Ice Surface Temperature Variability in the Polar Regions and the Relationships to 2 Meter Air Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyer, J.; Madsen, K. S.; Englyst, P. N.

2017-12-01

Determining the surface and near surface air temperature from models or observations in the Polar Regions is challenging due to the extreme conditions and the lack of in situ observations. The errors in near surface temperature products are typically larger than for other regions of the world, and the potential for using Earth Observations is large. As part of the EU project, EUSTACE, we have developed empirical models for the relationship between the satellite observed skin ice temperatures and 2m air temperatures. We use the Arctic and Antarctic Sea and sea ice Surface Temperatures from thermal Infrared satellite sensors (AASTI) reanalysis to estimate daily surface air temperature over land ice and sea ice for the Arctic and the Antarctic. Large efforts have been put into collecting and quality controlling in situ observations from various data portals and research projects. The reconstruction is independent of numerical weather prediction models and thus provides an important alternative to modelled air temperature estimates. The new surface air temperature data record has been validated against more than 58.000 independent in situ measurements for the four surface types: Arctic sea ice, Greenland ice sheet, Antarctic sea ice and Antarctic ice sheet. The average correlations are 92-97% and average root mean square errors are 3.1-3.6°C for the four surface types. The root mean square error includes the uncertainty of the in-situ measurement, which ranges from 0.5 to 2°C. A comparison with ERA-Interim shows a consistently better performance of the satellite based air temperatures than the ERA-Interim for the Greenland ice sheet, when compared against observations not used in any of the two estimates. This is encouraging and demonstrates the values of these products. In addition, the procedure presented here works on satellite observations that are available in near real time and this opens up for a near real time estimation of the surface air temperature over ice from satellites.

Air-ice CO2 fluxes and pCO2 dynamics in the Arctic coastal area (Amundsen Gulf, Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geilfus, Nicolas-Xavier; Tison, Jean Louis; Carnat, Gauthier; Else, Brent; Borges, Alberto V.; Thomas, Helmuth; Shadwick, Elizabeth; Delille, Bruno

2010-05-01

Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth surface at its maximum seasonal extent. For decades sea ice was assumed to be an impermeable and inert barrier for air - sea exchange of CO2 so that global climate models do not include CO2 exchange between the oceans and the atmosphere in the polar regions. However, uptake of atmospheric CO2 by sea ice cover was recently reported raising the need to further investigate pCO2 dynamics in the marine cryosphere realm and related air-ice CO2 fluxes. In addition, budget of CO2 fluxes are poorly constrained in high latitudes continental shelves [Borges et al., 2006]. We report measurements of air-ice CO2 fluxes above the Canadian continental shelf and compare them to previous measurements carried out in Antarctica. We carried out measurements of pCO2 within brines and bulk ice, and related air-ice CO2 fluxes (chamber method) in Antarctic first year pack ice ("Sea Ice Mass Balance in Antarctica -SIMBA" drifting station experiment September - October 2007) and in Arctic first year land fast ice ("Circumpolar Flaw Lead" - CFL, April - June 2008). These 2 experiments were carried out in contrasted sites. SIMBA was carried out on sea ice in early spring while CFL was carried out in from the middle of the winter to the late spring while sea ice was melting. Both in Arctic and Antarctic, no air-ice CO2 fluxes were detected when sea ice interface was below -10°C. Slightly above -10°C, fluxes toward the atmosphere were observed. In contrast, at -7°C fluxes from the atmosphere to the ice were significant. The pCO2 of the brine exhibits a same trend in both hemispheres with a strong decrease of the pCO2 anti-correlated with the increase of sea ice temperature. The pCO2 shifted from a large over-saturation at low temperature to a marked under-saturation at high temperature. These air-ice CO2 fluxes are partly controlled by the permeability of the air-ice interface, which depends of the temperature of this one. Moreover, air-ice CO2 fluxes are driven by the air-ice pCO2 gradient. Hence, while the temperature is a leading factor in controlling magnitude of air-ice CO2 fluxes, pCO2 of the ice controls both magnitude and direction of fluxes. However, pCO2 in Arctic is significantly higher than in Antarctica. This difference could be due to a higher level of organic matter in Arctic. The degradation of this organic matter fuel CO2 efflux from the ice to the atmosphere in early spring. We observed evidence of CaCO3 precipitation, but only at the top of the ice. Implications in term of air-ice CO2 transfer of such CaCO3 precipitation will be discussed. In addition, salt-rich snow appears to strongly affect air-ice CO2 fluxes in the arctic. Borges, A. V., et al. (2006), Carbon dioxide in European coastal waters, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 70(3), 375-387.

