Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 43

Full-Text Articles in Atmospheric Sciences

The Intensification Of Hurricane Maria 2017 In The Antilles, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao, Raphael Cécé Oct 2019

The Intensification Of Hurricane Maria 2017 In The Antilles, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao, Raphael Cécé

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Environmental influences on Hurricane Maria in the Antilles Islands are analyzed at the large-scale (1–25 September) and at the meso-scale (17–20 September 2017). The storm intensified rapidly prior to landfall in Dominica, going from category 1 to 5 in 15 h. As the storm progressed toward Puerto Rico (PR), its NE flank entrained air from seas cooled by the earlier passage of two hurricanes, and strengthened on its SW flank. Operational model forecasts tended to delay intensification until west of the Antilles Islands, thus motivating two independent weather research and forecasting (WRF) simulations. These gave minimal track errors at 1- …


Developing Spatially Accurate Rainfall Predictions For The San Francisco Bay Area Through Case Studies Of Atmospheric River And Other Synoptic Events, Alison Bridger, Dung Nguyen, Sen Chiao Sep 2019

Developing Spatially Accurate Rainfall Predictions For The San Francisco Bay Area Through Case Studies Of Atmospheric River And Other Synoptic Events, Alison Bridger, Dung Nguyen, Sen Chiao

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Rainfall patterns in the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) are highly influenced by local topography. It has been a forecasting challenge for the main US forecast models. This study investigates the ability of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to improve upon forecasts, with particular emphasis on the rain shadow common to the southern end of the SFBA. Three rain events were evaluated: a mid-season atmospheric river (AR) event with copious rains; a typical non-AR frontal passage rain event; and an area-wide rain event in which zero rain was recorded in the southern SFBA. The results show that, with …


Asian Long-Range Transport In Relation To Atmospheric Rivers In Northern California, Catherine Liu, Sen Chiao, Ju-Mee Ryoo Jun 2019

Asian Long-Range Transport In Relation To Atmospheric Rivers In Northern California, Catherine Liu, Sen Chiao, Ju-Mee Ryoo

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The study investigates the effect of aerosol long-range transport on precipitation over Northern California during atmospheric river (AR) events in the 2017 cold season (January–April). ARs in 2017 were one of the strongest to date, and the intense precipitation associated with the ARs resulted in flooding, destruction of property, and contamination of water supplies. The Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data shows Asian dust traveling across the Northern Pacific Ocean along with AR events. Aerosol measurements in California, provided by the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE), show that more Asian dust tends to …


The Fire And Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment—A Plan For Integrated, Large Fire–Atmosphere Field Campaigns, Susan Prichard, N. Sim Larkin, Roger Ottmar, Nancy H.F. French, Kirk Baker, Tim Brown, Craig B. Clements, Matt Dickinson, Andrew Hudak, Adam Kochanski, Rod Linn, Yongqiang Liu, Brian Potter, William Mell, Danielle Tanzer, Shawn Urbanski, Adam Watts Feb 2019

The Fire And Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment—A Plan For Integrated, Large Fire–Atmosphere Field Campaigns, Susan Prichard, N. Sim Larkin, Roger Ottmar, Nancy H.F. French, Kirk Baker, Tim Brown, Craig B. Clements, Matt Dickinson, Andrew Hudak, Adam Kochanski, Rod Linn, Yongqiang Liu, Brian Potter, William Mell, Danielle Tanzer, Shawn Urbanski, Adam Watts

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is designed to collect integrated observations from large wildland fires and provide evaluation datasets for new models and operational systems. Wildland fire, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry models have become more sophisticated, and next-generation operational models will require evaluation datasets that are coordinated and comprehensive for their evaluation and advancement. Integrated measurements are required, including ground-based observations of fuels and fire behavior, estimates of fire-emitted heat and emissions fluxes, and observations of near-source micrometeorology, plume properties, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry. To address these requirements the FASMEE campaign design includes a study …


Ice Nucleation Parameterization And Relative Humidity Distribution In Idealized Squall-Line Simulations, Minghui Diao, George Bryan, Hugh Morrison, Jorgen Jensen Sep 2017

Ice Nucleation Parameterization And Relative Humidity Distribution In Idealized Squall-Line Simulations, Minghui Diao, George Bryan, Hugh Morrison, Jorgen Jensen

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Output from idealized simulations of a squall line are compared with in situ aircraft-based observations from the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry campaign. Relative humidity distributions around convection are compared between 1-Hz aircraft observations (≈250-m horizontal scale) and simulations using a double-moment bulk microphysics scheme at three horizontal grid spacings: Δx = 0.25, 1, and 4 km. The comparisons focus on the horizontal extent of ice supersaturated regions (ISSRs), the maximum and average relative humidity with respect to ice (RHi) in ISSRs, and the ice microphysical properties during cirrus cloud evolution, with simulations at 0.25 and 1 km providing better …


Direct Comparisons Of Ice Cloud Macro- And Microphysical Properties Simulated By The Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 With Hippo Aircraft Observations, Chenglai Wu, Xiaohong Liu, Minghui Diao, Kai Zhang, Andrew Gettelman, Zheng Lu, Joyce Penner, Zhaohui Lin Apr 2017

Direct Comparisons Of Ice Cloud Macro- And Microphysical Properties Simulated By The Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 With Hippo Aircraft Observations, Chenglai Wu, Xiaohong Liu, Minghui Diao, Kai Zhang, Andrew Gettelman, Zheng Lu, Joyce Penner, Zhaohui Lin

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

In this study we evaluate cloud properties simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) using in situ measurements from the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) campaign for the period of 2009 to 2011. The modeled wind and temperature are nudged towards reanalysis. Model results collocated with HIPPO flight tracks are directly compared with the observations, and model sensitivities to the representations of ice nucleation and growth are also examined. Generally, CAM5 is able to capture specific cloud systems in terms of vertical configuration and horizontal extension. In total, the model reproduces 79.8 % of observed cloud occurrences inside model …


Assessment Of An Atmospheric Transport Model For Annual Inverse Estimates Of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Justin Bagley, Seongeun Jeong, Xinguang Cui, Sally Newman, Jingsong Zhang, Chad Priest, Mixtli Campos-Pineda, Arlyn Andrews, Laura Bianco, Matthew Lloyd, Neil Lareau, Craig Clements, Marc Fischer Feb 2017

Assessment Of An Atmospheric Transport Model For Annual Inverse Estimates Of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Justin Bagley, Seongeun Jeong, Xinguang Cui, Sally Newman, Jingsong Zhang, Chad Priest, Mixtli Campos-Pineda, Arlyn Andrews, Laura Bianco, Matthew Lloyd, Neil Lareau, Craig Clements, Marc Fischer

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Atmospheric inverse estimates of gas emissions depend on transport model predictions, hence driving a need to assess uncertainties in the transport model. In this study we assess the uncertainty in WRF-STILT (Weather Research and Forecasting and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport) model predictions using a combination of meteorological and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements. WRF configurations were selected to minimize meteorological biases using meteorological measurements of winds and boundary layer depths from surface stations and radar wind profiler sites across California. We compare model predictions with CO measurements from four tower sites in California from June 2013 through May 2014 to assess …


Estimating Methane Emissions From Biological And Fossil-Fuel Sources In The San Francisco Bay Area, Seongeun Jeong, Xinguang Cui, Donald Blake, Ben Miller, Stephen Montzka, Arlyn Andrews, Abhinav Guha, Philip Martien, Ray Bambha, Brian Lafranchi, Hope Michelsen, Craig Clements, Pierre Glaize, Marc Fischer Jan 2017

Estimating Methane Emissions From Biological And Fossil-Fuel Sources In The San Francisco Bay Area, Seongeun Jeong, Xinguang Cui, Donald Blake, Ben Miller, Stephen Montzka, Arlyn Andrews, Abhinav Guha, Philip Martien, Ray Bambha, Brian Lafranchi, Hope Michelsen, Craig Clements, Pierre Glaize, Marc Fischer

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

We present the first sector-specific analysis of methane (CH4) emissions from the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) using CH4 and volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements from six sites during September – December 2015. We apply a hierarchical Bayesian inversion to separate the biological from fossil-fuel (natural gas and petroleum) sources using the measurements of CH4 and selected VOCs, a source-specific 1 km CH4 emission model, and an atmospheric transport model. We estimate that SFBA CH4 emissions are 166–289 Gg CH4/yr (at 95% confidence), 1.3–2.3 times higher than a recent inventory with much of the underestimation from landfill. Including the VOCs, …


Comparing The Model-Simulated Global Warming Signal To Observations Using Empirical Estimates Of Unforced Noise, Patrick T. Brown, Wenhong Li, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget Apr 2015

Comparing The Model-Simulated Global Warming Signal To Observations Using Empirical Estimates Of Unforced Noise, Patrick T. Brown, Wenhong Li, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The comparison of observed global mean surface air temperature (GMT) change to the mean change simulated by climate models has received much public and scientific attention. For a given global warming signal produced by a climate model ensemble, there exists an envelope of GMT values representing the range of possible unforced states of the climate system (the Envelope of Unforced Noise; EUN). Typically, the EUN is derived from climate models themselves, but climate models might not accurately simulate the correct characteristics of unforced GMT variability. Here, we simulate a new, empirical, EUN that is based on instrumental and reconstructed surface …


Observations Of Fire-Induced Turbulence Regimes During Low-Intensity Wildland Fires In Forested Environments: Implications For Smoke Dispersion, Warren Heilman, Craig Clements, Daisuke Seto, Xindi Bian, Kenneth Clark, Nicholas Skowronski, John Hom Jan 2015

Observations Of Fire-Induced Turbulence Regimes During Low-Intensity Wildland Fires In Forested Environments: Implications For Smoke Dispersion, Warren Heilman, Craig Clements, Daisuke Seto, Xindi Bian, Kenneth Clark, Nicholas Skowronski, John Hom

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Low-intensity wildland fires occurring beneath forest canopies can result in particularly adverse local air-quality conditions. Ambient and fire-induced turbulent circulations play a substantial role in the transport and dispersion of smoke during these fire events. Recent in situ measurements of fire–atmosphere interactions during low-intensity wildland fires have provided new insight into the structure of fire-induced turbulence regimes and how forest overstory vegetation can affect the horizontal and vertical dispersion of smoke. In this paper, we provide a summary of the key turbulence observations made during two low-intensity wildland fire events that occurred in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.


Optimal Ranking Regime Analysis Of Intra- To Multidecadal U.S. Climate Variability. Part I: Temperature, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget Dec 2014

Optimal Ranking Regime Analysis Of Intra- To Multidecadal U.S. Climate Variability. Part I: Temperature, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The optimal ranking regime (ORR) method was used to identify intradecadal to multidecadal (IMD) time windows containing significant ranking sequences in U.S. climate division temperature data. The simplicity of the ORR procedure’s output—a time series’ most significant nonoverlapping periods of high or low rankings—makes it possible to graphically identify common temporal breakpoints and spatial patterns of IMD variability in the analyses of 102 climate division temperature series. This approach is also applied to annual Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) climate indices, a Northern Hemisphere annual temperature (NHT) series, and divisional annual and seasonal temperature data during …


Optimal Ranking Regime Analysis Of Intra- To Multidecadal U.S. Climate Variability. Part Ii: Precipitation And Streamflow, Steven A. Mauget, Eugene C. Cordero Dec 2014

Optimal Ranking Regime Analysis Of Intra- To Multidecadal U.S. Climate Variability. Part Ii: Precipitation And Streamflow, Steven A. Mauget, Eugene C. Cordero

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

In Part I of this paper, the optimal ranking regime (ORR) method was used to identify intradecadal to multidecadal (IMD) regimes in U.S. climate division temperature data during 1896–2012. Here, the method is used to test for annual and seasonal precipitation regimes during that same period. Water-year mean streamflow rankings at 125 U.S. Hydro-Climatic Data Network gauge stations are also evaluated during 1939–2011. The precipitation and streamflow regimes identified are compared with ORR-derived regimes in the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), and indices derived from gridded SST anomaly (SSTA) analysis data. Using a graphic display approach …


