Early results based on the stratospheric channels of TOVS on the TIROS-N series of operational satellites

TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) comprises the three radiometers HIRS-2 (High resolution Infra Red Sounder Mod 2), MSU (Microwave Sounding Unit) and SSU (Stratospheric Sounding Unit) mounted on the TIROS-N series of operational spacecraft. Data from these sounders have been available since October 1978 and the series should continue to beyond 1985. The derivation and assessment of stratospheric geopotential height fields from these sounders, with particular reference to the SSU, are described. Measurements of stratospheric diurnal temperature effects and plots of zonally meaned brightness temperatures over a 450 day period are also presented.     

Validation of the stratospheric sounding unit

The Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) is part of the TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) on NOAA operational meteorological satellites. SSU measurements can be validated by comparison with temperature measurements from colocated rocket sondes. Systematic differences are found which vary with rocket station and sonde and are a function of height. However, these measurements are not adequate to define the performance of individual SSUs to a precision which would allow the observations from different SSUs to be combined in the study of diurnal and semidiurnal tides and of long term trends in stratospheric temperature. Instead this is achieved by detailed radiometric and spectroscopic investigation of each individual SSU, both prior to launch and during its operational life. Using the techniques descirbed, it is demonstrated that measurements from different SSUs can be combined with a relative error of less than 0.2K in equivalent brightness temperature.     

Decadal variability of tropical Pacific temperature in relation to solar cycles

We use the 8-year long satellite temperature data (2002–2010) from Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and Atmospheric Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on the Aqua satellite to identify temperature trends in the troposphere and low stratosphere over the Niño 3.4 region of the Tropical Pacific Ocean in the most recent 11-year solar cycle. Employing more extended sea surface temperature (SST) data for five solar cycles (1950–2009) in this region we show that the satellite trends reflect a typical decrease of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Niño 3.4 region in the declining phase of the solar cycle. The magnitude of the SST decrease depends on the solar cycle and ranges between 0.07 K/yr and 0.27 K/yr for the last five solar cycles.     

Dust storms detection over the Indo-Gangetic basin using multi sensor data

Dust storms are common during the summer season over the Indo-Gangetic basin and are considered to be a major health hazard to millions of people living in the basin. In countries like India, there is no early warning made for dust outbreaks and as a result the day-to-day life is affected by these dust events. In this paper, efforts have been made to utilize multi sensor data to study the characteristics of dust storms. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer images clearly show dust storm events over the Indo-Gangetic basin. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectroradiometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) data over the western end of the Indo-Gangetic basin have been analyzed. These data show characteristic behavior of brightness temperature and Aerosol Index due to dust, which change significantly as dust migrates towards east over Kanpur. The TOMS Aerosol Index and the AMSU brightness temperature (T_b) show a characteristic anti-correlation, which confirms the presence of a dust storm over Indo-Gangetic basin.     

A superposed epoch study of the effects of solar wind stream interface events on the upper mesospheric and lower thermospheric temperature

The response of mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) temperature to energetic particle precipitation over the Earth’s polar regions is not uniform due to complex phenomena within the MLT environment. Nevertheless, the modification of MLT temperatures may require an event-based study to be better observed. This work examines the influence of precipitation, triggered by solar wind stream interfaces (SI) event from 2002 to 2007, on polar MLT temperature. We first test the relationship between the ionospheric absorption measured by the SANAE IV (South African National Antarctic Expedition IV) riometer and the layer of energetic particle precipitation from POES (Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites). The combined particle measurements from POES 15, 16, 17 and 18 were obtained close in time to the pass of the SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) temperature retrieval. Here, a superposed epoch technique is described and implemented to obtain average temperature profiles during SI-triggered particle precipitation. The superposed epoch average shows no significant temperature decrease below 100 km prior to the onset of SI-triggered precipitation, whereas a clear superposed average temperature decrease is observed at 95 km after the SI impact. A case study of SI event also yields similar observations. Results indicate that cooling effects due to the production of mesospheric odd hydrogen might be major contributors to temperature decrease under compressed solar wind stream.     

探空火箭图像压缩算法研究

结合探空火箭图像系统需求, 提出了一种基于小波变换编码, 即基于MSPIHT的自适应差分算术编码(MSPIHT Adaptive Differential Arithmetic Coding for image, MADAC)的图像压缩算法. 该算法对经过量化编码之后的数据 进行熵编码. 实验结果表明, MADAC算法具备探空火箭图像系统所要求的分辨 率、帧速率及压缩率可调的功能, 且易于硬件实现.      

