Ice saturation at the tropopause observed from the ER-2 aircraft

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i004p00353· OSTI ID:5398686

Murphy, D M; Kelly, K K; Tuck, A F; Proffitt, M H ^[1]; Kinne, S ^[2]

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1. NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, Boulder CO (USA)
2. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)

Ice saturation at or just above the tropopause was frequently observed during the ER-2 vertical profiles over Stavanger (59{degree}N) during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE). On occasion, ice saturation extended as much as 500 m above the tropopause. Saturation was not observed over Punta Arenas (53{degree}S) during the airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE). Saturation extending just above the tropopause was observed at Moffett Field (38{degree}N) in winter but not in summer. The top of a thick cirrus layer at the tropopause will be very strongly cooled, and a thin cloud layer at the tropopause will either be strongly heated or cooled depending on the presence of lower level clouds. Some ER-2 data suggest removal of water and nitrogen species from the tropopause.

• OSTI ID: 5398686
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
AIRCRAFT
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
CLOUDS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ICE
LAYERS
METEOROLOGY
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE LAYER
POLAR REGIONS
SATURATION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
TROPOPAUSE
TROPOSPHERE
VARIATIONS
WATER SATURATION