The variability of stratospheric nitrogen compounds observed by LIMS in the winter of 1978–1979

The LIMS experiment was launched on the Nimbus 7 satellite for the purpose of sounding the vertical structure of temperature and key upper atmosphere trace gases on a global scale. The technique of thermal infrared limb sounding was used to obtain measurements of O₃, H₂O, NO₂, and HNO₃. LIMS collected data almost continuously from late October to late May over the latitude range from 64°S to 84°N. Two of the gases, NO₂ and HNO₃, are important elements in the NO_x chain of chemical reactions leading to ozone destruction. We will describe results for these gases in terms of zonal mean profiles and latitudinal distributions. The period selected for study is January–May 1979, when a major stratospheric warming occurred.     

Proposed ozone reference models for the middle atmosphere

Since the publication of the last COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA 72), large amounts of ozone data acquired from satellites have become available in addition to increasing quantities of rocketsonde, balloonsonde, Dobson, M83, and Umkehr measurements. From the available archived satellite data, models are developed for the new CIRA using 5 satellite experiments (Nimbus 7 SBUV and LIMS, AEM-2 SAGE, and SME IR and UVS) of the monthly latitudinal and altitudinal variations in the ozone mixing ratio in the middle atmosphere. Standard deviations and interannual variations are also quantified. The satellite models are shown to agree well with a previous reference model based on rocket and balloon measurements.     

Verification of satellite observations of stratospheric minor constituents

The TIROS-N operational meteorological satellite observing system will have the capability of determining global ozone amounts from two instruments by 1985. The TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) yields total ozone amounts through measurements of atmospheric infrared radiances. The Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV/2) spectrometer yields total ozone amounts and vertical ozone profiles through measurements of the solar ultraviolet radiation backscattered by the atmosphere. The current operations plan calls for single satellites containing both instruments system with local afternoon equator crossing times. They will be launched at approximately 18 month intervals.The satellite ozone products will require verification using commonly accepted references. For total ozone, Dobson spectrophotometer determinations are to be used. For vertical profiles, no clear choice now exists among balloon-launched chemical sondes, rocket-launched optical sondes or Dobson Umkehr measurements. The applicability and use of these measurement systems are discussed with emphasis on the need for the verification data consistent with the operational satellite lifetimes.Another major source of data for verification is other satellite systems. Comparisons of vertical ozone profiles from several concurrent satellites is discussed. This includes results from SAGE, LIMS and SBUV.     

The global distribution and variability of stratospheric constituents measured by LIMS

The purpose of the Nimbus 7 LIMS experiment was to sound the composition and structure of the upper atmosphere and provide data for study of photochemistry, radiation, and dynamics processes. Vertical profiles were measured of temperature and ozone (O₃) over the 10-km to 65-km range and water vapor (H₂O), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and nitric acid (HNO₃) over the 10-km to ～50-km range. Latitude coverage extended from 64°S to 84°N. Several general features of the atmosphere have emerged from data analyses thus far. Nitrogen dioxide exhibits rapid latitudinal variations in winter and shows hemispheric asymmetry with generally higher vertical column amount in the summer hemisphere. HNO₃ data show that this gas is highly variable with altitude, latitude, and season. Smallest mixing ratios occur in the tropics, and the largest values occur in the high latitude winter hemisphere. The results show that O₃, NO₂, and HNO₃ are strongly affected during a stratospheric warming. There is a persistently low water vapor mixing ratio in the tropical lower stratosphere (～2–3 ppmv), a poleward gradient at all times in the mission, and evidence of increasing mixing ratio with altitude at tropical and middle latitudes.     

利用COSMIC数据分析全球对流层顶温度和高度的变化特性

利用COSMIC卫星无线电掩星观测的温度数据分析了全球范围的对流层顶参量的变化特性.COSMIC多颗卫星连续观测的温度数据有很好的全球覆盖和很好的垂直分辨率,是分析全球范围对流层顶变化的重要探测数据.经过数据筛选,得到日平均温度的全年分布数据.采用大气温度递减率判据得到对流层顼温度和对流层顶高度的全球分布和变化.结果表明,全球范国内的对流层顶温度和对流层顶高度分布的基本结果与利用无线电探空资料和欧洲气象局再分析数据得到的结果基本一致;对流层项温度和对流层顶高度呈现明显的季节变化,赤道附近和中纬度地区的对流层顶高度变化与高纬地区的对流层顶高度变化出现反相:对流层顶温度和高度的变化呈现明显的南北半球不对称性.     

