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NASA NTRS1999

The 1997-98 El Nino Event and Related Wintertime Lightning Variations in the Southeastern United States

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate anomaly responsible for world-wide weather impacts ranging from droughts to floods. In the United States, warm episode years are known to produce above normal rainfall along the Southeast US Gulf Coast and into the Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest response observed in the October-March period of the latest warm-episode year. The 1997-98 warm episode is notable for being the strongest event since 1982-83. With the recent launch of a lightning sensor on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November 1997 and the expanded coverage of the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), such year-to-year changes in lightning activity can be examined with far greater detail than ever before. For the recent ENSO event the greatest year-to-year changes in lightning frequency occur within a broad swath across the northern Gulf of Mexico basin where there is nearly a 200% increase in lightning days year-to-year (35 days in 1997-98 vs. 13 days in 1996-97) and a 200% increase in lightning hours (150 hours vs. 50). These changes occur in association with a 100% increase in the number of synoptic scale cyclones and an anomalously strong jet stream encompassing much of the Gulf basin.

Goodman, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Visions of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans: Electronic-Theater 2000

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Earth Science Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to the Delaware Bay and Philadelphia area. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s see them contrasted with the latest International global satellite weather movies including killer tropical cyclones & tornadic thunderstorms. See the latest spectacular images from NASA, NOAA & UMETSAT remote sensing missions like GOES, Meteosat, NOAA, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat7, & new Terra which will be visualized with state-of-the art tools. Shown in High Definition TV resolution (2048 x 768 pixels) are visualizations of hurricanes Lenny, Floyd, Georges, Mitch, Fran and Linda. see visualizations featured on covers of magazines like Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science and on National & International Network TV. New Digital Earth visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images including Landsat tours of the US, and Africa with drill downs of major global cities using 1 m resolution commercialized spy-satellite technology from the Space Imaging IKONOS satellite. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. see ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with dual CPUs, 5 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte disk using two projectors across a super sized panoramic screen.

Hasler, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Global Precipitation Mission

The Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), expected to begin around 2006, is a follow-up to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Unlike TRMM, which primarily samples the tropics, GPM will sample both the tropics and mid-latitudes. The primary, or core, satellite will be a single, enhanced TRMM satellite that can quantify the 3-D spatial distributions of precipitation and its associated latent heat release. The core satellite will be complemented by a constellation of very small and inexpensive drones with passive microwave instruments that will sample the rainfall with sufficient frequency to be not only of climate interest, but also have local, short-term impacts by providing global rainfall coverage at approx. 3 h intervals. The data is expected to have substantial impact upon quantitative precipitation estimation/forecasting and data assimilation into global and mesoscale numerical models. Based upon previous studies of rainfall data assimilation, GPM is expected to lead to significant improvements in forecasts of extratropical and tropical cyclones. For example, GPM rainfall data can provide improved initialization of frontal systems over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The purpose of this talk is to provide information about GPM to the USWRP (U.S. Weather Research Program) community and to discuss impacts on quantitative precipitation estimation/forecasting and data assimilation.

Braun, Scott↗
NASA NTRS2000

Active and Passive Microwave Determination of the Circulation and Characteristics of Weddell and Ross Sea Ice

A combination of satellite microwave data sets are used in conjunction with ECMWF (Medium Range Weather Forecasts) and NCEP (National Center for Environment Prediction) meteorological analysis fields to investigate seasonal variability in the circulation and sea-ice dynamics of the Weddell and Ross Seas. Results of sea-ice tracking using SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave Imager), Scatterometer and SAR images are combined with in-situ data derived from Argos buoys and GPS drifters to validate observed drift patterns. Seasonal 3-month climatologies of ice motion and drift speed variance illustrate the response of the sea-ice system to seasonal forcing. A melt-detection algorithm is used to track the onset of seasonal melt, and to determine the extent and duration of atmospherically-led surface melting during austral summer. Results show that wind-driven drift regulates the seasonal distribution and characteristics of sea-ice and the intensity of the cyclonic Gyre circulation in these two regions.

