The UTLS Initiative an Overview

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The UTLS Initiative an Overview

• Laura Pan
• ACD/TIIMES/ESSL

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Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere - A
region of coupled dynamics, chemistry and cloud
microphysics
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A Set of Inter-Related Problems

• Chemistry-climate coupling
• Water vapor, ozone, clouds and aerosols - species
  of significant climate impact
• Transport and mixing - dynamical processes of a
  range of scales (planetary - synoptic - meso)
• Conversion- Multi-phase chemistry and cloud
  microphysics

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GV Capabilities
Data shown are for HIAPER (GV Serial Number
677)

• Maximum Range 6,055 nm (11,214 km)
• Maximum Cruise Altitude 51,000 ft (15,545 m)
• Maximum Scientific Payload 6,600 lbs (2,994
  kg)
• Typical Zero Fuel Weight 53,679 lbs (24,349
  kg)
• Maximum Mission Fuel 37,221 lbs (16,883 kg)
• Maximum Ramp Weight 90,900 lbs (41,232 kg)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight 90,500 lbs (41,051 kg)

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UTLS and HIAPER Altitude Range
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NASA A-Train Satellites
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Satellite Data from A-Train
Water Vapor - MLS on Aura
Ozone - AIRS on Aqua
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Cross-Cutting within NCAR - Multi scale models
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UTLS Initiative Integrated Study of Dynamics,
Chemistry, Clouds and Radiation of the Upper
Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

• Steering Committee
• Laura Pan (PI), Mary Barth, Teresa Campos, Andrew
  Gettelman, Andy Heymsfield, Bill Kuo,Don
  Lenschow, Bill Randel, Brian Ridley, David
  Rogers, Sue Schauffler, Jeff Stith

From Four NCAR Entities ESSL (ACD, MMM, CGD) and
EOL
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Objectives of the UTLS Initiative

• Plan and conduct integrated UTLS research using
  HIAPER optimize integration with satellite
  programs and multi-scale models
• Facilitate crosscutting collaboration within NCAR
  and partnerships with the university community
• Provide community service and help the build up
  of HIAPER capability (instrument development and
  campaign support)

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Scientific Issues and Planned Studies

• Water Vapor, Radiation, and Microphysics of the
  Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL)
• Extratropical Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange
• Ozone and Radical Budget Chemistry in the UTLS
• Aerosol and Cloud Particle Composition in the UTLS

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An Emerging Program

• Funded by Directors opportunity fund October
  2002 as an incubator program (100K)
• Selected as a NCAR initiative December 2003 to be
  funded at 500K/yr for the initial phase of 3
  yrs
• Funding delayed to FY07-FY09

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Two Examples of Field Experiments using HIAPER

• START experiment during Progressive Science
  Missions (November-December 2005)
• DC3 experiment (Summer 2009)

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HIAPER Progressive Science Mission (22 November-
23 December, 2005)
Daybreak before take off 2005-12-21
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Stratosphere-Troposphere Analyses of Regional
Transport (START) Experiment
Investigators Laura Pan (PI, ACD/TIIMES) Ken
Bowman (Texas AM) Mel Shapiro (NOAA/NCARMMM) Bill
Randel (ACD) Rushan Gao (NOAA) Teresa Campos
(ACD/EOL) Chris Davis (MMM) Sue Schauffler (ACD)
Frontal Cloud - flt 051214
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Science Objectives

• Characterize the dynamical structure of the
  extratropical tropopause in and around the
  subtropical jet
• Identify the chemical transition from the
  troposphere to stratosphere across the
  extratropical tropopause.
• Investigate the irreversible STE mixing
  produced by multiple scale dynamical processes

Low pass of Rockies- Flt 051207
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Flight Highlights

• Four successful flights (7-9 hour each, out of 6
  planned)
• Measurements O3, H2O, CO, CN in addition to
  meteorological parameters
• Near real time satellite data via collaboration
  with AIRS science team
• Observed ozone enhancement in lower troposphere
  due to the stratospheric intrusions
• Many observations of wave activities in the UTLS

Meteor Crater - Flight 051207
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Stratospheric Intrusion and the Separation of the
Thermal and Dynamical Tropopause
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Enhancement of Ozone at Lower Troposphere due to
the Intrusion
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START Experiment cont.

• Proposal for next phase of START (enhanced
  instrument payload and multiple seasons) is in
  preparation
• A broader community will be involved
• Serve to help ramping up the capability of HIAPER
  and provide test flight opportunity of new
  instruments
• Accumulate more data for the benefit of new
  generation models, CCM and CTM

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Deep Convective Cloud and Chemistry (DC3)
Experiment

• Primary Goals
• To quantify the impact of continental,
  midlatitude convective storm dynamics on the
  transport of chemical constituents to the UTLS
• To determine the role of anvil dynamics,
  multiphase chemistry, microphysics, radiation,
  and electrification on the chemical composition
  of convective outflow
• To determine the effects of convectively-perturbed
  air masses on ozone and its related chemistry in
  the midlatitude UTLS

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Lower Stratosphere
RO2 or HOx NOx
CH2O H2O2 CH3OOH CH3C(O)CH3
O3
Upper Troposphere
Entrainment-Detrainment
Mid-Troposphere
Re-evaporation
Scavenging rainout
Boundary Layer
UTLS Chemical Processes
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DC3 Experiment cont.

• Time and location
• Summer 2009, Central US
• Steering Committee
• NCAR (ESSL EOL) Mary Barth, Chris Cantrell,
  Laura Pan, Andy Weinheimer, Jeff Stith, Andrew
  Heymsfield, Don Lenschow, Alan Fried
• University Community Steven Rutledge (CSU),
  William Brune (Penn State), Paul Krehbiel (NMT),
  Owen Cooper (CU)
• NASA Kenneth Pickering, Jim Crawford

• Milestones
• Workshop to be held April 2006
• Proposal due NSF Jan 2007

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Thank You !
Shadows of Monument Valley - Flight 051209