The Tropical Experiment of the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP): Science objectives, operations, and summary findings

Journal Article · Thu May 20 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JD02521· OSTI ID:6458857

Russell, P B; Pfister, L ^[1]; Selkirk, H B ^[2]

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1. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)
2. Space Physics Research Institute, Sunnyvale, CA (United States)

The authors provide an overview of the objectives, operation, and findings of the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP). This project had two main objectives. First was to study the mechanisms and exchange rates associated with the exchange of mass, gases, and aerosols between the troposphere and stratosphere. Second was to try to explain the extreme dryness observed in stratospheric air masses. This series of studies comprises the STEP Tropical Experiment, which was carried out in January and February, 1987. Most data was collected by a high flying ER-2 aircraft, outfitted with an array of data collection instrumentation. This experiment found the driest air just at or above the cloud tops, and in conjunction with other measurements concludes that temperatures, and ice crystal growth and transport contribute to local dehydration in these cloud systems. Significant convection is also evident in the clouds. Temperatures at the top of the monsoonal clouds, and their height contribute to mixing dry air into the lower stratosphere.

• OSTI ID: 6458857
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:D5; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
AIR
CLOUDS
COLLOIDS
CONVECTION
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DEHYDRATION
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
ICE
MASS TRANSFER
NATURAL CONVECTION
OPERATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPICAL REGIONS
TROPOSPHERE