Thermal structure of the Martian atmosphere retrieved from the IR spectrometry in the 15 μm CO2 band: input to MIRA

This paper describes one of the sources of the data concerning the thermal structure of the Martian atmosphere, based on the thermal IR spectrometry method. It allows to investigate the Martian atmosphere below 55 km by retrieving the temperature profiles from the 15 μm CO₂ band. This approach enables to reach the vertical resolution of several kilometers and the temperature accuracy of several Kelvins. An aerosol abundance, which influences the temperature profile, is obtained from the continuum of the same spectrum parallel with the temperature profile and is taken into account in the temperature retrieval procedure in a self consistent way. Although this method has the limited vertical resolution, it possesses a significant advantage: the thermal IR spectrometry allows to monitor the temperature profiles with a good coverage both in space and local time. The Planetary Fourier spectrometer on board of Mars Express has the spectral range from 250 to 8000 cm⁻¹ and a high spectral resolution of about 2 cm⁻¹. Vertical temperature profiles retrieval is one of the main scientific goals of the experiment. The important data are expected to be obtained on the vertical thermal structure of the atmosphere, and its dependence on latitude, longitude, season, local time, clouds and dust loadings. These results should give a significant input in the future MIRA, being included in the Chapter “Structure of the atmosphere from the surface to 100 km”.     

Mean zonal wind and temperature structure during the PMP-1 winter periods

Since Autumn of 1978, the National Meteorological Center of the United States National Weather Service has been archiving in a single, unique data set, global, daily synoptic analyses and computer gridded fields of geopotential height and temperature at 18 pressure levels from 1000 to 0.4 mb. The paper discusses the fields, with special emphasis on data and analysis procedures used for the stratospheric fields, along with estimates of uncertainties. Results are presented for the mean zonal wind and temperature patterns for each January of the four PMP-1 winters 1978/79 to 1981/82. The Preparatory MAP (Middle Atmosphere Program) Project for coordinated study of the behavior of the middle atmosphere is called PMP-1.     

平流层冬季增温及大气中的行星波

本文利用NIMBUS-7SAMS资料分析了东经100度子午线上的两个站点(67.5°N和42.5°N)在10mb和0.0827mb高度上从1978年底至1982年间的大气温度,获得几年的平流层冬季增温结果.在1978/1979年和1981年初的冬季,高纬站点几天内出现的平流层增温最大幅度可达65K.对平流层增温的谱分析结果指出,在高纬冬季平流层有很强的16天、32夭、21天周期的行星波。中纬冬季平流层增温幅度较小,约为20K.中纬的中间层高度上整年存在有5天、8天和16天的行星波。分析研究、南、北半球不同纬度的温度随经度的分布,得出高纬冬季平流层、中间层大气温度随经度有明显的变化。波数1和波数2的波有大的幅度(主要是波数1),从高纬到低纬,波幅逐渐减小在冬季的平流层和中间层大气中,波数1和波数2的行星波在短期内可强烈增强,引起平流层冬季增温。      

Satellite measurements of atmospheric composition

Since 1978 a number of satellite borne sensors have been used to measure the composition of the earth's atmosphere. These include the LIMS and SAMS instruments on the Nimbus 7 satellite (launched in October 1978), the SAGE instrument on the AEM2 satellite (launched in february 1979) and various instruments on the SME spacecraft (launched October 1981). For many species, these have provided the first abundance measurements with high spatial and temporal resolution and with global coverage. In this paper the composition measurements that have become available from these programs will be reviewed. The paper will then describe some recent studies that have made use of the new data. As it is the exclusive subject of another invited paper, ozone will not be discussed in in any detail.     

Satellite observations of upper atmosphere O3 and HNO3 from the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) experiment on Nimbus 7

The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) experiment is a limb scanning infrared sounder designed to measure vertical temperature profiles and the concentrations of key chemical compounds which are important in the stratospheric ozone-nitrogen photochemistry. This paper describes results from the O₃ and HNO₃ channels with emphasis on validation of the data. Similar discussions of results from the other channels are presented in two companion papers published in these proceedings.     