Greenland coastal air temperatures linked to Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea ice conditions during autumn through regional blocking patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballinger, Thomas J.; Hanna, Edward; Hall, Richard J.; Miller, Jeffrey; Ribergaard, Mads H.; Høyer, Jacob L.

2018-01-01

Variations in sea ice freeze onset and regional sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea are linked to autumn surface air temperatures (SATs) around coastal Greenland through 500 hPa blocking patterns, 1979-2014. We find strong, statistically significant correlations between Baffin Bay freeze onset and SSTs and SATs across the western and southernmost coastal areas, while weaker and fewer significant correlations are found between eastern SATs, SSTs, and freeze periods observed in the neighboring Greenland Sea. Autumn Greenland Blocking Index values and the incidence of meridional circulation patterns have increased over the modern sea ice monitoring era. Increased anticyclonic blocking patterns promote poleward transport of warm air from lower latitudes and local warm air advection onshore from ocean-atmosphere sensible heat exchange through ice-free or thin ice-covered seas bordering the coastal stations. Temperature composites by years of extreme late freeze conditions, occurring since 2006 in Baffin Bay, reveal positive monthly SAT departures that often exceed 1 standard deviation from the 1981-2010 climate normal over coastal areas that exhibit a similar spatial pattern as the peak correlations.

GSOD Based Daily Global Mean Surface Temperature and Mean Sea Level Air Pressure (1982-2011)

DOE Data Explorer

Xuan Shi, Dali Wang

2014-05-05

This data product contains all the gridded data set at 1/4 degree resolution in ASCII format. Both mean temperature and mean sea level air pressure data are available. It also contains the GSOD data (1982-2011) from NOAA site, contains station number, location, temperature and pressures (sea level and station level). The data package also contains information related to the data processing methods

Air-sea interactions during strong winter extratropical storms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Jill; He, Ruoying; Warner, John C.; Bane, John

2014-01-01

A high-resolution, regional coupled atmosphere–ocean model is used to investigate strong air–sea interactions during a rapidly developing extratropical cyclone (ETC) off the east coast of the USA. In this two-way coupled system, surface momentum and heat fluxes derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting model and sea surface temperature (SST) from the Regional Ocean Modeling System are exchanged via the Model Coupling Toolkit. Comparisons are made between the modeled and observed wind velocity, sea level pressure, 10 m air temperature, and sea surface temperature time series, as well as a comparison between the model and one glider transect. Vertical profiles of modeled air temperature and winds in the marine atmospheric boundary layer and temperature variations in the upper ocean during a 3-day storm period are examined at various cross-shelf transects along the eastern seaboard. It is found that the air–sea interactions near the Gulf Stream are important for generating and sustaining the ETC. In particular, locally enhanced winds over a warm sea (relative to the land temperature) induce large surface heat fluxes which cool the upper ocean by up to 2 °C, mainly during the cold air outbreak period after the storm passage. Detailed heat budget analyses show the ocean-to-atmosphere heat flux dominates the upper ocean heat content variations. Results clearly show that dynamic air–sea interactions affecting momentum and buoyancy flux exchanges in ETCs need to be resolved accurately in a coupled atmosphere–ocean modeling framework.

Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Coordination

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-30

sea surface temperature (SST), sea level atmospheric pressure ( SLP ), and velocity (Steele), and dropsonde measurements of atmospheric properties...aircraft), cloud top/base heights UpTempO buoys for understanding and prediction…. Steele UpTempO buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS, & surface velocity...reflectance, skin temperature, visible imagery AXCTD= Air Expendable CTD, AXCP= Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric

Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS and SeaWinds Scatterometer

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-08-30

This image shows Hurricane Frances in August 2004 as captured by instruments onboard two different NASA satellites: the AIRS infrared instrument onboard Aqua, and the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT. Both are JPL-managed instruments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction over the ocean. The red vectors in the image show Frances' surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. The background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface as viewed in the infrared by AIRS, with cooler areas pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The color scale on the right gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin. (The top of the scale, 320 degrees Kelvin, corresponds to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bottom, 180 degrees K is -135 degrees F.) The powerful circulation of this storm is evident from the combined data as well as the development of a clearly-defined central "eye." The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the light blue areas reveal the cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. In cloud-free areas the infrared signal comes from Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00435

Influence of air-sea coupling on Indian Ocean tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lengaigne, Matthieu; Neetu, S.; Samson, Guillaume; Vialard, Jérôme; Krishnamohan, K. S.; Masson, Sébastien; Jullien, Swen; Suresh, I.; Menkes, Christophe E.

