Stratospheric mean ages and transport rates from observations of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide

Science

Volumn 274, Issue 5291, 1996, Pages 1340-1343

  Boering, K A ^a   Wofsy, S C ^a   Daube, B C ^a   Schneider, H R ^a   Loewenstein, M ^b   Podolske, J R ^b   Conway, T J ^c  

^a HARVARD UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER   (United States)

^c EARTH SYSTEM RESEARCH LABORATORY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CARBON DIOXIDE; NITROUS OXIDE; OZONE;

AIR POLLUTION; AIRCRAFT; ARTICLE; GAS TRANSPORT; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SEASONAL VARIATION; STRATOSPHERE; VOLCANO; WATER VAPOR;

ATMOSPHERIC TRANSPORT; CARBON DIOXIDE; STRATOSPHERIC AGE;

EID: 0029659374     PISSN: 00368075     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1126/science.274.5291.1340     Document Type: Article

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25. 1, averaged over 20 years or over the last 6 to 10 years (16).
26. 4 at 0.3 Hz by tunable diode laser spectroscopy [C. R. Webster, R. D. May, C. A. Trimble, R. G. Chave, J. Kendall, ibid. 33, 454 (1994)], temperature profiles at 0.1 Hz by microwave radiometry [B. L. Gary, J Geophys. Res. 94, 223 (1989)], and static temperature and pressure desampled to 1 Hz (T. P. Bui, K. R. Chan, S. W. Bowen, personal communication). Field campaigns, sites, and latitudes sampled were as follows: SPADE, Moffett Field, CA, November 1992: 20°N to 40°N; April through May 1993:14°N to 60°N; October 1993: 14°N to 60°N; ASHOE/MAESA, California, Hawaii, Fiji, and Ghristchurch, New Zealand, February 1994: 35°N to 61°N; March through Apnl 1994: '68°S to 38°N; May through June 1994: 69°S to 20°S; July through August 1994: 69°S to 19°S; October through November 1994: 70°S to 60°N; STRAT, California and Hawaii, May 1995: 14°N to 62°N; October through November 1995: 2°S to 59°N; January through February 1996: 2°S to 53°N.
27. 4 at 0.3 Hz by tunable diode laser spectroscopy [C. R. Webster, R. D. May, C. A. Trimble, R. G. Chave, J. Kendall, ibid. 33, 454 (1994)], temperature profiles at 0.1 Hz by microwave radiometry [B. L. Gary, J Geophys. Res. 94, 223 (1989)], and static temperature and pressure desampled to 1 Hz (T. P. Bui, K. R. Chan, S. W. Bowen, personal communication). Field campaigns, sites, and latitudes sampled were as follows: SPADE, Moffett Field, CA, November 1992: 20°N to 40°N; April through May 1993:14°N to 60°N; October 1993: 14°N to 60°N; ASHOE/MAESA, California, Hawaii, Fiji, and Ghristchurch, New Zealand, February 1994: 35°N to 61°N; March through Apnl 1994: '68°S to 38°N; May through June 1994: 69°S to 20°S; July through August 1994: 69°S to 19°S; October through November 1994: 70°S to 60°N; STRAT, California and Hawaii, May 1995: 14°N to 62°N; October through November 1995: 2°S to 59°N; January through February 1996: 2°S to 53°N.
28. 4 at 0.3 Hz by tunable diode laser spectroscopy [C. R. Webster, R. D. May, C. A. Trimble, R. G. Chave, J. Kendall, ibid. 33, 454 (1994)], temperature profiles at 0.1 Hz by microwave radiometry [B. L. Gary, J Geophys. Res. 94, 223 (1989)], and static temperature and pressure desampled to 1 Hz (T. P. Bui, K. R. Chan, S. W. Bowen, personal communication). Field campaigns, sites, and latitudes sampled were as follows: SPADE, Moffett Field, CA, November 1992: 20°N to 40°N; April through May 1993:14°N to 60°N; October 1993: 14°N to 60°N; ASHOE/MAESA, California, Hawaii, Fiji, and Ghristchurch, New Zealand, February 1994: 35°N to 61°N; March through Apnl 1994: '68°S to 38°N; May through June 1994: 69°S to 20°S; July through August 1994: 69°S to 19°S; October through November 1994: 70°S to 60°N; STRAT, California and Hawaii, May 1995: 14°N to 62°N; October through November 1995: 2°S to 59°N; January through February 1996: 2°S to 53°N.
29. 4 at 0.3 Hz by tunable diode laser spectroscopy [C. R. Webster, R. D. May, C. A. Trimble, R. G. Chave, J. Kendall, ibid. 33, 454 (1994)], temperature profiles at 0.1 Hz by microwave radiometry [B. L. Gary, J Geophys. Res. 94, 223 (1989)], and static temperature and pressure desampled to 1 Hz (T. P. Bui, K. R. Chan, S. W. Bowen, personal communication). Field campaigns, sites, and latitudes sampled were as follows: SPADE, Moffett Field, CA, November 1992: 20°N to 40°N; April through May 1993:14°N to 60°N; October 1993: 14°N to 60°N; ASHOE/MAESA, California, Hawaii, Fiji, and Ghristchurch, New Zealand, February 1994: 35°N to 61°N; March through Apnl 1994: '68°S to 38°N; May through June 1994: 69°S to 20°S; July through August 1994: 69°S to 19°S; October through November 1994: 70°S to 60°N; STRAT, California and Hawaii, May 1995: 14°N to 62°N; October through November 1995: 2°S to 59°N; January through February 1996: 2°S to 53°N.
30. Potential temperature (θ) is the temperature of air if compressed adiabatically to 1 atm; it is conserved in the absence of energy exchange with the environment (as when air moves adiabatically). On average, θ increases monotonically with altitude.
31. The attenuations are consistent with a 30 to 50% admixture of mid-latitude air into the tropics, an amount indicated by the studies of C. M. Volk et al. [Science 272, 1763 (1996)], K. Minschwaner et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 101. 9433 (1996)], and L. M. Avallone and M. J. Prather (ibid., p. 1457).