Recent advances in understanding stratospheric dynamics and transport processes: Application of satellite data to their interpretation

The present paper discusses the use of the transformed Eulerian (or “residual”) mean-flow formulation, the Eliassen-Palm flux, and Ertel's potential vorticity to provide an increased understanding of wave, mean-flow interactions, and constituent transport processes in the stratosphere. Temperature and ozone data retrieved from radiance profiles obtained by the LIMS instrument on the Nimbus 7 satellite are utilized in conjunction with these theoretical concepts for the interpretation of phenomena that occurred during the major and minor warmings of January-February 1979. The results illustrate the insight provided by these concepts and demonstrate that useful diagnostic quantities can be derived from global satellite temperature fields.     

太赫兹大气临边探测仪遥感中高层大气风仿真

太赫兹大气临边探测仪（TALIS）是中国正在预研的第一台THz频段的临边探测仪,主要用于高精度、高分辨率的大气遥感测量.TALIS的观测目标主要包括大气温度、大气压强、大气成分（例如H₂O,O₃,HCl,ClO,N₂O,HNO₃等）的垂直分布以及长期变化趋势.由于TALIS的频段覆盖了许多重要的吸收谱线,其观测数据中包含大气风的多普勒信息,因此可以用于反演中高层风的廓线.本文针对TALIS视线多普勒风的观测进行仿真,利用辐射传输模型（ARTS）评估了TALIS测风的潜力和相应的反演精度.结果表明,TALIS的118GHz谱仪具有较好的测量精度,在70km处的精度为12m·s-1.183GHz,633GHz和658GHz谱仪也有一定的测量信息,反演精度分别为19m·s-1（60km）,19m·s-1（50km）,16m·s-1（50km）.TALIS有一个候选的测风谱仪位于655GHz频段,其在55km处的反演精度为11m·s-1.此外,虽然降低谱分辨率能有效提高系统灵敏度,但并不能提高反演精度,需要通过降低系统噪声来提高测风的精度.      

Interannual variability

The new Reference Atmosphere presented here is based on global satellite data and forms a very useful basis for climatological studies. When using such climatologies it is important to be aware of the well known interannual variability which in the middle atmosphere is particularly large during the northern winters and southern springs.     

A middle atmosphere temperature reference model from satellite measurements

Temperature fields in the stratosphere and mesosphere have been derived from radiance measurements made by the Nimbus 5 SCR, the Nimbus 6 PMR, and the Nimbus 7 SAMS and LIMS radiometers. These instruments cover different latitude and height ranges and different times during the 1973–1983 period. The problems of combining different data sets are discussed, and examples from a proposed model atmosphere for the stratosphere and mesosphere are presented. The model is given in terms of zonal means and amplitude and phase of zonal waves 1 and 2 for temperature and geopotential height, as functions of latitude and pressure for each calendar month. Comparisons are made with the CIRA 1972 and the Koshelkov Southern Hemisphere models and with the SAMS results and in-situ rocket/radio sondes.     

Impact of the solar wind dynamics on the ozone density variations

The analysis of the baloon and rocket measurement data reveals the changes of temperature in the polar and subpolar middle atmosphere with approaching of the magnetopause of the magnetosphere to the Earth. The data of the most observation points show the notable warming of the middle atmosphere in this situation, but there were some stations (“Vostok” in Antarctica and “Frobisher Bay” in Arctic) where the reverse dependence between these parameters was registered. The experimental data show that the total ozone content (TOC) decreases with approaching of the magnetopause to the Earth under both atmosphere warming or cooling at high altitudes. The drop in the TOC values is closely connected to increase of atmospheric electric field magnitude. The obtained results possibly could be explained in framework of the global electric circuit model.     

Comparison of ozone data derived from SBUV and SAGE with emphasis on longitudinal variations

Stratospheric ozone observations by the SAGE and SBUV satellite instruments in March and April, 1979 have been analyzed. All SAGE profiles have been smoothed vertically over 8 km to provide some compatibility with the SBUV vertical resolution. Comparing the zonal mean ozone mixing ratios against smoothed LIMS profiles, it is inferred that SAGE is systematically overestimating ozone by approximately 20% at tropical latitudes at pressures lower than 5 mb and that SBUV is underestimating ozone by approximately 15% at 50–70° latitude at 10 mb. A comparison of the longitudinal variations of ozone by SBUV and SAGE is made and the detectability of planetary waves in ozone is emphasized. The uncorrelated portion of the SAGE variances are found to be approximately consistent with the SAGE noise model. Based on the correlated variances, the amplitudes of the smoothed SAGE planetary waves in ozone are found to be the same, on average, as in the SBUV experiment at mid-latitudes between 1 and 10 mb. Planetary wave detectability is illustrated during two several day periods at mid-latitudes and a persistent and theoretically-consistent relationship between ozone and temperature is noted. These examples, however, indicate that differences between ozone planetary wave amplitudes derived from the two sensors may occur when there is a strong vertical gradient in wave amplitude.     