2018-02-01

This paper assesses the impact of air-sea coupling on Indian Ocean tropical cyclones (TCs) by comparing a 20-year long simulation of a ¼° regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model with a twin experiment, where the atmospheric component is forced by sea surface temperature from the coupled simulation. The coupled simulation reproduces the observed spatio-temporal TCs distribution and TC-induced surface cooling reasonably well, but overestimates the number of TCs. Air-sea coupling does not affect the cyclogenesis spatial distribution but reduces the number of TCs by 20% and yields a better-resolved bimodal seasonal distribution in the northern hemisphere. Coupling also affects intensity distribution, inducing a four-fold decrease in the proportion of intense TCs (Cat-2 and stronger). Air-sea coupling damps TCs growth through a reduction of inner-core upward enthalpy fluxes due to the TC-induced cooling. This reduction is particularly large for the most intense TCs of the northern Indian Ocean (up to 250 W m-2), due to higher ambient surface temperatures and larger TC-induced cooling there. The negative feedback of air-sea coupling on strongest TCs is mainly associated with slow-moving storms, which spend more time over the cold wake they induce. Sensitivity experiments using a different convective parameterization yield qualitatively similar results, with a larger ( 65%) reduction in the number of TCs. Because of their relatively coarse resolution (¼°), both set of experiments however fail to reproduce the most intense observed TCs. Further studies with finer resolution models in the Bay of Bengal will be needed to assess the expectedly large impact of air-sea coupling on those intense and deadly TCs.

The Impact of Cloud Properties on Young Sea Ice during Three Winter Storms at N-ICE2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, S. Y.; Walden, V. P.; Cohen, L.; Hudson, S. R.

2017-12-01

The impact of clouds on sea ice varies significantly as cloud properties change. Instruments deployed during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice field campaign (N-ICE2015) are used to study how differing cloud properties influence the cloud radiative forcing at the sea ice surface. N-ICE2015 was the first campaign in the Arctic winter since SHEBA (1997/1998) to study the surface energy budget of sea ice and the associated effects of cloud properties. Cloud characteristics, surface radiative and turbulent fluxes, and meteorological properties were measured throughout the field campaign. Here we explore how cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties affect young, thin sea ice during three winter storms from 31 January to 15 February 2015. This time period is of interest due to the varying surface and atmospheric conditions, which showcase the variety of conditions the newly-formed sea ice can experience during the winter. This period was characterized by large variations in the ice surface and near-surface air temperatures, with highs near 0°C when warm, moist air was advected into the area and lows reaching -40°C during clear, calm periods between storms. The advection of warm, moist air into the area influenced the cloud properties and enhanced the downwelling longwave flux. For most of the period, downwelling longwave flux correlates closely with the air temperature. However, at the end of the first storm, a drop in downwelling longwave flux of about 50 Wm-2 was observed, independent of any change in surface or air temperature or cloud fraction, indicating a change in cloud properties. Lidar data show an increase in cloud height during this period and a potential shift in cloud phase from ice to mixed-phase. This study will describe the cloud properties during the three winter storms and discuss their impacts on surface energy budget.

Response of air-sea carbon fluxes and climate to orbital forcing changes in the Community Climate System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jochum, M.; Peacock, S.; Moore, K.; Lindsay, K.