Prescribed Burning Of Logging Slash In The Boreal Forest Of Finland: Emissions And Effects On Meteorological Quantities And Soil Properties, A. Virkkula, J. Levula, T. Pohja, P. Aalto, P. Keronen, S. Schobesberger, Craig Clements, L. Pirjola, A. Kieloaho, L. Kulmala, H. Aaltonen, J. Patoskoski, J. Pumpanen, J. Rinne, T. Ruuskanen, M. Pihlatie, H. Mannien, V. Aaltonen, H. Junninen, T. Petaja, J. Backman, M. Dal Maso, T. Nieminen, T. Olsson, T. Grönholm, J. Aalto, T. Virtanen, M. Kajos, V. Kerminen, D. Shultz, J. Kukkonen, M. Sofiev, G. De Leeuw, J. Back, P. Hari, M. Kulmala Jan 2014

Prescribed Burning Of Logging Slash In The Boreal Forest Of Finland: Emissions And Effects On Meteorological Quantities And Soil Properties, A. Virkkula, J. Levula, T. Pohja, P. Aalto, P. Keronen, S. Schobesberger, Craig Clements, L. Pirjola, A. Kieloaho, L. Kulmala, H. Aaltonen, J. Patoskoski, J. Pumpanen, J. Rinne, T. Ruuskanen, M. Pihlatie, H. Mannien, V. Aaltonen, H. Junninen, T. Petaja, J. Backman, M. Dal Maso, T. Nieminen, T. Olsson, T. Grönholm, J. Aalto, T. Virtanen, M. Kajos, V. Kerminen, D. Shultz, J. Kukkonen, M. Sofiev, G. De Leeuw, J. Back, P. Hari, M. Kulmala

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

A prescribed fire experiment was conducted on 26 June 2009 in Hyytiälä, Finland, to study aerosol and trace gas emissions from prescribed fires of slash fuels and the effects of fire on soil properties in a controlled environment. A 0.8 ha forest near the SMEAR II measurement station (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) was cut clear; some tree trunks, all tree tops and branches were left on the ground and burned. The amount of burned organic material was ~46.8 tons (i.e., ~60 tons ha−1). The flaming phase lasted 2 h 15 min, the smoldering phase 3 h. Measurements were conducted …


Representation Of Ethiopian Wet Spells In Global And Nested Models, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao Jan 2014

Representation Of Ethiopian Wet Spells In Global And Nested Models, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Weather forecast and reanalysis models exhibit different performance in daily rainfall estimation over the Ethiopian highlands, 2000–2012, with ECMWF closer to observations than other models. Background is given to illustrate the Hadley circulation and easterly jets over Ethiopia, using sections on 37°E in July–August 2011. ECMWF reanalysis has a narrow band of rainfall >15 mm/day on 10°N, consistent with TRMM satellite estimates, associated with a steep gradient in meridional wind. MERRA and GFS models have a wider band of rainfall and weaker gradients in meridional winds. The contrasting background states influence a nested WRF model simulation of heavy rain in …


Leeside Boundary Layer Confluence And Afternoon Thunderstorms Over Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao Feb 2013

Leeside Boundary Layer Confluence And Afternoon Thunderstorms Over Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Mark Jury, Sen Chiao

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The midsummer boundary layer (BL) circulation and afternoon thunderstorm convection on the lee side of Puerto Rico is studied using observations and high-resolution models. Satellite infrared data help to identify cases on 5 and 14 June 2010 when midday surface temperatures show a 2°C gradient between land and sea and afternoon cloud-top temperatures <−60°C. Acoustic sounder profiles are analyzed for climatology, wind shear, turbulence, and diurnal cycles in the 40-300-m layer. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations indicate that sea-breeze flow is entrained into convective cells near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The simulated BL wind shear is too weak (0.5 × 10−2 s−1) in comparison with the acoustic sounder (2 × 10−2 s−1). Model 900-hPa winds are southeasterly and spread simulated convection too far north in comparison with radar. The pattern of near-surface winds in the island wake triggers afternoon thunderstorms near Mayaguez. A feature of the confluent circulation around Puerto Rico is opposing shear zones on the leeward corners of the island and a sea breeze of 5 m s−1 over the west coast during midday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] . Copyright of Journal of Applied Meteorology & Climatology is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.).


