scholarly journals Air parcel trajectory analysis of stable isotopes in water vapor in the eastern Mediterranean

2008 ◽  
Vol 113 (D20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Pfahl ◽  
Heini Wernli
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Water Vapor ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean

scholarly journals Water vapor transport in the lower mesosphere of the subtropics: a trajectory analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (23) ◽  
pp. 7273-7280 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Flury ◽  
S. C. Müller ◽  
K. Hocke ◽  
N. Kämpfer
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Rotational Transition ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
Transition Line ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Northern India

Abstract. The Institute of Applied Physics operates an airborne microwave radiometer AMSOS that measures the rotational transition line of water vapor at 183.3 GHz. Water vapor profiles are retrieved for the altitude range from 15 to 75 km along the flight track. We report on a water vapor enhancement in the lower mesosphere above India and the Arabian Sea. The measurements took place on our flight from Switzerland to Australia and back in November 2005 conducted during EC- project SCOUT-O3. We find an enhancement of up to 25% in the lower mesospheric H2O volume mixing ratio measured on the return flight one week after the outward flight. The origin of the air is traced back by means of a trajectory model in the lower mesosphere and wind fields from ECMWF. During the outward flight the air came from the Atlantic Ocean around 25 N and 40 W. On the return flight the air came from northern India and Nepal around 25 N and 90 E. Mesospheric H2O measurements from Aura/MLS confirm the transport processes of H2O derived by trajectory analysis of the AMSOS data. Thus the large variability of H2O VMR during our flight is explained by a change of the winds in the lower mesosphere. This study shows that trajectory analysis can be applied in the mesosphere and is a powerful tool to understand the large variability in mesospheric H2O.

Interannual variation in stable isotopes in water vapor over the northern Tibetan Plateau linked to ENSO

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaowei Jing ◽  
Wusheng Yu ◽  
Andreas Schneider ◽  
Tobias Borsdorff ◽  
Jochen Landgraf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Water Vapor ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Interannual Variation ◽  
Northern Tibetan Plateau

Depicting the novel Eastern Mediterranean food web: a stable isotopes study following Lessepsian fish invasion

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2163-2178 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Fanelli ◽  
E. Azzurro ◽  
M. Bariche ◽  
J. E. Cartes ◽  
F. Maynou
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
The Novel

Characterizing Tropical Cirrus Life Cycle, Evolution, and Interaction with Upper-Tropospheric Water Vapor Using Lagrangian Trajectory Analysis of Satellite Observations

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 4541-4563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengzhao Luo ◽  
William B. Rossow
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Infrared Observation ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Cloud Data ◽  
Lagrangian Trajectory ◽  
Advection Term

Abstract Tropical cirrus evolution and its relation to upper-tropospheric water vapor (UTWV) are examined in the paper by analyzing satellite-derived cloud data, UTWV data from infrared and microwave measurements, and the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis wind field. Building upon the existing International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data and the Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) product, a global (except polar region), 6-hourly cirrus dataset is developed from two infrared radiance measurements at 11 and 12 μm. The UTWV is obtained in both clear and cloudy locations by developing a combined satellite infrared and microwave-based retrieval. The analysis in this study is conducted in a Lagrangian framework. The Lagrangian trajectory analysis shows that the decay of deep convection is immediately followed by the growth of cirrostratus and cirrus, and then the decay of cirrostratus is followed by the continued growth of cirrus. Cirrus properties continuously evolve along the trajectories as they gradually thin out and move to the lower levels. Typical tropical cirrus systems last for 19–30 ± 16 h. This is much longer than cirrus particle lifetimes, suggesting that other processes (e.g., large-scale lifting) replenish the particles to maintain tropical cirrus. Consequently, tropical cirrus can advect over large distances, about 600–1000 km, during their lifetimes. For almost all current GCMs, this distance spans more than one grid box, requiring that the water vapor and cloud water budgets include an advection term. Based on their relationship to convective systems, detrainment cirrus are distinguished from in situ cirrus. It is found that more than half of the tropical cirrus are formed in situ well away from convection. The interaction between cirrus and UTWV is explored by comparing the evolution of the UTWV along composite clear trajectories and trajectories with cirrus. Cirrus are found to be associated with a moister upper troposphere and a slower rate of decrease of UTWV. Moreover, the elevated UTWV has a longer duration than cirrus. The amount of water in cirrus is too small for evaporation of cirrus ice particles to moisten the upper troposphere significantly (but cirrus may be an important water vapor sink). Rather, it is likely that the same transient motions that produce the cirrus also transport water vapor upward to maintain a larger UTWV.

scholarly journals Using characteristic times to assess whether stable isotopes in polar snow can be reversibly deposited

2002 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 118-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin D. Waddington ◽  
Eric J. Steig ◽  
Thomas A. Neumann
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Water Vapor ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Atmospheric Water ◽  
Resistor Network ◽  
Polar Snow

AbstractStable isotopes in ice cores are used as a proxy for the temperature at the time of snow formation. Where net accumulation rate is relatively high, snow is buried quickly and initial isotopic values are preserved. However, in low-accumulation areas, snow is exposed to lengthy vapor exchange with the atmosphere. the original isotopic signature of this snow may be modified by equilibration with atmospheric water vapor in the boundary layer over the snow surface in summer. We estimate the characteristic times for equilibration by using an electrical resistor network analogue. Warm, windy summers and low accumulation rate enhance equilibration. Although equilibration of the complete snowpack is unlikely, significant post-depositional change may occur in some Antarctic environments.

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