Characteristics of recent dust storms over the Indian region using real time multi-satellite observations from the direct broadcast receiving system at IMD

In this study, observations from microwave satellites, visible and infrared instruments have been analyzed to detect dust storm over north and north–west part of India during 18–23 March 2012. This study investigated the approach to utilize the multi satellite data of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on-board the Terra and Aqua satellite and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on-board NOAA satellite to study the characteristics of dust storms from real time direct broadcast (DB) receiving system installed at three places of India Meteorological Department (IMD). The dust storm detection is based on the infrared brightness temperature (BT) difference between channels at 11 and 12 μm and polarized BT difference between two channels of 89 and 23.8 GHz. It is found that the significant differences between the BT of channel 89 and 23.8 can be used as a discriminator of identifying dust storm. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectroradiometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) and AMSU-A 23 GHz channel BT from NOAA satellite over the north and north-west part of India have also been analyzed. The result indicated the characteristic behavior between BT and AI during the different phases of the dust storm. Finally, the occurrence of dust outbreaks has also been validated with sky radiometer of IMD, which confirms the presence of a dust storm over the Indian region. Further, the findings of the study and its approaches apply to the other dust storm cases which occurred during the months of April and June 2012. The integrated approach suggested the potential to use high resolution data of microwave as well as thermal–infrared using multi-satellite observations from real time direct broadcast system for the detection of severe, moderate or weak dust storms very well. The approach is found to be promising for operational application.     

Application of ERA5 Reanalysis to the Construction of Initial Conditions for WACCM Simulations

This study uses ECMWF fifth-generation reanalysis, ERA5, which extends to the mesopause, to construct the Initial Conditions (IC) for WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model) simulations. Because the biases between ERA5 and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature data are within ±5 K below the lower mesosphere, ERA5 reanalysis is used to construct IC in the lower atmosphere. Four experiments are performed to simulate a Stratospheric Sudden Warming (SSW) event from 5 to 15 February 2016. The simulation using the WACCM default climatic IC cannot represent the sharp meteorological variation during SSW. In contrast, the 0~4 d forecast results driven by ERA5-constructed IC is consistent with ERA5 reanalysis below the middle mesosphere. Comparing with WACCM climatology ICs scheme, the ICs constructing method based on ERA5 reanalysis can obtain 67%, 40%, 22%, 4% and 6% reduction of temperature forecast RMSE at 10 hPa, 1 hPa, 0.1 hPa, 0.01 hPa and 0.001 hPa respectively. However, such improvement is not shown in the lower thermosphere.      

The use of microcosms as an experimental approach to understanding terrestrial ecosystem functioning.

Since 1986, a series of microcosm experiments has been conducted at the Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology (UCPE) in an attempt to test our understanding of the principles controlling the structure and dynamics of plant communities and ecosystems. In each experiment microcosms have been seeded with a common pool of organisms, and systems have been allowed to assemble under replicated controlled conditions. Experiment variables have included mineral nutrient supply, temperature, moisture supply, soil depth, carbon dioxide concentration, mycorrhizas, rhizobia, herbivores and carnivores. Results from these experiments are presented to illustrate the value of synthesised ecosystems in ecological research.     

A new design of low-power portable digital ionosonde

The Ionospheric Laboratory of Wuhan University is interested in upgrading its instrumentation replacing the WIOBSS (Wuhan Ionospheric Oblique Backscattering Sounding System) with a more flexible and automatic ionosonde. Then the updated ionosonde WMI (Wuhan Multifunctional Ionosonde) with automatic ionogram scaling has been developed to satisfy future research. The new system not only inherited some classic techniques from WIOBSS, such as the pulse compression and the coherent integration techniques, but also made great improvements in hardware design and software updating. This paper mainly introduces evolutions of this new ionosonde in both digital transceiver and digital signal processing domain, and also presents some observations.     

Fertilization of frog eggs on a Sounding Rocket in space.

During the TEXUS-17 flight (April/May 1988) eggs of a higher organism, the anuran amphibian Xenopus laevis, have for the first time been successfully fertilized under microgravity on a Sounding Rocket. This result also implies that Life Sciences Experiments of Short Duration can be carried out on Sounding Rockets. The latter can therefore function as additional carriers for such experiments. Histological sections of the experimental material demonstrated the penetration of sperm into eggs, while SEM analysis revealed the differentiation of characteristic egg surface structures. Our TEXUS-17 experiment convincingly shows that the modified automatic experiment container, originally designed for experimental BR 52NL on the D1-mission, now functions flawlessly. Eight containers were flown in an airtight, well-isolated box (TEM 06-15), and a similar set was activated on Earth, two hours later. The analysis of the biological material is in progress.     

Aura/MLS与TIMED/SABER观测全球重力波特性

大气重力波是临近空间环境主要大气波动之一,对全球环流具有重要影响。卫星上搭载的临边探测器能够探测临近空间大气温度,可用于临近空间大气重力波研究。利用2012－2014年Aura的微波临边探测器（MLS）和TIMED的红外临边探测器（SABER）的探测数据,对20~50 km高度的大气重力波扰动分布特征开展了分析研究,两种观测重力波活动基本一致,重力波随季节、纬度及高度的变化显著。冬季半球高纬度重力波扰动较强,赤道和夏季半球近赤道地区上空也存在明显重力波活动区域,夏季半球高纬度重力波扰动最弱。重力波扰动强度随高度增加。TIMED/SABER重力波扰动强度数值比 Aura/MLS略强。      

基于WACCM+DART的临近空间SABER和MLS温度观测资料同化试验

基于WACCM+DART（Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model,Data Assimilation Research Test-Bed）临近空间资料同化预报系统,以2016年2月的一次平流层爆发性增温（SSW）事件为例,开展了临近空间SABER（Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry）和MLS（Microwave Limb Sounder）温度观测资料集合滤波同化试验.结果表明:同化SABER和MLS温度观测资料可显著降低WACCM模式在中间层和平流层中上部（0.001～10hPa）大气温度场的预报误差,改善CR试验在SSW发生时中间层变冷现象偏强、纬向风场首次发生反转的层次偏低以及增温恢复阶段0.1～10hPa的东风层提前消退、纬向风速偏大、平流层顶位置偏高等现象.基于ERA5（The Fifth Generation of ECMWF Reanalyses）再分析资料的检验表明:同化SABER和MLS温度资料明显有利于减小北半球高纬度地区（60°-90°N）平流层中上层和下中间层（0.1～14hPa）纬向风场以及平流层和中间层中下层（0.01～100hPa）温度场的分析误差;同化低层大气观测也有利于减小0.1～14hPa纬向风场和0.01～100hPa温度场的分析误差,但是不如同化SABER和MLS温度资料对临近空间纬向风场和温度场分析误差的改善效果显著.      

Temperature comparison between CHAMP radio occultation and TIMED/SABER measurements in the lower stratosphere

Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver on the CHAllenging Mini-satellite Payload (CHAMP) and the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, one of four on board the TIMED satellite, provide middle atmosphere temperature profiles by Radio Occultation (RO) and limb viewing infrared emission measurements, respectively. These temperature profiles retrieved by two different techniques in the stratosphere are compared with each other using more than 1300 correlative profiles in March, September and December 2005. The over-all mean differences averaged over 15 and 35 km are approximately −2 K and standard deviation is less than 3 K. Below 20 km of altitude, relatively small mean temperature differences ∼1 K are observed in wide latitudinal range except for June (during the SABER nighttime observation). In the middle to low latitudes, between 30°S and 30°N, the temperature difference increases with height from ∼0–1 K at 15 km, to ∼−4 K at 35 km of altitude. Large temperature differences about −4 to −6 K are observed between 60°S and 30°N and 31–35 km of altitude for all months and between 0° and 30°N below 16 km during June (nighttime).     

基于SABER的平流层顶温度的时空特征分析

利用SABER探测器2002—2017年超过一个太阳活动周的数据,以大气垂直方向上40～60km的最大温度作为平流层顶温度（T_sp）,分析50°S—50°N T_sp的时空分布特征.结果表明:T_sp具有明显的纬度特征和季节特征,在赤道和南北半球夏季温度较高,而在南北半球冬季的40°—50°纬度附近温度有最低值.再利用EOF方法分析T_sp,发现其第一模态的解释率达91%,且时间系数与平流层顶高度相关性最大,为-0.75,与平流层顶臭氧体积混合比相关性约0.49,与日地距离相关性为0.44,与太阳活动性（太阳活动指数,太阳黑子数）的相关性约0.33.依据该相关关系,进一步分析各变量原始场,发现T_sp和平流层顶臭氧体积混合比的纬度变化近似相反;与日地距离的季节变化有明显的负相关,约-0.81,且这种相关性与日地距离有弱的正相关关系;年平均T_sp在2002—2017年的变化约为2K,与F_10.7的相关系数为0.6,在南北纬20°附近与太阳活动指数F_10.7的相关性最大,约0.74.      

多种观测数据驱动的三维行星际太阳风MHD模拟

三维磁流体力学（MHD）数值模拟是行星际太阳风研究的重要手段.本文发展了一种由多种观测数据驱动的三维行星际太阳风MHD数值模型.模型的计算区域为0.1AU到1AU附近，使用Lax-Friedrich差分格式在六片网格系统中进行数值求解.边界条件中磁场使用GONG台站观测的光球磁图外推获得，密度通过LASCO观测的白光偏振亮度反演得到，速度根据以上两种观测数据并利用一种基于人工神经网络技术（ANN）的方法得到，温度通过自洽方法根据磁场和密度导出.利用该模型模拟了第2062卡灵顿周（CR2062）时期的行星际太阳风，模拟结果显示出丰富的观测特征，并与OMNI以及Ulysses的实际观测值符合得较好.该模型可用于提供接近真实的行星际太阳风，有助于提高空间天气预报的精度.      

