Distinct seasonality in vertical variations of tropospheric ozone over coastal regions of southern China

The surface ozone pollution is strongly coupled with ozone variations above the ground. Using sufficient airborne ozone profiles during 2012-2018, this study reveals the tropospheric ozone distributions over four cities located in coastal regions of southern China. The 7-year mean tropospheric ozone profiles in the four cities consistently show a double-maxima profile, with a local maximum at 1 km altitude and the other in the middle-to-upper troposphere. Seasonally, springtime ozone is larger than the annual mean throughout the troposphere, while ozone in summer is high in the middle-to-upper troposphere, leading to largest vertical variations among seasons. Ozone in the middle-to-upper troposphere is lower in autumn than in spring and summer. The winter ozone is characterized with a minimum in the lower troposphere, and low values in the middle-to-upper troposphere, leading to least vertical variations among seasons. We untangle the causes for these complicated vertical ozone variations using the GEOS-Chem model. The tropospheric ozone over southern China is partitioned into locally produced ozone, regionally transported native ozone, imported ozone from outside of China (foreign ozone) and natural stratospheric ozone. The results suggest that the springtime ozone abundance is due to the enhanced import of foreign and stratospheric ozone and the intensified regional transport processes of native ozone. In summer, local ozone production is enhanced and regional transport of ozone in the middle-to-upper troposphere is strengthened due to upward air motions, while such transport becomes weaker in autumn leaving low ozone in the middle-to-upper troposphere. In winter, the intensive westerly jets promote foreign and stratospheric ozone again in the middle-to-upper troposphere, but the local ozone production and regional transport are sharply reduced, resulting in low ozone near the surface. This study provides new insights into regional ozone profiles and reveals the significance of vertical ozone variations on surface ozone prevention strategy.

A 22-Year Evaluation of Convection Reaching the Stratosphere Over the United States

Stratosphere-reaching moist convection can significantly alter the dynamics, chemistry, and climate of the Earth system. This study seeks to add to the emerging understanding of the frequency, depth, and stratospheric impact of such events using 22 years (1996-2017) of ground-based radar observations in the contiguous United States. While most prior studies identify such storms using the temperature lapse-rate tropopause (LRT) as a troposphere-stratosphere boundary, this study is the first to identify convection that reaches into stratospheric air below the LRT (tropopause depressions, excluding folds) as well. It is found that tropopause depression (TD) overshooting and LRT overshooting occur at similar frequency over the United States, with TD overshooting being more episodic in nature than LRT overshooting. TD overshooting is also found more often throughout the cooler months of the year, while LRT overshooting dominates all overshooting in the summer months. Stratospheric residence of overshoot material, as estimated using trajectory calculations driven by large-scale winds, suggests that the vast majority of TD overshoot material does not remain in the stratosphere within 5 days downstream and rarely impacts altitudes more than 1 km above the LRT. Conversely, the majority of LRT overshoot material remains in the stratosphere downstream and routinely impacts altitudes >1 and >2 km above the tropopause.

High-Resolution Fengyun-4 Satellite Measurements of Dynamical Tropopause Structure and Variability

The dynamical tropopause is the interface between the stratosphere and the troposphere, whose variation gives indication of weather and climate changes. In the past, the dynamical tropopause height determination mainly depends on analysis and diagnose methods. While, due to the high computational cost, it is difficult to obtain tropopause structures with high spatiotemporal resolution in real time by these methods. To solve this problem, the statistical method is used to establish the dynamical tropopause pressure retrieval model based on Fengyun-4A geostationary meteorological satellite observations. Four regression schemes including random forest (RF) regression are evaluated. By comparison with GEOS-5 (the Goddard Earth Observing System Model of version 5) and ERA-Interim (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis-Interim) reanalysis, it is found that among the four schemes, the RF-based retrieval model is most accurate and reliable (RMSEs (root mean square errors) are 25.99 hPa and 43.05 hPa, respectively, as compared to GEOS-5 and ERA-Interim reanalysis). A series of sensitivity experiments are performed to investigate the contributions of the predictors in the RF-based model. Results suggest that 6.25 μm channel information representing the distributions of the potential vorticity and water vapor in upper troposphere has the greatest contribution, while 10.8 and 12 μm channels information have relatively weak influences. Therefore, a simplified model without involving a brightness temperature of 10.8 and 12 μm can be adopted to improve the calculation efficiency.

