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Physical Mechanisms Controlling Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor as Revealed by MLS Data from UARSThe seasonal changes of the upper tropospheric humidity are studied with the water vapor data from the Microwave Limb Sounder on the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, and the winds and vertical velocity data obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Using the same algorithm for vertical transport as that used for horizontal transport (Zhu and Newell, 1998), we find that the moisture in the tropical upper troposphere may be increased mainly by intensified local convection in a small portion, less than 10%, of the whole area between 40 deg S to 40 deg N. The contribution of large scale background circulations and divergence of horizontal transport is relatively small in these regions. These dynamic processes cannot be revealed by the traditional analyses of moisture fluxes. The negative feedback suggested by Lindzen (1990) also exists, if enhanced convection is concentrated in the tropics, but is apparently not the dominant process in the moisture budget.
Document ID
19990008757
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Contractor or Grantee Report
Authors
Newell, Reginald E. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
November 30, 1998
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-6710
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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