Drinkwater, Mark R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Clear-Sky Closure Studies of Tropospheric Aerosol and Water Vapor During ACE-2 Using Airborne Sunphotometer, Airborne In-Situ, Space-Borne, and Ground-Based Measurements

We report on clear-sky column closure experiments (CLEARCOLUMN) performed in the Canary Islands during the second Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2) in June/July 1997. We present CLEARCOLUMN results obtained by combining airborne sunphotometer and in-situ (a differential mobility analyzer, three optical particle counters, three nephelometers, and one absorption photometer) measurements taken aboard the Pelican aircraft, space-borne NOAA/AVHRR data and ground-based lidars. A wide range of aerosol types was encountered throughout the ACE-2 area, including background Atlantic marine, European pollution-derived, and (although less frequently than expected) African mineral dust. During the two days discussed here, vertical profiles flown in cloud free air masses revealed three distinctly different layers: a marine boundary layer (MBL) with varying pollution levels, an elevated dust layer, and a very clean layer between the MBL and the dust layer. Based on size-resolved composition information we have established an aerosol model that allows us to compute optical properties of the ambient aerosol using the optical particle counter results. In the dust, the agreement in layer AOD (lambda=380-1060 nm) is 3-8%. In the MBL there is a tendency for the in-situ results to be slightly lower than the sunphotometer measurements (10-17% at lambda=525 nm), but these differences are within the combined error bars of the measurements and computations. Aerosol size-distribudon closure based on in-situ size distributions and inverted sunphotometer extinction spectra has been achieved in the MBL (total surface area and volume agree within 0.2, and 7%, respectively) but not in the dust layer. The fact that the three nephelometers operated at three different relative humidities (RH) allowed to parameterize hygroscopic growth and to therefore estimate optical properties at ambient RH. The parameters derived for different aerosol types are themselves useful for the aerosol modeling community. The fact that the nephelometers and the absorption photometer sampled the aerosol through a cyclone make those measurements less useful for thee closure study carried out here. Large corrections (especially in the dust) had to be applied. Therefore, it is not surprising that closure with the sunphotometer was not always achieved. Agreement within 0.02 in AOD was achieved in the dust layer when the airorne sunphotometer extinction or AOD was compared to ground-based lidar measurements. We found that the presence of the elevated dust layers removes the good agreement between satellite and sunphotometer AOD usually found in the absence of the dust layer. We still compare the scattering phase functions used in the satellite retrieval with those obtained from the aerosol or the sunphotometer measurements.

Schmid, Beat↗
NASA NTRS2000

Satellite-Derived Dynamics of Southern Ocean Sea Ice

Antarctic ERS-2, RADARSAT Synthetic Aperture Radar and ERS-1/2 Scatterometer images were analyzed with SMMI radiometer image time-series data to investigate seasonal variability in satellite-tracked sea-ice dynamics in the Southern Ocean during 1992. Supporting field data were acquired during 'in-situ' experiments including the winter 1992 Ice Station Weddell and Winter Weddell Gyre studies. A variety of surface measurements were made during these experiments including Argos-buoy deployment and GPS drift measurements. These are used in conjunction with International Program for Antarctic Buoys drift trajectories for ice-motion tracking validation. Comparisons between gridded Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) ice-motion vectors and European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (ECMWF/NCEP) analyses indicate that large-scale drift is forced predominantly by the long-term mean, large-scale synoptic pressure field. Only sub-daily SAR sea-ice tracking can capture high-frequency fluctuations, driven by polar lows or tidal forcing. In these cases, sea-ice drift can respond rapidly to changes in forcing on semi-diurnal time scales depending on the location with respect to the coastline. Seasonality of ice drift, particularly in the Weddell and Ross Seas, is linked to ice extent and compactness, and internal ice stresses transmitted through the pack ice from the coast. Three-monthly seasonal climatologies are presented of austral winter of ice drift in the Southern Ocean. The large Weddell and Ross Sea gyres are clearly resolved along with key seasonal and spatial attributes of their cyclonic circulation. Regional time series of ice dynamics parameters are used to illustrate correlations with meteorological forcing. Persistent divergence such as that occurring in the Ronne-Filchner polynya system results in large fractions of new ice. Similarly, convergence zones produce large fractions of deformed ice and characterize the dynamics of regions where perennial ice is observed. High shear strains also help delineate the axis of the Antarctic divergence in many places in the ice cover. In these regions, the separation between the coastal 'east wind drift'and ACC-dominated drift regimes is characterized by zonally extended regions of intense shear.

