Vertical Air Motion from T-REX Radiosonde and Dropsonde Data

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology - Tập 26 Số 5 - Trang 928-942 - 2009
Junhong Wang1, Jianchun Bian2, William O. Brown1, Harold L. Cole1, Vanda Grubı̆sı́c3, Kathryn Young1
1Earth Observing Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research,* Boulder, Colorado
2Laboratory for Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation (LAGEO), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
3Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada

Tóm tắt

AbstractThe primary goal of this study is to explore the potential for estimating the vertical velocity (VV) of air from the surface to the stratosphere, using widely available radiosonde and dropsonde data. The rise and fall rates of radiosondes and dropsondes, respectively, are a combination of the VV of the atmosphere and still-air rise–fall rates. The still-air rise–fall rates are calculated using basic fluid dynamics and characteristics of radiosonde and dropsonde systems. This study validates the technique to derive the VV from radiosonde and dropsonde data and demonstrates its value. This technique can be easily implemented by other users for various scientific applications.The technique has been applied to the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) dropsonde and radiosonde data. Comparisons among radiosonde, dropsonde, aircraft, and profiling radar vertical velocities show that the sonde-estimated VV is able to capture and describe events with strong vertical motions (larger than ∼1 m s−1) observed during T-REX. The VV below ∼5 km above ground, however, is overestimated by the radiosonde data. The analysis of derived VVs shows interesting features of gravity waves, rotors, and turbulence. Periodic variations of vertical velocity in the stratosphere, as indicated by the radiosonde data, correspond to the horizontal wavelength of gravity waves with an averaged horizontal wavelength of ∼15 km. Two-dimensional VV structure is described in detail by successive dropsonde deployment.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Allen, 1995, Gravity wave activity in the lower atmosphere: Seasonal and latitudinal variations., J. Geophys. Res., 100, 1327, 10.1029/94JD02688

Balsley, 1988, Average vertical motions in the tropical atmosphere observed by a radar wind profiler on Pohnpei (7°N latitude, 157°E longitude)., J. Atmos. Sci., 45, 396, 10.1175/1520-0469(1988)045<0396:AVMITT>2.0.CO;2

Contini, 2004, Mean vertical motions in the PBL measured by Doppler sodar: Accuracy, ambiguities, and possible improvements., J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 21, 1532, 10.1175/1520-0426(2004)021<1532:MVMITP>2.0.CO;2

Corby, 1957, A preliminary study of atmospheric waves using radiosonde data., Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 83, 49, 10.1002/qj.49708335505

Franklin, 2003, GPS dropwindsonde wind profiles in hurricanes and their operational implications., Wea. Forecasting, 18, 32, 10.1175/1520-0434(2003)018<0032:GDWPIH>2.0.CO;2

Gage, 1991, Long-term mean vertical motion over the tropical Pacific: Wind-profiling Doppler radar measurements., Science, 254, 1771, 10.1126/science.254.5039.1771

Gardner, 1993, Measurement distortion in aircraft, space shuttle, and balloon observations of atmospheric density and temperature perturbation spectra., J. Geophys. Res., 98, 1023, 10.1029/92JD02025

Grubišić, 2008, The Terrain-induced Rotor experiment: A field campaign overview including observational highlights., Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 89, 1513, 10.1175/2008BAMS2487.1

Hock, 1999, The NCAR GPS dropwindsonde., Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 80, 407, 10.1175/1520-0477(1999)080<0407:TNGD>2.0.CO;2

Holton, 1992, An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology.

Johansson, 2005, An auxiliary tool to determine the height of the boundary layer., Bound.-Layer Meteor., 115, 423, 10.1007/s10546-004-1424-5

Kim, 2003, An overview of the past, present and future of gravity-wave drag parameterization for numerical climate and weather prediction models., Atmos.–Ocean, 41, 65, 10.3137/ao.410105

Lalas, 1980, Tropospheric gravity waves: Their diction by and influence on rawinsonde balloon data., Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 106, 855, 10.1002/qj.49710645014

MacCready, 1965, Comparison of some balloon techniques., J. Appl. Meteor., 4, 504, 10.1175/1520-0450(1965)004<0504:COSBT>2.0.CO;2

McHugh, 2008, Large variations in balloon ascent rate over Hawaii., J. Geophys. Res., 113, D15123, 10.1029/2007JD009458

Paluch, 1991, Stratiform cloud formation in the marine boundary layer., J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 2141, 10.1175/1520-0469(1991)048<2141:SCFITM>2.0.CO;2

Rao, 2008, Understanding the transportation process of tropospheric air entering the stratosphere from direct vertical air motion measurements over Gadanki and Kotoabang., Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L15805, 10.1029/2008GL034220

Rauber, 1991, An explanation for the existence of supercooled water at the top of cold clouds., J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 1005, 10.1175/1520-0469(1991)048<1005:AEFTEO>2.0.CO;2

Reid, 1972, An observational study of lee waves using radiosonde data., Tellus, 6, 593, 10.3402/tellusa.v24i6.10688

Shupe, 2008, On deriving vertical air motions from cloud radar Doppler spectra., J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 25, 547, 10.1175/2007JTECHA1007.1

Shutts, 1988, A large amplitude gravity wave in the lower stratosphere detected by radiosonde., Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 114, 579, 10.1002/qj.49711448103

Smith, 2008, Mountain waves entering the stratosphere., J. Atmos. Sci., 65, 2543, 10.1175/2007JAS2598.1

Stern, 2006, Extreme vertical winds measured by dropwindsondes in hurricanes.

Vaisala, 2004, Vaisala RD93 GPS dropsonde.

Van Zandt, 2000, A brief history of the development of wind-profiling or MST radars., Ann. Geophys., 18, 740, 10.1007/s00585-000-0740-4

Vennard, 1955, Elementary Fluid Mechanics.

Wang, 2005, Evaluation of performance of the dropsonde humidity sensor using data from DYCOMS-II and IHOP_2002., J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 22, 247, 10.1175/JTECH1698.1

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology

Tập 26 Số 5

928-942

Thông tin tác giả