Response of quasi-10-day waves in the MLT region to the sudden stratospheric warming in March 2020

We present an analysis of the response of quasi-10-day waves (Q10DWs) to the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event which occurred on March 23, 2020. The Q10DWs are observed in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region by three meteor radars, which are located at middle latitudes along the 120°E meridian from Mohe (MH, 53.5°N, 122.3°E), Beijing (BJ, 40.3°N, 116.2°E), to Wuhan (WH, 30.5°N, 114.6°E). The Q10DWs reveal similar temporal and altitudinal variations during the SSW in the MLT region at the three stations. The activities of Q10DWs are also captured in the temperature measurements from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite in the MLT region. Further analysis of the Q10DW phases indicates that the Q10DWs might be in situ generated due to mesospheric instabilities at higher latitudes around MH and then propagate southward to lower latitudes at BJ and WH. The atmospheric instabilities are not directly responsible for the excitations of Q10DWs at lower latitudes, while the observed equatorward propagation of the Q10DWs is important. Our result provides the observational evidence for latitudinal couplings in the MLT region after the SSW onset, which is achieved by southward propagating planetary waves in the MLT region.     

The potential for radiometric retrievals of halocarbon concentrations from the MIPAS-E instrument

Halocarbons, such as CFC-11, CFC-12 and HCFC-22, are important trace gases in the atmosphere through their role as greenhouse gases and their influence on stratospheric ozone chemistry. This paper focuses on an initial study using integration of spectral radiance measurements from a spaceborne limb sounding Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) to retrieve these compounds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The instrument employed in this study is the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding onboard ENVISAT (MIPAS-E) which obtains spectral data in the altitude range of 6–68 km at an unapodized spectral resolution of 0.025 cm⁻¹. We have used optimal estimation techniques to retrieve vertical information for these compounds using a radiometric approach.

It is shown that significant retrieval information is obtained at up to five measured levels in the UTLS for CFC-11, up to six for CFC-12 and up to two levels for HCFC-22. An initial error analysis indicates significant sensitivity of our retrievals to variability in operationally retrieved pressure and temperature data. For each halocarbon, gain, offset and spectroscopic uncertainties generally each contribute less than 10% to the total error. Finally, tracer correlations are used to compare the datasets to equivalent relationships derived here from version 2 ATMOS data with very good agreements for CFC-12 but with more variability in the CFC-11 comparisons.     

WIOBSS: The Chinese low-power digital ionosonde for ionospheric backscattering detection

The ionospheric laboratory of Wuhan University has developed an ionosonde over about seven years. The prototype is designed as a portable, low-power digital MF (medium frequency) and HF (high frequency) radio system with high range and Doppler resolution. The first system is used for ionospheric oblique backscattering detection and called WIOBSS (Wuhan Ionospheric Oblique Backscattering Sounding System). WIOBSS is a portable monostatic ionosonde for both ionospheric research and HF channel management, adopting alternate transmitting and receiving patterns to transmit long coded pulse trains for high pulse compression gain. The almost perfect sequences are applied to modulate the pulse train for sounding without range sidelobes and the echo phase is used to estimate the Doppler velocity and velocity fluctuation. This paper introduces the new techniques adopted by WIOBSS and presents some observations.     

Surface temperatures at the nearside of the Moon as a record of the radiation budget of Earth’s climate system

Understanding the balance between incoming radiation from the Sun and outgoing radiation from Earth is of critical importance in the study of climate change on Earth. As the only natural satellite of Earth, the Moon is a unique platform for the study of the disk-wide radiation budget of Earth. There are no complications from atmosphere, hydrosphere, or biosphere on the Moon. The nearside of the Moon allows for a focus on the solar radiation during its daytime, and on terrestrial radiation during its nighttime. Additionally, lunar regolith temperature is an amplifier of the terrestrial radiation signal because lunar temperature is proportional to the fourth square root of radiation as such is much more sensitive to the weak terrestrial radiation in nighttime than the strong solar radiation in daytime. Indeed, the long-term lunar surface temperature time series obtained inadvertently by the Heat Flow Experiment at the Apollo 15 landing site three decades ago may be the first important observation from deep space of both incoming and outgoing radiation of the terrestrial climate system. A revisit of the lunar surface temperature time series reveals distinct characteristics in lunar surface daytime and nighttime temperature variations, governed respectively by solar and terrestrial radiation.