HR: 0800h
AN: A21A-0716    [Abstracts]
TI: Humidity Measurements in the Tropical Tropopause Layer from Pre-AVE
AU: * Herman, R L
EM: robert.l.herman@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 United States
AU: Troy, R F
EM: rftroy@adelphia.net
AF: University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States
AU: Thompson, T
EM: tlt@al.noaa.gov
AF: NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AB: Upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric relative humidity and temperature were characterized by instruments on the NASA WB-57F high-altitude aircraft during the NASA Pre-Aura Validation Experiment (Pre-AVE). On three flights in late January 2004, the aircraft made extensive measurements in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) near the Galapagos Islands. Humidity in the TTL is important to climate through its direct radiative impact, its role in ice cloud formation, and its role in determining stratospheric-entry water mixing ratios. Ultimately, this research is directed toward answering the following question: What are the physical mechanisms that control (and cause) long-term changes in the humidity of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in the tropics and subtropics? We report here relative humidity calculated from water vapor measurements by the JPL Laser Hygrometer (JLH) and temperature measurements by the NOAA Pressure-Temperature (PT) instrument. The distribution of humidity and accuracy of the water measurements will be discussed. We will also discuss previous tropical humidity measurements from the NASA CRYSTAL-FACE mission.
UR: http://laserweb.jpl.nasa.gov/earthinstruments/h2owb57.html
DE: 1655 Water cycles (1836)
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0365 Troposphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting