations on these days show that the vortex edge is not a region where exact agreement can be expected except by chance. On a 4th comparison date, there was substantial overlap away from the vortex edge, although for some species the aircraft data show considerable variability near the coincidence point. On the 5th comparison date, the ER-2 had no overlap in altitude with the lowest HALOE observations; however, a short linear interpolation over about 1 km altitude results in smooth composite profiles. Generally speaking the agreement between HALOE and the ER-2 at overlap altitudes is about 12 percent in the case of water vapor, which shows low horizontal and vertical variability. The agreement for methane, with limited data having altitude overlap, is better than 6 percent.

Description: HALOE observations of water vapor and methane during the period 21 September - 15 October 1992 are used to examine the role of Antarctic drying in the lower stratosphere. Zonal mean cross-sections of 2 CH4 + H2O show the probability of transport of Antarctic type dryness to latitudes as distant as 20 deg N, with major water vapor deficits evident between 10 and 100 mb to 10 deg S. Examination of monthly mean tropical 100 mb temperatures and of Antarctic temperatures suggests that the observations are consistent with stratospheric dryness being achieved by the combined effects of tropopause freeze-drying over the Micronesia region during northern winter and drying through the influence of the very low temperatures over Antarctica during southern winter. This paper presents these intriguing new results, and offers a possible explanation.

Description: 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.

Description: The degree to which the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex is isolated against horizontal (isentropic) mixing is investigated using data from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), U.K. Meteorological Office (UKMO) potential vorticity (PV), and contour advection diagnostics. Measurements of methane and water vapor taken by HALOE during a disturbed period in the Southern Hemisphere springtime (21 September - 15 October 1992) are interpreted in light of the prevailing synoptic meteorology. Daily fields of winds and PV are shown to be essential in the interpretation of the data. A climatological high pressure region is responsible for a distorted vortex, and a substantial 'vortex stripping' event is present, associated with the early stages of vortex breakdown. This leads to significant temporal, zonal, and altitudinal variations in the distribution of tracers. The authors point out the difficulties this presents for the interpretation of solar occultation data, especially with regard to the use of zonal average time series. Longitude-height methane distributions from two days during the period are examined. Both days show substantial variations in abundance around a latitude circle. In particular, the authors investigate HALOE measurements at 77 deg S on 15 October 1992, which indicate an abundance of methane in the height region 600-2000 K (approximately 30-1 mb) that is more typical of midlatitude air. Similar distributions, observed in the 1991 HALOE data, have previously been interpreted as evidence for the penetration of midlatitude air into the vortex. Gradients of potential vorticity and contour advection diagnositcs are employed to examine whether the UKMO winds are consistent with this hypothesis in 1992. Although midlatitude air is able to penetrate poleward of the main jet core by advection processes alone, an essentially intact inner core of vortex air remains, which does not mix to any great extent with air from lower latitudes. The authors show that the high-latitude HALOE abundances that are typical of midlatitude air were observed in a region of extensive filamentation and mixing, rather than within the inner, more isolated, core.

Description: The distribution of dehydrated air in the middle and lower stratosphere during the 1992 Southern Hemisphere spring is investigated using Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) observations and trajectory techniques. Comparisons between previously published Version 9 and the improved Version 16 retrievals on the 700-K isentropic surface show very slight (0.05 ppmv) increases in Version 16 CH4 relative to Version 9 within the polar vortex. Version 16 H2O mixing ratios show a reduction of 0.5 ppmv relative to Version 9 within the polar night jet and a reduction of nearly 1.0 ppmv in middle latitudes when compared to Version 9. The version 16 HALOE retrievals show low mixing ratios of total hydrogen (2CH4 + H2O) within the polar vortex on both 700 and 425 K isentropic surfaces relative to typical middle-stratospheric 2CH4 + H2O mixing ratios. The low 2CH4 + H2O mixing ratios are associated with dehydration. Slight reductions in total hydrogen, relative to typical middle-stratospheric values, are found at these levels throughout the Southern Hemisphere during this period. Trajectory calculations show that middle-latitude air masses are composed of a mixture of air from within the polar night jet and air from middle latitudes. A strong kinematic barrier to large-scale exchange is found on the poleward flank of the polar night jet at 700 K. A much weaker kinematic barrier is found at 425 K. The impact of the finite tangent pathlength of the HALOE measurements is investigated using an idealized tracer distribution. This experiment suggests that HALOE should be able to resolve the kinematic barrier, if it exists.

Description: The history of minimum temperatures at 50 and 70 mb is examined from NMC, UK Met O and ECMWF analyses. MSU channel 24 data are similarly inspected. South Pole sonde data are used to calculate saturation humidity mixing ratio as a function of altitude and time throughout 1987. Saturation with respect to ice could be maintained for water mixing ratios of 3.5 ppmv for a period of about 80 days from mid-June to mid-September. Dehydration to mixing ratios of 1 ppmv or less was possible sporadically. Data from the ER-2 flights between 53 S and 72 S are used in conjunction with particle size measurements and air parcel trajectories to demonstrate the dehydration occurring over Antarctica. Water mixing ratios at the latitude of Punta Arens (53 S), in conjunction with tracer measurements and trajectory analysis, show that at potential temperatures from about 325 to 400 K, the dryness (less than 3 ppmv) had its origin over Antarctica rather than in the tropics. Water mixing ratios within the Antarctic vortex varied from 1.5 to 3.8 ppmv, with a strong isentropic gradient being evident in the region of high potential vorticity gradients.

Description: This paper presents a series of meteorological analyses used to aid the interpretation of the in situ Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE) observations obtained aboard the ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft and examines the basis and accuracy of the analytical procedure. Maps and sections of meteorological variables derived from the UK Meteorological Office Global Model are presented for ER-2 and DC-8 flight days. It is found that analyzed temperatures and winds are generally in good agreement with AAOE observations at all levels; minor discrepancies were evident only at DC-8 altitudes. Maps of potential vorticity presented on the 428-K potential temperature surface show that the vortex is essentially circumpolar, although there are periods when major distortions are apparent.