Evaluation Of Wrf-Sfire Performance With Field Observations From The Fireflux Experiment, A. Kochanski, M. Jenkins, J. Mandel, J. Beezley, Craig Clements, S. Krueger Jan 2013

Evaluation Of Wrf-Sfire Performance With Field Observations From The Fireflux Experiment, A. Kochanski, M. Jenkins, J. Mandel, J. Beezley, Craig Clements, S. Krueger

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

This study uses in situ measurements collected during the FireFlux field experiment to evaluate and improve the performance of the coupled atmosphere–fire model WRF-SFIRE. The simulation by WRF-SFIRE of the experimental burn shows that WRF-SFIRE is capable of providing realistic head-fire rate of spread and vertical temperature structure of the fire plume, and fire-induced surface flow and vertical velocities within the plume up to 10 m above ground level. The simulation captured the changes in wind speed and direction before, during, and after fire front passage, along with the arrival times of wind speed, temperature, and updraft maxima, at the …


Kinematic Structure Of A Wildland Fire Plume Observed By Doppler Lidar, A. Charland, Craig Clements Jan 2013

Kinematic Structure Of A Wildland Fire Plume Observed By Doppler Lidar, A. Charland, Craig Clements

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Wildland fires present a challenging environment to make meteorological measurements. Observations in the vicinity of wildland fires are needed to better understand fire-atmosphere interactions and to provide data for the evaluation of coupled fire-atmosphere models. An observational study was conducted during a low-intensity prescribed fire in an area of complex terrain with grass fuels east of San José, California. A ground-based scanning Doppler lidar acquired radial wind velocities and backscatter intensity in and around the fire plume from multiple horizontal and vertical scans. The development of a convergence zone was consistently observed to exist downwind of the plume and was …


Numerical Investigations Of Convective Initiation In Barbados, Kim Whitehall, Sen Chiao, Margarette Mayers-Als Jan 2013

Numerical Investigations Of Convective Initiation In Barbados, Kim Whitehall, Sen Chiao, Margarette Mayers-Als

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Localized convection in Barbados accounts for hazardous conditions and a significant percentage of the island’s annual rainfall. The feature results in rainfall accumulations exceeding 50 mm in 3 hours or less, over isolated locations. Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) simulations are conducted for a rapid convective initiated and heavy precipitation event of 26 August 2008 over Barbados. The simulation results from the 1 km grid resolution domain depict that the shallow topography on the island plays a significant role in enhancing convective activity under weak synoptically disturbed conditions. The model results also demonstrate that the driving forces for the …


Reproduction Of Twentieth Century Intradecadal To Multidecadal Surface Temperature Variability In Radiatively Forced Coupled Climate Models, Patrick T. Brown, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget Jun 2012

Reproduction Of Twentieth Century Intradecadal To Multidecadal Surface Temperature Variability In Radiatively Forced Coupled Climate Models, Patrick T. Brown, Eugene C. Cordero, Steven A. Mauget

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 3 simulations that included time-varying radiative forcings were ranked according to their ability to consistently reproduce twentieth century intradecadal to multidecadal (IMD) surface temperature variability at the 5° by 5° spatial scale. IMD variability was identified using the running Mann-Whitney Z method. Model rankings were given context by comparing the IMD variability in preindustrial control runs to observations and by contrasting the IMD variability among the ensemble members within each model. These experiments confirmed that the inclusion of time-varying external forcings brought simulations into closer agreement with observations. Additionally, they illustrated that the magnitude of …


Application Of A Mini-Unmanned Aircraft System For In Situ Monitoring Of Fire Plume Thermodynamics Properties, Caroline Keifer, Craig Clements, Brian Potter Mar 2012

Application Of A Mini-Unmanned Aircraft System For In Situ Monitoring Of Fire Plume Thermodynamics Properties, Caroline Keifer, Craig Clements, Brian Potter

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Direct measurements of wildland fire plume properties are rare because of difficult access to regions near the fire front and plume. Moisture released from combustion, in addition to added heat, can enhance buoyancy and convection, influencing fire behavior. In this study, a mini unmanned aircraft system (miniUAS) was used to obtain in situ measurements of temperature and relative humidity during a prescribed fire. The miniUAS was successfully maneuvered through the plume and its associated turbulence and provided observations of temperature and humidity profiles from near the centerline of the plume. Within the plume, the water vapor mixing ratio increased by …


