Search results for "atmosphere"

Inter-comparison of stratospheric O<sub>3</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> abundances retrieved from …

2006

Abstract. Stratospheric O3 and NO2 abundances measured by different remote sensing instruments are inter-compared: (1) Line-of-sight absorptions and vertical profiles inferred from solar spectra in the ultra-violet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) wavelength ranges measured by the LPMA/DOAS (Limb Profile Monitor of the Atmosphere/Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) balloon payload during balloon ascent/descent and solar occultation are examined with respect to internal consistency. (2) The balloon borne stratospheric profiles of O3 and NO2 are compared to collocated space-borne skylight limb observations of the Envisat/SCIAMACHY satellite instrument. The trace gas profiles are retr…

Intense magmatic degassing through the lake of Copahue volcano, 2013–2014

2015

Here we report on the first assessment of volatile fluxes from the hyperacid crater lake hosted within the summit crater of Copahue, a very active volcano on the Argentina-Chile border. Our observations were performed using a variety of in situ and remote sensing techniques during field campaigns in March 2013, when the crater hosted an active fumarole field, and in March 2014, when an acidic volcanic lake covered the fumarole field. In the latter campaign, we found that 566 to 1373 t d -1 of SO 2 were being emitted from the lake in a plume that appeared largely invisible. This, combined with our derived bulk plume composition, was converted into flux of other volcanic species (H 2 O ~ 1098…

Retrieval of aerosol optical thickness for desert conditions using MERIS observations during the SAMUM campaign

2011

Approximately 30% of the land surface is arid, having desert or semi-desert conditions. Aerosol originating from these regions plays a significant role in climate and atmospheric chemistry of the atmosphere. Retrieving aerosol properties from space-borne platforms above desert conditions, where the surface reflectance is usually very bright, is a challenging task. The proportion of the surface to top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance can reach values over 90%, especially for wavelength above 500 nm. For these reasons detailed knowledge of aerosol and surface optical properties from these regions is required to separate atmosphere from intrinsically bright surfaces. An approach to retrieve aer…

2021

Abstract. The strong reduction of air traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique test case for the relationship between air traffic density, contrails, and their radiative forcing of climate change. Here, air traffic and contrail cirrus changes are quantified for a European domain for March to August 2020 and compared to the same period in 2019. Traffic data show a 72 % reduction in flight distance compared with 2019. This paper investigates the induced contrail changes in a model study. The contrail model results depend on various methodological details as discussed in parameter studies. In the reference case, the reduced traffic caused a reduction in contrail length. The reduc…

Design, construction and commissioning of the Braunschweig Icing Wind Tunnel

2018

Beyond its physical importance in both fundamental and climate research, atmospheric icing is considered as a severe operational condition in many engineering applications like aviation, electrical power transmission and wind-energy production. To reproduce such icing conditions in a laboratory environment, icing wind tunnels are frequently used. In this paper, a comprehensive overview on the design, construction and commissioning of the Braunschweig Icing Wind Tunnel is given. The tunnel features a test section of 0.5 m  ×  0.5 m with peak velocities of up to 40 m s−1. The static air temperature ranges from −25 to +30 °C. Supercooled droplet icing with liquid water contents up to 3 g m−3 c…

Sun-Earth System Interaction studies over Vietnam: an international cooperative project

2006

International audience; During many past decades, scientists from various countries have studied separately the atmospheric motions in the lower atmosphere, in the Earth's magnetic field, in the magnetospheric currents, etc. All of these separate studies lead today to the global study of the Sun and Earth connections, and as a consequence, new scientific programs (IHY- International Heliophysical Year, CAWSES- Climate and Weather in the Sun-Earth System) are defined, in order to assume this new challenge. In the past, many scientists did not have the possibility to collect data at the same time in the various latitude and longitude sectors. Now, with the progress of geophysical sciences in …

The Role of Wind Speed and Wind Shear for Banner Cloud Formation

2019

Abstract Banner clouds are clouds that appear to be attached to the leeward face of a steep mountain. This paper investigates the role of wind speed and wind shear for the formation of banner clouds. Large-eddy simulations are performed to simulate the flow of dry air past an idealized pyramid-shaped mountain. The potential for cloud formation is diagnosed through the Lagrangian vertical parcel displacement, which in the case of a banner cloud shows a plume of large values in the lee of the mountain. In addition, vortical structures are visualized through streamlines and their curvature. A series of sensitivity experiments indicates that both the flow and the banner cloud occurrence are lar…

Vertical profiles of light absorption and scattering associated with black carbon particle fractions in the springtime Arctic above 79° N

2020

Despite the potential importance of black carbon (BC) for radiative forcing of the Arctic atmosphere, vertically resolved measurements of the particle light scattering coefficient (σsp) and light absorption coefficient (σap) in the springtime Arctic atmosphere are infrequent, especially measurements at latitudes at or above 80∘ N. Here, relationships among vertically distributed aerosol optical properties (σap, σsp and single scattering albedo or SSA), particle microphysics and particle chemistry are examined for a region of the Canadian archipelago between 79.9 and 83.4∘ N from near the surface to 500 hPa. Airborne data collected during April 2015 are combined with gro…

Aviation Contrail Cirrus and Radiative Forcing Over Europe During 6 Months of COVID‐19

2021

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic led to a 72% reduction of air traffic over Europe in March–August 2020 compared to 2019. Modeled contrail cover declined similarly, and computed mean instantaneous radiative contrail forcing dropped regionally by up to 0.7 W m−2. Here, model predictions of cirrus optical thickness and the top‐of‐atmosphere outgoing longwave and reflected shortwave irradiances are tested by comparison to Meteosat‐SEVIRI‐derived data. The agreement between observations and modeled data is slightly better when modeled contrail cirrus contributions are included. The spatial distributions and diurnal cycles of the differences in these data between 2019 and 2020 are partially caused…

Black and brown carbon over central Amazonia: long-term aerosol measurements at the ATTO site

2018

The Amazon rainforest is a sensitive ecosystem experiencing the combined pressures of progressing deforestation and climate change. Its atmospheric conditions oscillate between biogenic and biomass burning (BB) dominated states. The Amazon further represents one of the few remaining continental places where the atmosphere approaches pristine conditions during occasional wet season episodes. The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) has been established in central Amazonia to investigate the complex interactions between the rainforest ecosystem and the atmosphere. Physical and chemical aerosol properties have been analyzed continuously since 2012. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of t…