Zonal Winds in the Venus Atmosphere
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The transport of nitric oxide by the mean circulation and planetary waves
The effects of planetary waves on atmospheric nitric oxide (NO) concentration were investigated using a time-dependent numerical model. The model is used to calculate planetary wave and zonal mean winds, which in turn are used to calculate mean and perturbation NO distribution. The time-dependent model is used to determine equilibrium NO distributions resulting from time-dependent lower boundary planetary wave forcings. The factors which contribute to the zonal mean NO concentration are examined. NO chemistry is modelled using a simplified source sink approach. Changes in the initial NO distribution which result from the addition of planetary-wave winds are described. Planetary waves are found to induce a wavelike structure in the NO distribution which resembles that derived from observational data. These waves affect the NO concentration through wave-induced changes in the mean meridional circulation and through the NO perturbation induuced by the wave winds themselves.
Jones, G. A.↗
Interactive Soil Dust Aerosol Model in the GISS GCM: Sensitivity of the Soil Dust Cycle to Radiative Properties of Soil Dust Aerosols - Part 1
The sensitivity of the soil dust aerosol cycle to the radiative forcing by soil dust aerosols is studied. Four experiments with the NASA/GISS atmospheric general circulation model, which includes a soil dust aerosol model, are compared, all using a prescribed climatological sea surface temperature as lower boundary condition. In one experiment, dust is included as dynamic tracer only (without interacting with radiation), whereas dust interacts with radiation in the other simulations. Although the single scattering albedo of dust particles is prescribed to be globally uniform in the experiments with radiatively active dust, a different single scattering albedo is used in those experiments to estimate whether regional variations in dust optical properties, corresponding to variations in mineralogical composition among different source regions, are important for the soil dust cycle and the climate state. On a global scale, the radiative forcing by dust generally causes a reduction in the atmospheric dust load corresponding to a decreased dust source flux. That is, there is a negative feedback in the climate system due to the radiative effect of dust. The dust source flux and its changes were analyzed in more detail for the main dust source regions. This analysis shows that the reduction varies both with the season and with the single scattering albedo of the dust particles. By examining the correlation with the surface wind, it was found that the dust emission from the Saharan/Sahelian source region and from the Arabian peninsula, along with the sensitivity of the emission to the single scattering albedo of dust particles, are related to large scale circulation patterns, in particular to the trade winds during Northern Hemisphere winter and to the Indian monsoon circulation during summer. In the other regions, such relations to the large scale circulation were not found. There, the dependence of dust deflation to radiative forcing by dust particles is probably dominated by physical processes with short time scales. The experiments show that dust radiative forcing can lead to significant changes both in the soil dust cycle and in the climate state. To estimate dust concentration and radiative forcing by dust more accurately, dust size distributions and dust single scattering albedo in the model should be a function of the source region, because dust concentration and climate response to dust radiative forcing are sensitive to dust radiative parameters.
Perlwitz, Jan↗
The effects of polar stratwarms on the winds at the mesopause level in mid latitudes
The continuous measurement of the wind profile over the 80 to 100 km region by means of radio reflections from meteor trails provides data which can be correlated with stratospheric temperature changes inferred from satellite radiance data. The very preliminary results presented show a tendency for stratospheric warming events to produce dramatic changes in the circulation in the neighborhood of the mesopause at 34 deg N. The mean zonal wind over the height range 80 to 100 km above Atlanta for the period November, 1974 through February, 1975 is presented in a graph.