Evaluating Modeled Intra- To Multidecadal Climate Variability Using Running Mann–Whitney Z Statistics, Steven A. Mauget, Eugene C. Cordero, Patrick T. Brown Mar 2012

Evaluating Modeled Intra- To Multidecadal Climate Variability Using Running Mann–Whitney Z Statistics, Steven A. Mauget, Eugene C. Cordero, Patrick T. Brown

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

An analysis method previously used to detect observed intra- to multidecadal (IMD) climate regimes was adapted to compare observed and modeled IMD climate variations. Pending the availability of the more appropriate phase 5 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP-5) simulations, the method is demonstrated using CMIP-3 model simulations. Although the CMIP-3 experimental design will almost certainly prevent these model runs from reproducing features of historical IMD climate variability, these simulations allow for the demonstration of the method and illustrate how the models and observations disagree. This method samples a time series’s data rankings over moving time windows, converts those ranking sets …


The Effect Of Zonally Asymmetric Ozone Heating On The Northern Hemisphere Winter Polar Stratosphere, J. P. Mccormack, T. R. Nathan, E. C. Cordero Feb 2011

The Effect Of Zonally Asymmetric Ozone Heating On The Northern Hemisphere Winter Polar Stratosphere, J. P. Mccormack, T. R. Nathan, E. C. Cordero

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] Previous modeling studies have found significant differences in winter extratropical stratospheric temperatures depending on the presence or absence of zonally asymmetric ozone heating (ZAOH), yet the physical mechanism causing these differences has not been fully explained. The present study describes the effect of ZAOH on the dynamics of the Northern Hemisphere extratropical stratosphere using an ensemble of free-running atmospheric general circulation model simulations over the 1 December - 31 March period. We find that the simulations including ZAOH produce a significantly warmer and weaker stratospheric polar vortex in mid-February due to more frequent major stratospheric sudden warmings compared to …


Fire Whirl Evolution Observed During A Valley Wind-Sea Breeze Reversal, Daisuke Seto, Craig B. Clements Jan 2011

Fire Whirl Evolution Observed During A Valley Wind-Sea Breeze Reversal, Daisuke Seto, Craig B. Clements

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

This observational study documented the atmospheric environment of a prescribed fire conducted in a narrow valley when a small fire whirl developed during a mesoscale wind reversal. Based on analysis of in situ meteorological measurements, it is hypothesized that the fire whirl formed due to the presence of strong vertical wind shear caused by the interaction of a sea breeze front with a weaker up-valley wind. Vorticity generated by the interaction of the wind shear and the fire front was estimated to be ~0.2 s−1. Peak turbulence kinetic energy was caused by the wind shear rather than the buoyancy generated …


Chemistry–Climate Model Simulations Of Twenty-First Century Stratospheric Climate And Circulation Changes, Neal Butchart, I. Cionni, V. Eyring, T. G. Shepherd, D. W. Waugh, H. Akiyoshi, J. Austin, C. Brühl, M. P. Chipperfield, Eugene C. Cordero, M. Dameris, R. Deckert, S. Dhomse, S. M. Frith, R. R. Garcia, A. Gettelman, M. A. Giorgetta, D. E. Kinnison, F. Li, E. Mancini, S. Pawson, G. Pitari, D. A. Plummer, E. Rozanov, F. Sassi, J. F. Scinocca, K. Shibata, B. Steil, W. Tian Oct 2010

Chemistry–Climate Model Simulations Of Twenty-First Century Stratospheric Climate And Circulation Changes, Neal Butchart, I. Cionni, V. Eyring, T. G. Shepherd, D. W. Waugh, H. Akiyoshi, J. Austin, C. Brühl, M. P. Chipperfield, Eugene C. Cordero, M. Dameris, R. Deckert, S. Dhomse, S. M. Frith, R. R. Garcia, A. Gettelman, M. A. Giorgetta, D. E. Kinnison, F. Li, E. Mancini, S. Pawson, G. Pitari, D. A. Plummer, E. Rozanov, F. Sassi, J. F. Scinocca, K. Shibata, B. Steil, W. Tian

