HR: 1340h
AN: A13B-0916    [Abstracts]
TI: Effects of Hurricanes on Trace Gas Distributions in the UT/LS
AU: * Ray, E
EM: eric.ray@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Aeronomy Lab, 325 Broadway MS R/AL6, Boulder, CO 80305 United States
AU: * Ray, E
EM: eric.ray@noaa.gov
AF: CIRES, University of Colorado, 325 Broadway MS R/AL6, Boulder, CO 80305 United States
AU: Rosenlof, K
EM: karen.h.rosenlof@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Aeronomy Lab, 325 Broadway MS R/AL6, Boulder, CO 80305 United States
AB: We use Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone and water vapor measurements in the tropical and subtropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) to investigate the impact of tropical cyclones on trace gas distributions in this region. Our interests in UT/LS trace gas distributions are twofold. One is to evaluate the significance of stratosphere-troposphere exchange via deep convection within tropical storms. The distributions of ozone and water vapor measurements can be used as indicators of stratosphere-troposphere exchange due to their large vertical gradients near the tropopause. We will correlate the observed exchange with the cyclone strength estimated by several methods including minimum SLP, maximum wind speed and potential intensity. Our second interest in the UT/LS trace gas distributions concerns the influence of these distributions on tropical storm intensification through modification of the radiative balance of the UT. We will briefly show results of a trace gas composite analysis in the region of tropical cyclones during the intensification and de-intensification period for a number of storms that occurred from 2002, when the AIRS instrument began taking data, to the present season.
DE: 0341 Middle atmosphere: constituent transport and chemistry (3334)
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 3362 Stratosphere/troposphere interactions
DE: 3374 Tropical meteorology
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005