Drinkwater, Mark R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The 1997-98 El Nino Event and Related Wintertime Lightning Variations in the Southeastern United States

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate anomaly responsible for worldwide weather impacts ranging from droughts to floods. In the United States, warm episode years are known to produce above normal rainfall along the Southeast U.S. Gulf Coast and into the Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest response observed in the October-March period of the warm episode year. The 1997-98 warm episode is notable for being the strongest event since 198283. With the recent launch of a lightning sensor on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November 1997 and the detailed coverage of the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), such interannual changes in lightning activity can be examined with far greater detail than ever before. For the 1997-98 ENSO event the most significant year-to-year changes in lightning frequency worldwide occurred along the Gulf Coast and within the Gulf of Mexico basin during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Within a broad swath across the northern Gulf of Mexico basin there is a 100-150% increase in lightning days year-to-year (a peak of 33 days in the winter of 1997-98 vs. only 15 days or fewer in both the 1996-97 and 1998-99 winter). In addition, there is a nearly 200% increase in lightning hours (a peak of 138 hours in 1996-97 vs. 50 hours in both 1996-97 and 1998-99). The increase in lightning activity during ENSO occurs in association with a 100% increase in the number of synoptic scale cyclones that developed within or moved through the Gulf basin. The primary variables controlling these enhancements in thunderstorm activity are the position and strength of the jet stream.

Goodman, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

[Measurement of Speed and Direction of Ocean Surface Winds Using Quik Scat Scatterometer]

The SeaWinds on QuikSCAT scatterometer was developed by NASA JPL to measure the speed and direction of ocean surface winds. Simulations performed to estimate the performance of the instrument prior to its launch have indicated that the mid-swath accuracy is worse than that of the rest of the swath. This behavior is a general characteristic of scanning pencil beam scatterometers. For SeaWinds, the accuracy of the rest of the swath, and the size of the swath are such that the instrument meets its science requirements despite mid-swath shortcomings. However, by understanding the problem at mid-swath, we can improve the performance there as well. We discuss the underlying causes of the problem in detail and propose a new wind retrieval algorithm which improves mid-swath performance. The directional discrimination ability of the instrument varies with cross track distance wind speed, and direction. By estimating the range of likely wind directions for each measurement cell, one can optimally apply information from neighboring cells where necessary in order to reduce random wind direction errors without significantly degrading the resolution of the resultant wind field. In this manner we are able to achieve mid-swath RMS wind direction errors as low as 15 degrees for low winds and 10 degrees for moderate to high winds, while at the same time preserving high resolution structures such as cyclones and fronts.

Stiles, Bryan↗
NASA NTRS1998

A System Concept for the Advanced Post-TRMM Rainfall Profiling Radars

Atmospheric latent heating field is fundamental to all modes of atmospheric circulation and upper mixed layer circulations of the ocean. The key to understanding the atmospheric heating process is understanding how and where precipitation occurs. The principal atmospheric processes which link precipitation to atmospheric circulation include: (1) convective mass fluxes in the form of updrafts and downdrafts; (2) microphysical. nucleation and growth of hydrometeors; and (3) latent heating through dynamical controls on the gravitation-driven vertical mass flux of precipitation. It is well-known that surface and near-surface rainfall are two of the key forcing functions on a number of geophysical parameters at the surface-air interface. Over ocean, rainfall variation contributes to the redistribution of water salinity, sea surface temperature, fresh water supply, and marine biology and eco-system. Over land, rainfall plays a significant role in rainforest ecology and chemistry, land hydrology and surface runoff. Precipitation has also been closely linked to a number of atmospheric anomalies and natural hazards that occur at various time scales, including hurricanes, cyclones, tropical depressions, flash floods, droughts, and most noticeable of all, the El Ninos. From this point of view, the significance of global atmospheric precipitation has gone far beyond the science arena - it has a far-reaching impact on human's socio-economic well-being and sustenance. These and many other science applications require the knowledge of, in a global basis, the vertical rain structures, including vertical motion, rain intensity, differentiation of the precipitating hydrometeors' phase state, and the classification of mesoscale physical structure of the rain systems. The only direct means to obtain such information is the use of a spaceborne profiling radar. It is important to mention that the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) have made a great stride forward towards this ultimate goal. The Precipitation Radar (PR) aboard the TRMM satellite is the first ever spaceborne radar dedicated to three-dimensional, global precipitation measurements over the tropics and the subtropics, as well as the detailed synopsis of a wide range of tropical rain storm systems. In only twelve months since launch, the PR, together with other science instruments abroad the satellite have already provided unprecedented insights into the rainfall systems. It is anticipated the a lot more exciting and important rain observations would be made by TRMM throughout its mission duration. While TRMM has provided invaluable data to the user community, it is only the first step towards advancing our knowledge on rain processes and its contributions to climate variability. It is envisioned that a TRMM follow-on mission is needed in such a way to capitalize on the pioneering information provided by TRMM, and its instrument capability must be extended beyond TRMM in such a way to fully address the key science questions from microphysical to climatic time scale. In fact, a number of new and innovative mission concepts have recently put forth for this purpose. Almost all of these new concepts have suggested the utility of a more advanced, high-resolution, Doppler-enabled, vertical profiling radar that can provide multi-parameter observations of precipitation. In this paper, a system concept for a second- gene ration precipitation radar (PR-2) which addresses the above requirements will be described.