Roper, R. G.↗
Wintertime Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation and their impacts on the Northern Hemisphere climate in E3SM
The characteristics of the wintertime Arctic Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and their impacts on climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere are important metrics for evaluating a climate system model. Observational analyses reveal that the horizontal and vertical structures in the AO and NAO exhibit a meridional dipole and a large-scale barotropic pattern between the Arctic and mid-latitudes. Historical model simulations from the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM-HIST) are used to identify how well it captures these major climate modes. It is found that the simulated AO and NAO modes have spatial structures similar to the observed features. In addition, the observed frequency bands in the AO and NAO-related time variability are captured well in the E3SM-HIST simulation. Associated with the positive phase in wintertime AO and NAO, zonal flow and warm advection in mid-latitude continents are enhanced, along with stronger cold flow from enhanced northerly winds over high latitudes. These features are linked to the atmospheric circulation pattern reflected by lower SLP anomalies over the Arctic and higher SLP anomalies over the mid-latitudes. In E3SM-HIST, these spatial associations and main structural features are analogous to those in observations. In the time-height evolution related to winter AO and NAO modes, it can also be seen that the simulations reproduce the downward propagating patterns in observations. Nevertheless, the vertical structures associated with AO and NAO in E3SM-HIST exhibit substantial biases in the lower stratosphere. The cause of these stratospheric biases is investigated using the strength of climatological stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) and wave activity fluxes. The results herein suggest that E3SM-HIST has a reasonable skill in reproducing the observed characteristics related to the winter AO and NAO, although there exist systematic biases in the associated climate variability.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Subtropical Eastern North Pacific SST bias in earth system models
Karthik Balaguru (PNNL), Luke Van Roekel (LLNL), L. Ruby Leung (PNNL) and Milena Veneziani (LLNL) Abstract: This study systematically evaluates the warm SST bias in the Subtropical Eastern North Pacific (SENP), a problem plaguing most CMIP6 models, using the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 1 (E3SM). Compared to the model at its standard resolution (1o atmosphere, 30-60 km ocean), the SST bias improves in several regions at high resolution (0.25o atmosphere, 18-6 km ocean) except in subtropical eastern boundary regions, such as the SENP. A mixed layer heat budget analysis reveals that errors in the surface radiative fluxes and horizontal heat advection are primarily responsible for the bias. Analysis of HighResMIP models indicates that the lack of improvement in the SENP SST bias with resolution is not native to E3SM alone. A larger CMIP6 inter-model correlation of SST bias with biases in surface winds than radiation highlights the important role of large-scale circulation biases in the SENP SST bias in coupled models.
Balaguru, Karthik↗
Multi-scale Analysis of Surface Heterogeneity Induced Convection on Isentropic Coordinates
This research uses semi-idealized simulations to investigate multi-scale processes induced by the heterogeneity of soil moisture observed during the 2016 Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) field campaign. The semi-idealized simulations have realistic land heterogeneity, but large-scale winds are removed. Analysis on isentropic coordinates enables the tracking of circulation that transports energy vertically and facilitates the identification of the primary convective processes induced by realistic land heterogeneity. The isentropes associated with upward motion are found to connect the ground characterized by high latent heat flux to cloud bases directly over the ground with high sensible heat flux, while isentropes associated with downward motion connect precipitation to the ground characterized by high sensible heat fluxes. The mixing of dry, warm parcels ascending from the ground with high sensible heat fluxes and moist parcels from high latent heat regions leads to cloud formation. This new mechanism explains how soil moisture heterogeneity provides the key ingredients such as buoyancy and moisture for shallow cloud formation. We also found that the sub-mesoscale dominates upward energy transport in the boundary layer, while mesoscale circulations contribute to vertical energy transport above the boundary layer. Our novel method better illustrates and elucidates the nature of land atmospheric interactions under irregular and realistic soil moisture patterns.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Thunderstorm-environment interactions determined with three-dimensional trajectories
Diagnostically determined three dimensional trajectories were used to reveal some of the scale interaction processes that occur between convective storms and their environment. Data from NASA's fourth Atmospheric Variability Experiment are analyzed. Two intense squall lines and numerous reports of severe weather occurred during the period. Convective storm systems with good temporal and spatial continuity are shown to be related to the development and movement of short wave circulation systems aloft that propagate eastward within a zonal mid tropospheric wind pattern. These short wave systems are found to produce the potential instability and dynamic triggering needed for thunderstorm formation. The environmental flow patterns, relative to convective storm systems, are shown to produce large upward air parcel movements in excess of 50 mb/3h in the immediate vicinity of the storms. The air undergoing strong lifting originates as potentially unstable low level air traveling into the storm environment from southern and southwestern directions. The thermo and hydrodynamical processes that lead to changes in atmospheric structure before, during, and after convective storm formation are described using total time derivatives of pressure or net vertical displacement, potential temperature, and vector wind calculated by following air parcels.