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The response of stratospheric climate and circulation to increasing amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and ozone recovery in the twenty-first century is analyzed in simulations of 11 chemistry–climate models using near-identical forcings and experimental setup. In addition to an overall global cooling of the stratosphere in the simulations (0.59 ± 0.07 K decade−1 at 10 hPa), ozone recovery causes a warming of the Southern Hemisphere polar lower stratosphere in summer with enhanced cooling above. The rate of warming correlates with the rate of ozone recovery projected by the models and, on average, changes from 0.8 to 0.48 K decade …


A Multiscale And Multidisciplinary Investigation Of Ecosystem- Atmosphere Co2 Exchange Over The Rocky Mountains Of Colorado, Jielun Sun, Steven Oncley, Sean Burns, Britton Stephens, Donald Lenschow, Teresa Campos, Russell Monson, David Schimel, William Sacks, Stephan Dewekker, Chun-Ta Lai, Brian Lamb, Dennis Ojima, Patrick Ellsworth, Leonel Sternberg, Sharon Zhong, Craig Clements, David Moore, Dean Anderson, Andrew Watt, Jia Hu, Mark Tschudi, Steven Aulenbach, Eugene Allwine, Teresa Coons Feb 2010

A Multiscale And Multidisciplinary Investigation Of Ecosystem- Atmosphere Co2 Exchange Over The Rocky Mountains Of Colorado, Jielun Sun, Steven Oncley, Sean Burns, Britton Stephens, Donald Lenschow, Teresa Campos, Russell Monson, David Schimel, William Sacks, Stephan Dewekker, Chun-Ta Lai, Brian Lamb, Dennis Ojima, Patrick Ellsworth, Leonel Sternberg, Sharon Zhong, Craig Clements, David Moore, Dean Anderson, Andrew Watt, Jia Hu, Mark Tschudi, Steven Aulenbach, Eugene Allwine, Teresa Coons

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

A significant fraction of Earth consists of mountainous terrain. However, the question of how to monitor the surface–atmosphere carbon exchange over complex terrain has not been fully explored. This article reports on studies by a team of investigators from U.S. universities and research institutes who carried out a multiscale and multidisciplinary field and modeling investigation of the CO2 exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere and of CO2 transport over complex mountainous terrain in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado. The goals of the field campaign, which included ground and airborne in situ and remote-sensing measurements, were to characterize unique features …


Climate Change Education And The Ecological Footprint, Eugene C. Cordero, Anne Marie Todd, Diana Abellera Jun 2008

Climate Change Education And The Ecological Footprint, Eugene C. Cordero, Anne Marie Todd, Diana Abellera

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Global warming has become one of the most important scientific, political, and social issues of our era. In designing an effective mitigation strategy, it is clear that public education must play an important role. This study looks at various components of climate change literacy within a cohort of university students and investigates the impact of action-oriented learning on student understanding. Results from questionnaires given to primarily nonscience students enrolled in weather and climate courses are used to examine student knowledge of climate change. In agreement with prior research, this study finds that signif icant student misconceptions exist regarding the causes …


Metcrax 2006 - Meteorological Experiments In Arizona's Meteor Crater, C. David Whiteman, Sebastian Hoch, Maura Hahnenberger, Andreas Muschinski, Vincent Hohreiter, Mario Behn, Yonghum Cheon, Sharon Zhong, Wenqing Yao, David Fritts, Craig Clements, Thomas Horst, William Brown, Steven Oncley Jan 2008

Metcrax 2006 - Meteorological Experiments In Arizona's Meteor Crater, C. David Whiteman, Sebastian Hoch, Maura Hahnenberger, Andreas Muschinski, Vincent Hohreiter, Mario Behn, Yonghum Cheon, Sharon Zhong, Wenqing Yao, David Fritts, Craig Clements, Thomas Horst, William Brown, Steven Oncley

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

The Meteor Crater Experiment (METCRAX 2006) was conducted in October 2006 at Arizona's Meteor Crater to investigate stable boundary layer evolution in a topographically uncomplicated basin surrounded by the nearly homogeneous plain of the Colorado Plateau. The two goals of the experiment were 1) to investigate the microscale and mesoscale structure and evolution of the stable boundary layer in the crater and its surroundings and 2) to determine whether atmospheric seiches or standing waves are produced inside the crater. This article provides an overview of the scientific goals of the experiment; summarizes the research measurements, the crater topography, and the …