32. The attenuations are consistent with a 30 to 50% admixture of mid-latitude air into the tropics, an amount indicated by the studies of C. M. Volk et al. [Science 272, 1763 (1996)], K. Minschwaner et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 101. 9433 (1996)], and L. M. Avallone and M. J. Prather (ibid., p. 1457).
33. The attenuations are consistent with a 30 to 50% admixture of mid-latitude air into the tropics, an amount indicated by the studies of C. M. Volk et al. [Science 272, 1763 (1996)], K. Minschwaner et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 101. 9433 (1996)], and L. M. Avallone and M. J. Prather (ibid., p. 1457).
34. 2 and water vapor is preserved as air is transported to mid-latitudes [K. A. Boering et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 2737 (1995)]. At present, the boundary condition for water vapor concentrations in air entering the stratosphere is not accurately known (this quantity is not known because of the complex physical-chemical mechanisms associated with the transport from the troposphere to the stratosphere).
35. T. M. Hall and D. W. Waugh, in preparation.
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38. The interplay between vertical advection and mixing by planetary-scale waves produces nearly parallel surfaces of constant mixing ratio for long-lived tracers at midlatitudes, providing compact scatterplots between pairs of tracers [J. R. Holton, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 2681 (1986); J. D. Mahlman et al., ibid., p. 2687; R. A. Plumb and M. K. W. Ko, ibid. 97, 10145 (1992)].
39. The interplay between vertical advection and mixing by planetary-scale waves produces nearly parallel surfaces of constant mixing ratio for long-lived tracers at midlatitudes, providing compact scatterplots between pairs of tracers [J. R. Holton, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 2681 (1986); J. D. Mahlman et al., ibid., p. 2687; R. A. Plumb and M. K. W. Ko, ibid. 97, 10145 (1992)].
40. The interplay between vertical advection and mixing by planetary-scale waves produces nearly parallel surfaces of constant mixing ratio for long-lived tracers at midlatitudes, providing compact scatterplots between pairs of tracers [J. R. Holton, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 2681 (1986); J. D. Mahlman et al., ibid., p. 2687; R. A. Plumb and M. K. W. Ko, ibid. 97, 10145 (1992)].
41. 2 entering the overworld.
42. 2 concentrations are consistent with observed features; their model results and the few measurements available to date [T. Nakazawa, K. Miyashita, S. Aaki, M. Tanaka, Tellus B 43, 106 (1991); H. Matsueda and H. Inoue, Atmos. Environ. 30, 1647 (1996)] suggest seasonal variations in the upper tropical troposphere similar to the observed boundary condition in Fig. 3A.
43. 2 concentrations are consistent with observed features; their model results and the few measurements available to date [T. Nakazawa, K. Miyashita, S. Aaki, M. Tanaka, Tellus B 43, 106 (1991); H. Matsueda and H. Inoue, Atmos. Environ. 30, 1647 (1996)] suggest seasonal variations in the upper tropical troposphere similar to the observed boundary condition in Fig. 3A.
44. 2 data show analogous transport for gases continuously entering the tropical stratosphere from the troposphere.
45. Modeling of the age spectrum for a conserved tracer with a seasonal cycle (22) indicates that bulk "modal" transit times may be derived from the phase lag time of a propagating periodic signal in the lower tropical stratosphere because advection dominates dispersion in this region.
46. 1. Uncertainties were estimated to be ± 50% in the lower stratosphere and higher near the tropopause.
47. J. W. Elkins et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 347 (1996); L. S. Geller et al., in preparation.
48. J. W. Elkins et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 347 (1996); L. S. Geller et al., in preparation.
49. 0 + b(t - τ). Thus, the mean ages (that is, the lag times with respect to the boundary concentration) are τ/2 and τ, respectively.
50. 6 in the upper tropical troposphere.
51. J. Eluszkiewicz et al., J. Atmos. Sci. 53, 217 (1996).
52. A tropical pipe model [R. A. Plumb, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 3957 (1996)] was constructed to include three regions, divided at 15°N and 15°S. A detailed model description will be presented elsewhere (S. C. Wofsy et al., in preparation).
53. A tropical pipe model [R. A. Plumb, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 3957 (1996)] was constructed to include three regions, divided at 15°N and 15°S. A detailed model description will be presented elsewhere (S. C. Wofsy et al., in preparation).
54. M. K. W. Ko, personal communication.
55. P. W. Mote et al., J. Geophys. Res. 101, 3989 (1996).
56. We converted the observed ascent rates in kelvin per day to velocities in meters per second using National Meteorological Center temperature profiles from the Halogen Occultation Experiment temperature retrieval on-board the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (B, Pierce, personal communication).
57. We acknowledge helpful discussions with R. A. Plumb, J, Eluszkiewicz, J. Elkins. M. Prather, C. Webster, R. C. Cohen, R. Keeling, T Hall, and D. Waugh; field support by A. Bazzaz, A. Andrews, and J. Lipson; and the dedicated efforts of the NASA ER-2 pilots and crew. This work was supported by NASA grants NCC2-694, NAG2-974, NAGW-1230 and Department of Energy grant DEFG02-93ER61708 to Harvard University, and by a U.S. Department of Energy Global Change Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College Science Scholars Fellowship for K.A.B.