Wilson, G. S.↗
A study of the extended-range forecasting problem blocking
Wavenumber frequency spectral analysis of a 90 day winter (Jan. 15 - April 14) wind field simulated by a climate experiment of the GLAS atmospheric circulation model is made using the space time Fourier analysis which is modified with Tukey's numerical spectral analysis. Computations are also made to examine how the model wave disturbances in the wavenumber frequency domain are maintained by nonlinear interactions. Results are compared with observation. It is found that equatorial easterlies do not show up in this climate experiment at 200 mb. The zonal kinetic energy and momentum transport of stationary waves are too small in the model's Northern Hemisphere. The wavenumber and frequency spectra of the model are generally in good agreement with observation. However, some distinct features of the model's spectra are revealed. The wavenumber spectra of kinetic energy show that the eastward moving waves of low wavenumbers have stronger zonal motion while the eastward moving waves of intermediate wavenumbers have larger meridional motion compared with observation. Furthermore, the eastward moving waves show a band of large spectral value in the medium frequency regime.
Chen, T. C.↗
An investigation of a stoppable helicopter rotor with circulation control
A stoppable helicopter rotor with circulation control was investigated in the Ames 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel. The model was tested as a rotating wing, a fixed wing, and during transition start/stop sequences. The capability of the model's control system to maintain pitch and roll moment balance during the start/stop sequence, the ability of the blades to withstand the start/stop loads, the adequacy of the control system to maintain balance in the helicopter mode, and the control system capabilities in the fixed-wind mode were assessed. Time-history data of several start/stop sequences of the X-wing rotor, and the steady-state data relating to the model as both a rotor and as a fixed-wing aircraft are presented. In addition, stability data are presented which were acquired during open-loop and closed-loop tests of the hub moment feedback control system.
Ballard, J. D.↗
The Venus environment; Proceedings of the International Conference, Palo Alto, CA, November 1-6, 1981
Attention is given to noble gases in planetary atmospheres, the photochemistry of the stratosphere of Venus, the chemistry of metastable species in the Venusian ionosphere, the Venus ionosphere at grazing incidence of solar radiation, disappearing ionospheres on the nightside of Venus, and the observed composition of the ionosphere of Venus. Other investigations considered are concerned with the predicted electrical conductivity between 0 and 80 km in the Venusian atmosphere, sulfuric acid vapor and other cloud-related gases in the Venus atmosphere, the composition and vertical structure of the lower cloud deck on Venus, amorphous sulfur as the ultraviolet absorber on Venus, and polarization studies of the Venus UV contrasts. A description is provided of topics related to temporal variability of ultraviolet cloud features in the Venus stratosphere, zonal mean circulation at the cloud level on Venus, the influence of thermospheric winds on exospheric hydrogen on Venus, and an analysis of Venus gravity data.
Source record↗
Science Applications, Part 1
The tethered satellite system mission can allow direct observation of the structure and the dynamics of the lower atmosphere; as well as answer some basic questions on the chemical composition of the atmosphere; the coupling mechanisms between small and large scale motions; the global wind field of the lower atmosphere, and how it is influenced by waves and tides; the mass, momentum, and energy fluxes in the lower thermosphere; how the above are affected by externally perturbed conditions (for example by magnetic storms, solar wind and its variability, etc.); and the pattern of electric current circulation and its relationship with the magnetospheric environment. Fundamental plasma processes can also be studied. Similarity of conditions in other plasmas in space makes it possible to get information on the magnetospheres of the giant planets or more generally on the solar system. The electrodynamic phenomena associated with the Jovian satellite Io (radioemission, UV emission, energetic electron precipitation) can be examined by simple scaling to the terrestrial case.
Mariani, F.↗
The role of an apparent mesoscale frontogenetic circulation in squall line initiation
The present investigation is concerned with the nature and apparent origin of a mesoscale clear zone and associated frontal line convection (a line of cumulus congestus clouds along an intensifying cold front) which appeared just prior to the explosive development of a line of severe thunderstorms at the cold front. It is pointed out that the clear zone formed immediately behind the cold front in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma during the afternoon of April 16, 1982. Sequential displays of GOES-East satellite imagery are considered. The mechanism which seems to explain best the observations is a thermally direct frontogenetic circulation resulting from the combined effects of the synoptic-scale wind deformation field and mesoscale differential sensible heating.
