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| Titel |
Observational characteristics of the tropopause inversion layer derived from CHAMP/GRACE radio occultations and MOZAIC aircraft data |
| VerfasserIn |
Torsten Schmidt, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Stefan Heise, Jens Wickert, Antonia Haser |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250035000
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| Zusammenfassung |
| In this study we discuss characteristics of the tropopause inversion layer (TIL) based on two
datasets. Temperature measurements from GPS radio occultation (RO) data (CHAMP and
GRACE) for the time interval 2001–2009 are used to exhibit seasonal properties of the TIL
on a global scale. In agreement with previous studies the vertical structure of the TIL is
investigated using the square of the buoyancy frequency N. For the extratropics on both
hemispheres N2 has an universal distribution independent from season: a local minimum
about 2Â km below the lapse rate tropopause height (LRTH), an absolute maximum about
1Â km above the LRTH, and a local minimum about 4Â km above the LRTH. In the tropics
(15-N–15-S) the N2 maximum above the tropopause is 200–300Â m higher compared with
the extratropics and the local minimum of N2 below the tropopause appears about
4Â km below the LRTH. Trace gas measurements onboard commercial aircrafts
from 2001–2007 are used as a complementary dataset (MOZAIC program). We
demonstrate that the mixing ratio gradients of ozone, carbon monoxide and water
vapor are suitable parameters for characterizing the TIL reproducing most of the
vertical structure of N2. We also show that the LRTH is strongly correlated with the
absolute maxima of ozone and carbon monoxide mixing ratio gradients. Mean
deviations of the heights of the absolute maxima of mixing ratio gradients from O3
and CO to the LRTH are (-0.02±1.51)Â km and (-0.35±1.28)Â km, respectively. |
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