Forcing Mechanisms For Washoe Zephyr - A Daytime Downslope Wind Phenomenon In The Great Basin East Of The Sierra Nevada, Shiyuan Zhong, Ju Li, Craig Clements, Stephan Dewekker, Xindi Bian Jan 2008

Forcing Mechanisms For Washoe Zephyr - A Daytime Downslope Wind Phenomenon In The Great Basin East Of The Sierra Nevada, Shiyuan Zhong, Ju Li, Craig Clements, Stephan Dewekker, Xindi Bian

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

This paper investigates the formation mechanisms for a local wind phenomenon known as Washoe Zephyr that occurs frequently in the lee of the Sierra Nevada. Unlike the typical thermally driven slope flows with upslope wind during daytime and downslope at night, the Washoe Zephyr winds blow down the lee slopes of the Sierra Nevada in the afternoon against the local pressure gradient. Long-term hourly surface wind data from several stations on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and rawinsonde sounding data in the region are analyzed and numerical simulations are performed to test the suggested hypotheses on the formation …


First Observations Of Turbulence Generated By Grass Fires, Craig Clements, Shiyuan Zhong, Xindi Bian, Warren Heilman, Daewon Byun Jan 2008

First Observations Of Turbulence Generated By Grass Fires, Craig Clements, Shiyuan Zhong, Xindi Bian, Warren Heilman, Daewon Byun

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

Wildland fires radically modify the atmospheric boundary layer by inducing strong fire-atmosphere interactions. These interactions lead to intense turbulence production in and around the fire front. Two field experiments were conducted in tall-grass fuels to quantify turbulence generation during the passage of wind-driven fire fronts. Observations showed that the measured turbulence generated by the fires was five times greater than the turbulence in the ambient environment. The production of the turbulence at the surface near the fire front was caused by increased variance of the ambient wind, while the buoyancy was strongest at higher levels within the fire plume. Immediately …


Multimodel Projections Of Stratospheric Ozone In The 21st Century, V. Eyring, D. W. Waugh, G. E. Bodeker, Eugene C. Cordero, H. Akiyoshi, J. Austin, S. R. Beagley, B. A. Boville, P. Braesicke, C. Brühl, N. Butchart, M. P. Chipperfield, M. Dameris, R. Deckert, M. Deushi, S. M. Frith, R. R. Garcia, A. Gettelman, M. A. Giorgetta, D. E. Kinnison, E. Mancini, E. Manzini, D. R. Marsh, S. Matthes, T. Nagashima, P. A. Newman, J. E. Nielsen, S. Pawson, G. Pitari, D. A. Plummer, E. Rozanov, M. Schraner, J. F. Scinocca, K. Semeniuk, T. G. Shepherd, K. Shibata, B. Steil, R. S. Stolarski, W. Tian, M. Yoshiki Aug 2007

Multimodel Projections Of Stratospheric Ozone In The 21st Century, V. Eyring, D. W. Waugh, G. E. Bodeker, Eugene C. Cordero, H. Akiyoshi, J. Austin, S. R. Beagley, B. A. Boville, P. Braesicke, C. Brühl, N. Butchart, M. P. Chipperfield, M. Dameris, R. Deckert, M. Deushi, S. M. Frith, R. R. Garcia, A. Gettelman, M. A. Giorgetta, D. E. Kinnison, E. Mancini, E. Manzini, D. R. Marsh, S. Matthes, T. Nagashima, P. A. Newman, J. E. Nielsen, S. Pawson, G. Pitari, D. A. Plummer, E. Rozanov, M. Schraner, J. F. Scinocca, K. Semeniuk, T. G. Shepherd, K. Shibata, B. Steil, R. S. Stolarski, W. Tian, M. Yoshiki

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] Simulations from eleven coupled chemistry-climate models (CCMs) employing nearly identical forcings have been used to project the evolution of stratospheric ozone throughout the 21st century. The model-to-model agreement in projected temperature trends is good, and all CCMs predict continued, global mean cooling of the stratosphere over the next 5 decades, increasing from around 0.25 K/decade at 50 hPa to around 1 K/decade at 1 hPa under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B scenario. In general, the simulated ozone evolution is mainly determined by decreases in halogen concentrations and continued cooling of …