Koch, S. E.↗
On cloud street development in three dimensional parallel and Rayleigh instabilities
Expected orientation angles and horizontal wavelengths of boundary layer rolls or cloud streets are determined from an analysis of a truncated spectral model of three dimensional shallow moist Boussinesq convection in a shearing environment. The nonlinear secondary circulations are organized into two dimensional forms by the height dependent wind field, and these rolls may develop from the combined effects of thermal stratification and mean wind shear. The associated thermal and parallel instability mechanisms are shown to be special cases of a single one. Only one mode is found when the stratification is unstable or neutral, but a second one is possible when the stratification is weakly stable. The first corresponds to relatively broadly spaced rolls having orientations for which the Fourier component of the roll perpendicular shear is nearly zero, but the second corresponds to relatively narrowly spaced rolls having orientations for which the Fourier coefficients of both the perpendicular and the parallel components of the shear are nearly equal.
Shirer, H. N.↗
The effect of breaking gravity waves on the dynamics and chemistry of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (invited review)
The influence of breaking gravity waves on the dynamics and chemical composition of the 60 to 110 km region is investigated with a two dimensional model that includes a parameterization of gravity wave momentum deposition and diffusion. The dynamical model is described by Garcia and Solomon (1983) and Solomon and Garcia (1983) and includes a complete chemical scheme for the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The parameterization of Lindzen (1981) is used to calculate the momentum deposited and the turbulent diffusion produced by the gravity waves. It is found that wave momentum deposition drives a very vigorous mean meridional circulation, produces a very cold summer mesopause and reverse the zonal wind jets above about 85 km. The seasonal variation of the turbulent diffusion coefficient is consistent with the behavior of mesospheric turbulences inferred from MST radar echoes. The large degree of consistency between model results and various types of dynamical and chemical data supports very strongly the hypothesis that breaking gravity waves play a major role in determining the zonally-averaged dynamical and chemical structure of the 60 to 110 km region of the atmosphere.
Garcia, R. R.↗
On cloud street development in three dimensions - Parallel and Rayleigh instabilities
Expected orientation angles and horizontal wavelengths of boundary layer rolls or cloud streets are determined from an analysis of a truncated spectral model of three dimensional shallow moist Boussinesq convection in a shearing environment. The nonlinear secondary circulations are organized into two dimensional forms by the height dependent wind field, and these rolls may develop from the combined effects of thermal stratification and mean wind shear. The associated thermal and parallel instability mechanisms are shown to be special cases of a single one. Only one mode is found when the stratification is unstable or neutral, but a second one is possible when the stratification is weakly stable. The first corresponds to relatively broadly spaced rolls having orientations for which the Fourier component of the roll perpendicular shear is nearly zero, but the second corresponds to relatively narrowly spaced rolls having orientations for which the Fourier coefficients of both the perpendicular and the parallel components of the shear are nearly equal.
Shirer, H. N.↗
Doppler lidar wind measurements on the EOS - LAWS
This paper discusses the efforts currently underway to prepare for the deployment of the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) instrument on an Earth Observing System (EOS) polar orbiter and on the Space Station. Attention is given to the measurement techiques, which include ground-based and airborne measurements in the atmosphere, and to the scientific and the technical issues being addressed. Global wind profiles obtained with the LAWS will effect dramatic improvement in numerical weather prediction and will be useful in determining the midtroposphere steering currents that are important in hurricane track forecasts. The global wind data will also provide information on large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics and on biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles.
Fitzjarrald, Daniel E.↗
The Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) Phase 2 Preliminary System Design
The laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) is intended to measure global wind profiles in the lower and upper troposphere as part of the Earth Observing System (EOS). Global scale wind profiles will lead to a better understanding of large scale circulation processes and climate dynamics, an understanding of mesoscale phenomena, improved numerical weather prediction, and further insights into the coupling of the atmosphere/oceans/biosphere system. Here, details are given of the Phase 2 preliminary design.
Petheram, John C.↗