Water vapour as an indicator of dynamical processes in the extratropical UTLS inferred from balloon observations Sergey Khaykin (1), A. Lukyanov(1), V.Yushkov (1), R. Kivi (2), Karpechko (2), M. Maturilli (3) (1) Central Aerological Observatory of Roshydromet, Russian Federation (2) Arctic Research Centre of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland (3) Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany The Extra-tropical UTLS: observations, concepts and future directions NCAR, Boulder, CO October 19-22, 2009
FLASH-B Fluorescent Advanced Stratospheric Hygrometer for Balloon Central Aerological Observatory of Roshydromet Measurements and Methods FLASH-B Fluorescent Advanced Stratospheric Hygrometer for Balloon FLASH-B is a compact fast response stratospheric hygrometer using Lyman-alpha fluorescence technique for H2O measurements. Range of water vapour measurements Detection limit Response time Integration time Vertical resolution Measurement precision Total uncertainty Height range Weight 0.5...1000 ppmv 0.1 ppmv 0.2 sec 4 sec ~ 50 m (descent in UTLS) 5.5% <10 % (1σ) 350… 5 mBar 0.5 kg w/out batteries TRACAO trajectory photochemical model [Lukyanov et al., 2003] ECMWF T511L60 0.5° x 0.5° data
Central Aerological Observatory of Roshydromet Measurements and Methods FLASH-B measurement locations Ny-Alesund, Norway 2004-2009 Sodankyla, Finland Lindenberg, Germany 2005-2008 Payerne, Switzerland 2008 Esrange, Sweden 2006, 2007
RDF reconstruction of PV field Water vapour at the edge of Polar vortex 625 K 575 K 530 K 530 K 575 K 625 K RDF reconstruction of PV field
Variability of water vapour in the UTLS
Hygropause and tropopause Θ-level variations and H2O at hygropause Climatology of the transition layer Alternative definition of transition layer: the region between thermal tropopause and hygropause. Hygropause and tropopause Θ-level variations and H2O at hygropause
Sodankyla 17.02.2004 7-day RDF 330 K Dynamics of the transition layer lg(H2O) [ppmv] O3 [ppmv] PV [PV unit] 330 K
Flux through tropopause x 10-2 [kg/m2/s] Cross-tropopause flux ( 18 Feb 2004, Sodankyla) Potential temperature of dynamical tropopause (3.5 pvu), [K] 06 UT 12 UT 18 UT Cross tropopause transport: Red – TST, Blue - STT Flux through tropopause x 10-2 [kg/m2/s]
Combined H2O/O3/aerosol flight, Sodankyla, 26 January 2009 Water vapour, ozone and aerosol in the LS Combined H2O/O3/aerosol flight, Sodankyla, 26 January 2009
Summary Various case studies based on high-resolution in-situ observations were presented. They highlight various dynamical processes influencing LS composition. High-resolution water vapour measurements are of great importance for case studies of UTLS dynamics. Laminated structure of stratospheric WV profile: indicator of vortex dynamics and troposphere-stratosphere exchange A case of STE at the anticyclone’s boundary was shown WV variability at the extratropical hygropause is shown related to vortex dynamics and transport from TTL