Ozone Variability and Anomalies Observed during SENEX and SEAC4RS Campaigns in 2013

Tropospheric ozone variability occurs because of multiple forcing factors including surface emission of ozone precursors, stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT), and meteorological conditions. Analyses of ozonesonde observations made in Huntsville, AL, during the peak ozone season (May to September) in 2013 indicate that ozone in the planetary boundary layer was significantly lower than the climatological average, especially in July and August when the Southeastern United States (SEUS) experienced unusually cool and wet weather. Because of a large influence of the lower stratosphere, however, upper-tropospheric ozone was mostly higher than climatology, especially from May to July. Tropospheric ozone anomalies were strongly anti-correlated (or correlated) with water vapor (or temperature) anomalies with a correlation coefficient mostly about 0.6 throughout the entire troposphere. The regression slopes between ozone and temperature anomalies for surface up to mid-troposphere are within 3.0-4.1 ppbv·K-1. The occurrence rates of tropospheric ozone laminae due to STT are ≥50% in May and June and about 30% in July, August and September suggesting that the stratospheric influence on free-tropospheric ozone could be significant during early summer. These STT laminae have a mean maximum ozone enhancement over the climatology of 52±33% (35±24 ppbv) with a mean minimum relative humidity of 2.3±1.7%.

Oxygen anomaly in near surface carbon dioxide reveals deep stratospheric intrusion

Stratosphere-troposphere exchange could be enhanced by tropopause folding, linked to variability in the subtropical jet stream. Relevant to tropospheric biogeochemistry is irreversible transport from the stratosphere, associated with deep intrusions. Here, oxygen anomalies in near surface air CO₂ are used to study the irreversible transport from the stratosphere, where the triple oxygen isotopes of CO₂ are distinct from those originating from the Earth’s surface. We show that the oxygen anomaly in CO₂ is observable at sea level and the magnitude of the signal increases during the course of our sampling period (September 2013-February 2014), concordant with the strengthening of the subtropical jet system and the East Asia winter monsoon. The trend of the anomaly is found to be 0.1‰/month (R² = 0.6) during the jet development period in October. Implications for utilizing the oxygen anomaly in CO₂ for CO₂ biogeochemical cycle study and stratospheric intrusion flux at the surface are discussed.

The deep atmospheric boundary layer and its significance to the stratosphere and troposphere exchange over the Tibetan Plateau

In this study the depth of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over the Tibetan Plateau was measured during a regional radiosonde observation campaign in 2008 and found to be deeper than indicated by previously measurements. Results indicate that during fair weather conditions on winter days, the top of the mixed layers can be up to 5 km above the ground (9.4 km above sea level). Measurements also show that the depth of the ABL is quite distinct for three different periods (winter, monsoon-onset, and monsoon seasons). Turbulence at the top of a deep mixing layer can rise up to the upper troposphere. As a consequence, as confirmed by trajectory analysis, interaction occurs between deep ABLs and the low tropopause during winter over the Tibetan Plateau.

On the origin of the air between multiple tropopauses at midlatitudes

Multiple tropopauses are structures that regularly recur in the midlatitudes. Recent studies have relied on the notion of the excursion of tropical air from the upper troposphere into higher latitudes, thereby overlaying the tropopause of the midlatitudes. We herein analyse the origin and characteristics of the air at the Boulder radiosonde station, between the first and second tropopauses combining an analysis of radiosonde data with a Lagrangian approach based on the FlexPart model and ERA-40 analysis data. Our results show that the air between both tropopauses has its origin in midlatitudes.