Im, Eastwood↗
NASA NTRS2000

Effect of Combined Spaceborne Microwave and Continuous Lightning Measurements on Precipitation Forecasts of the 1998 Ground-Hog Day Storm

We evaluated the impact of several newly available sources of meteorological data on mesoscale model forecasts of precipitation produced by the extra-tropical cyclone that struck Florida on February 2, 1998. Precipitation distributions of convective rainfall events were derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Multi-Channel Passive Microwave Sensor (TMI) microwave radiometric data by means of the Goddard PROFiling (GPROF) algorithm. Continuous lightning distributions were obtained from sferics measurements obtained from a network of VLF radio receivers. Histograms of coincident sferics frequency distributions were matched to those of precipitation to derive bogus convective rainfall rates from the continuously available sferics measurements. SSM/I and TMI microwave data were used to derive Integrated Precipitable Water (IPW) distributions. The TMI also provided sea surface temperatures (SSTS) of the Loop Current and Gulf Stream with improved structural detail. A series of experiments assimilated IPW and latent heating from the bogus convective rainfall for six-hours in the MM5 mesoscale forecast model to produce nine-hour forecasts of all rainfall as well as other weather parameters. Although continuously assimilating latent heating only slightly improved the surface pressure distribution forecast, it significantly improved the precipitation forecasts. Correctly locating convective rainfall was found critical for assimilating latent heating in the forecast model, but measurement of the rainfall intensity proved to be less important. The improved SSTs also had a positive impact on rainfall forecasts for this case. Assimilating bogus rainfall in the model produced nine-hour forecasts of radar reflectivity distributions that agreed well with coincident observations from the TRMM spaceborne precipitation radar, ground based radar and spaceborne microwave measurements.

Weinman, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Meteorological and Remote Sensing Applications of High Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are maturing in performance and becoming available for routine use in environmental applications including weather reconnaissance and remote sensing. This paper presents a discussion of UAV characteristics and unique features compared with other measurement platforms. A summary of potential remote sensing applications is provided, along with details for four types of tropical cyclone missions. Capabilities of platforms developed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program are reviewed, including the Altus, Perseus, and solar- powered Pathfinder, all of which have flown to over 57,000 ft (17 km). In many scientific missions, the science objectives drive the experimental design, thus defining the sensor payload, aircraft performance, and operational requirements. Some examples of science missions and the requisite UAV / payload system are given. A discussion of technology developments needed to fully mature UAV systems for routine operational use is included, along with remarks on future science and commercial UAV business opportunities.

Schoenung, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Arctic Climate and Atmospheric Planetary Waves

Analysis of a fifty-year record (1946-1995) of monthly-averaged sea level pressure data provides a link between the phases of planetary-scale sea level pressure waves and Arctic Ocean and ice variability. Results of this analysis show: (1) a breakdown of the dominant wave I pattern in the late 1960's, (2) shifts in the mean phase of waves 1 and 2 since this breakdown, (3) an eastward shift in the phases of both waves 1 and 2 during the years of simulated cyclonic Arctic Ocean circulation relative to their phases during the years of anticyclonic circulation, (4) a strong decadal variability of wave phase associated with simulated Arctic Ocean circulation changes. Finally, the Arctic atmospheric circulation patterns that emerge when waves 1 and 2 are in their extreme eastern and western positions suggest an alternative approach to determine significant forcing patterns of sea ice and high-latitude variability.