Uncertainties in the measurement of the atmospheric velocity due to balloon-gondola pendulum-like motions

Balloons lead to the highest vertical resolution of air velocity data actually attainable from atmospheric soundings. However, the pendulum-like motion of the balloon-gondola system may significantly affect these measurements if the distance between balloon and gondola is large. This may prevent the study of the highest vertical resolution range obtained. Also, if not appropriately discriminated, these fluctuations could be confused with small scale or turbulent oscillations of the atmosphere. It is shown from simple energy considerations that horizontal and vertical wind velocity perturbations introduced in the observations by the pendulum motion may usually be comparable to typical measurements. Vertical velocity data that were obtained with an instrumented gondola in a zero pressure balloon, which typically reach the lower stratosphere, are analyzed and found to be in agreement with the above statements. The pendulum-like behavior in this sounding seems to be stimulated by the buoyant oscillation of the atmosphere.     

A simple model for the interhemispheric coupling of the middle atmosphere circulation

The interhemispheric coupling of the middle atmosphere general circulation is characterized by a global anomaly pattern of the zonal-mean temperature. This pattern reflects an anomalous stratospheric and mesospheric residual circulation, in which a weaker (stronger) stratospheric winter circulation is linked to an upward (downward) shift of its upper mesospheric branch reaching from the summer to the winter pole. This phenomenon is robust in observational data and several middle atmosphere general circulation models. In the present study, the recently proposed mechanism of the interhemispheric coupling is unequivocally proven within the framework of a zonally symmetric model that excludes any additional effects due to resolved waves and non-zonally propagating gravity waves. Two simulations are conducted that differ in the strength of the polar vortex. A weaker polar vortex results in a downward shift of the winter mesospheric gravity wave drag. This leads to changes also in the summer upper mesosphere via a feedback solely between gravity wave breaking and the zonal-mean state. The accompanying temperature anomaly reproduces the pattern of the interhemispheric coupling.     

基于COSMIC的平流层重力波参数分析

基于COSMIC卫星观测的2006年12月29日到2008年1月3日30°-40°N纬度内的温度剖面,分别利用垂直滑动窗、双滤波器和单滤波器三种方法计算低平流层重力波的扰动和势能,获得重力波扰动和势能随高度、经度的分布以及多时间尺度变化特性,分析重力波扰动势能与背景温度及风场的变化趋势和特点.比较三种方法得到的结果发现:垂直滑动窗方法只能去除大垂直尺度的背景,无法抑制小尺度的扰动,其得到的结果误差较大;双滤波器法对温度剖面中的大尺度背景和小尺度扰动都能很好地抑制;单滤波器法得到的重力波扰动中基本不包含垂直方向的大尺度背景,但是包含一些小垂直尺度的扰动.因此,对于垂直波长为10km左右的重力波,采用双滤波器法合适;如果需要得到小尺度重力波的变化特性,采用单滤波器法合适.采用双滤波器法无法得到势能随高度的变化,而采用单滤波器法能够给出每月势能随高度的分布.对30°-40°N纬度内的重力波参数进行统计分析得到重力波扰动、势能与背景温度和水平风场的关系.      

Validation of satellite-derived atmospheric temperature and water vapor concentration using radiosonde and rocketsonde measurements

Measurements of the spectral radiance of the earth's atmosphere from satellites can be related to the vertical structures of temperature and humidity. Derived profiles of these quantities are compared with radiosonde and rocketsonde observations, as well as with horizontal and vertical cross-sections of the atmosphere. In some regions of the atmosphere, particularly where large gradients are found, significant differences occur. A method for overcoming these by use of Typical Shape Functions is discussed. Transmittances computed from theory require modifications which are not well defined, and radiances measured from some satellite instruments disagree with computed values in ways which suggest calibration or instrument problems.