Cavalieri, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Probabilistic Technique for Improving the Mid-Swath Wind Direction Accuracy of Scanning Pencil Beam Scatterometers

The SeaWinds on QuikSCAT scatterometer is a device developed by NASA JPL to measure the speed and direction of ocean surface winds. Simulations performed in order to determine the expected performance of the instrument prior to its launch have indicated that the accuracy of the retrieved wind vectors varies across the swath. In particular the mid-swath accuracy is worse than that of the rest of the swath. This behavior is a general characteristic of scanning pencil beam scatterometers. For SeaWinds, the accuracy of the rest of the swath, and the size of the swath are such that the instrument meets its science requirements despite mid-swath shortcomings. However, by understanding the problem at mid-swath, we can improve the performance there as well, yielding even better coverage and accuracy than was originally intended. The mid-swath performance degradation is due to suboptimal viewing geometry. In particular mid-swath measurements contains measurements from two azimuths, roughly 180 degrees apart. With the standard wind retrieval technique, mid-swath root mean square (RMS) wind direction errors are approximately 30 degrees for low wind speeds (3 - 5.5 m/s) and 20 degrees for moderate to high wind speeds (5.5 - 30 m/s). We discuss the underlying causes of this phenomenon in detail and propose a modification to the wind retrieval technique in order to improve mid-swath performance. By estimating the range of likely wind directions for each measurement cell, one can optimally apply information from neighboring cells in order to reduce random wind direction errors without significantly degrading the resolution of the resultant wind field. In this manner we are able to achieve mid-swath RMS wind direction errors as low as 15 degrees for low winds and 10 degrees for moderate to high winds, while at the same time preserving high resolution structures such as cyclones and fronts. Since our results are based on simulated data, we also outline a procedure for making use of real data to optimize the technique after launch.

Stiles, Bryan↗
NASA NTRS2000

Enhancement of Directional Ambiguity Removal Skill in Scatterometer Data Processing Using Planetary Boundary Layer Models

Planetary boundary layer (PBL) models are utilized to enhance directional ambiguity removal skill in scatterometer data processing. The ambiguity in wind direction retrieved from scatterometer measurements is removed with the aid of physical directional information obtained from PBL models. This technique is based on the observation that sea level pressure is scalar and its field is more coherent than the corresponding wind. An initial wind field obtained from the scatterometer measurements is used to derive a pressure field with a PBL model. After filtering small-scale noise in the derived pressure field, a wind field is generated with an inverted PBL model. This derived wind information is then used to remove wind vector ambiguities in the scatterometer data. It is found that the ambiguity removal skill can be improved when the new technique is used properly in conjunction with the median filter being used for scatterometer wind dealiasing at JPL. The new technique is applied to regions of cyclone systems which are important for accurate weather prediction but where the errors of ambiguity removal are often large.

Kim, Young-Joon↗
NASA NTRS2000

Spacebased Observations of the Oceanic Responses to Monsoons in South China Sea and Arabian Sea

A large percentage of the world's population and their agrarian economy must endure the vagaries of the monsoons over the tropical oceans between Africa and the Philippines. We know very little about the oceanic responses to changes of the monsoon in the South China Sea (SCS), which is under the influence of the East Asian Monsoon System, and the Arabian Sea (AS), which is dominated by the Indian Monsoon System; oceanic observations are sparse in both regions. Data from spaceborne microwave scatterometers and radiometers have been used to estimate the two major atmospheric forcing, momentum flux and latent heat flux (LHF), which change with the monsoon winds. Spaceborne sensors also observed the surface signatures of the oceanic response: SST and sea level changes (SLC. Sufficient durations of these data have recently become available to allow the meaningful studies of the annual cycles and interannual anomalies. In SCS, the winter monsoon is strong and steady but the summer monsoon is weak and has large intraseasonal fluctuations. In AS, the summer monsoon is much stronger than the winter monsoon. Significant correlations between LHF and SST tendency, and between curl of wind stress and SLC are found in both oceans. In the north SCS, winds are strong and dry, LHF is high, and ocean cooling is also large in fall; LHF is low and the ocean warms up in spring. In AS, LHF and SST tendency have a semi annual period; LHF is high in summer when the wind is strong and in winter when the wind is dry. Along the coast of Oman, the strong summer southwest monsoon causes intense upwelling, low SST and LHF in summer; such wind-driven SST changes is not as obvious along the Vietnam coast because of the weaker summer monsoon. The negative correlation between curl of wind stress and SLC found in the central basins of both SCS and AS agrees with a simple Ekman pumping scenario. Cyclonic winds drive surface divergence and upwelling in the ocean; the rise of the thermocline causes lower sea levels. Anticyclonic winds cause higher SLC. The exceptions (positive correlations) are found in the coastal regions in the north and the south of SCS, off the west coast of India between 5N and 10N, and along the coast of Somalia.

Xie, Xiao-Su↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Dynamical Model for The Jupiter Thermocline

A new conceptual model for the observed banded wind structure of the giant outer planets is proposed, assuming a smoothly distributed potential vorticity (PV) atop a layer of deeply seated, latitudinally variable stratification. With a vanishing horizontal entropy contrast presumably enforced at the bottom of the flow layer by the underlying convection, the thermal-wind balance of observed cloud-top motions implies a mapping of constant potential temperature surfaces, nearly vertical at upper tropospheric levels, down to a deeper, flatter, but variably sloped 'thermocline.' For a generally colder-poleward distribution of isentropes consistent with the strong equatorial jets of both Jupiter and Saturn, this kind of mapping would also imply a poleward decreasing static stability. The proposed temperature-stability distribution is just the reverse of the Earth's troposphere, where the strongest latitudinal potential temperature gradients are at the bottom instead of the top, with static stability generally increasing toward the pole. The warmer-stabler correlation for Jupiter would be consistent, however, with a nearly monotonic distribution of PV from low to high latitudes, over planetary scales for which the planetary vorticity dominates the relative vorticity of the jets. In this way efficient PV mixing for the isentropically bounded thermocline can account for the dynamical maintenance of the cyclonic flanks of the equatorial jet. Over latitudinal intervals comparable to the internal deformation scale, however, the gradient of the absolute vorticity is dominated by the flow curvature, with the local latitudinal gradient of the static stability proportional to the local potential temperature gradient and therefore the local variation in geostrophic velocity. The resulting correlation of velocities and vorticity gradients implies an alternation of the flow over the internal deformation radius set by the vertical entropy contrast.

Allison, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2000

PV Theories For Planetary Atmospheric Circulations

Potential vorticity (or PV) has become an important tool for the diagnosis and modeling of the Earth's atmospheric and oceanic circulations. More recently, the application of PV thinking to numerical simulations and spacecraft observations of other atmospheres, including those of Mars, Venus, and Titan, has encouraged the hope for a unified understanding of planetary circulation regimes encompassing a wide range of rotation, stratification, and forcing parameters. Specifically, the accumulated evidence suggests that zonal-mean winds and temperatures at upper tropospheric levels approximate a state of zero potential vorticity within the bounding latitudes of the westerly jets, while the poleward regions of cyclonic shear conform to a PV state that is well mixed with respect to its polar limit. This review of the prospects for conceptual planetary circulation models will explore the possibility that the zonal-mean state of an atmosphere can be calculated in terms of a simple link between the latitudinal PV and potential temperature variation at an upper baroclinic steering level.

Allison, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2001

Extending the Precipitation Map Offshore Using Daily and 3-Hourly Combined Precipitation Estimates

One of the difficulties in studying landfalling extratropical cyclones along the Pacific Coast is the lack of antecedent data over the ocean, including precipitation. Recent research on combining various satellite-based precipitation estimates opens the possibility of realistic precipitation estimates on a global 1 deg. x 1 deg. latitude-longitude grid at the daily or even 3-hourly interval. The goal in this work is to provide quantitative precipitation estimates that correctly represent the precipitation- related variables in the hydrological cycle: surface accumulations (fresh-water flux into oceans), frequency and duration statistics, net latent heating, etc.

Huffman, George J.↗