2010-07-01

A global general circulation model coupled to an ocean ecosystem model is used to quantify the response of carbon fluxes and climate to changes in orbital forcing. Compared to the present-day simulation, the simulation with the Earth's orbital parameters from 115,000 years ago features significantly cooler northern high latitudes but only moderately cooler southern high latitudes. This asymmetry is explained by a 30% reduction of the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation that is caused by an increased Arctic sea ice export and a resulting freshening of the North Atlantic. The strong northern high-latitude cooling and the direct insolation induced tropical warming lead to global shifts in precipitation and winds to the order of 10%-20%. These climate shifts lead to regional differences in air-sea carbon fluxes of the same order. However, the differences in global net air-sea carbon fluxes are small, which is due to several effects, two of which stand out: first, colder sea surface temperature leads to a more effective solubility pump but also to increased sea ice concentration which blocks air-sea exchange, and second, the weakening of Southern Ocean winds that is predicted by some idealized studies occurs only in part of the basin, and is compensated by stronger winds in other parts.

Effect of Climate Change on Water Temperature and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

There is increasing evidence that our planet is warming and this warming is also resulting in rising sea levels. Estuaries which are located at the interface between land and ocean are impacted by these changes. We used CE-QUAL-W2 water quality model to predict changes in water temperature as a function of increasing air temperatures and rising sea level for the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon (USA). Annual average air temperature in the Yaquina watershed is expected to increase about 0.3 deg C per decade by 2040-2069. An air temperature increase of 3 deg C in the Yaquina watershed is likely to result in estuarine water temperature increasing by 0.7 to 1.6 deg C. Largest water temperature increases are expected in the upper portion of the estuary, while sea level rise may ameliorate some of the warming in the lower portion of the estuary. Smallest changes in water temperature are predicted to occur in the summer, and maximum changes during the winter and spring. Increases in air temperature may result in an increase in the number of days per year that the 7-day maximum average temperature exceeds 18 deg C (criterion for protection of rearing and migration of salmonids and trout) as well as other water quality concerns. In the upstream portion of the estuary, a 4 deg C increase in air temperature is predicted to cause an increase of 40 days not meeting the temperature criterion, while in the lower estuary the increase will depend upon rate of sea level rise (rang

Improvement in Simulation of Eurasian Winter Climate Variability with a Realistic Arctic Sea Ice Condition in an Atmospheric GCM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Ham, Yoo-Geun; Jeong, Jee-Hoon; Kug, Jong-Seong

2012-01-01

The present study investigates how much a realistic Arctic sea ice condition can contribute to improve simulation of the winter climate variation over the Eurasia region. Model experiments are set up using different sea ice boundary conditions over the past 24 years (i.e., 1988-2011). One is an atmospheric model inter-comparison (AMIP) type of run forced with observed sea-surface temperature (SST), sea ice, and greenhouse gases (referred to as Exp RSI), and the other is the same as Exp RSI except for the sea ice forcing, which is a repeating climatological annual cycle (referred to as Exp CSI). Results show that Exp RSI produces the observed dominant pattern of Eurasian winter temperatures and their interannual variation better than Exp CSI (correlation difference up to approx. 0.3). Exp RSI captures the observed strong relationship between the sea ice concentration near the Barents and Kara seas and the temperature anomaly across Eurasia, including northeastern Asia, which is not well captured in Exp CSI. Lagged atmospheric responses to sea ice retreat are examined using observations to understand atmospheric processes for the Eurasian cooling response including the Arctic temperature increase, sea-level pressure increase, upper-level jet weakening and cold air outbreak toward the mid-latitude. The reproducibility of these lagged responses by Exp RSI is also evaluated.

Deriving a sea surface climatology of CO2 fugacity in support of air-sea gas flux studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddijn-Murphy, L. M.; Woolf, D. K.; Land, P. E.; Shutler, J. D.; Donlon, C.

2014-07-01

Climatologies, or long-term averages, of essential climate variables are useful for evaluating models and providing a baseline for studying anomalies. The Surface Ocean Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Atlas (SOCAT) has made millions of global underway sea surface measurements of CO2 publicly available, all in a uniform format and presented as fugacity, fCO2. fCO2 is highly sensitive to temperature and the measurements are only valid for the instantaneous sea surface temperature (SST) that is measured concurrent with the in-water CO2 measurement. To create a climatology of fCO2 data suitable for calculating air-sea CO2 fluxes it is therefore desirable to calculate fCO2 valid for climate quality SST. This paper presents a method for creating such a climatology. We recomputed SOCAT's fCO2 values for their respective measurement month and year using climate quality SST data from satellite Earth observation and then extrapolated the resulting fCO2 values to reference year 2010. The data were then spatially interpolated onto a 1° × 1° grid of the global oceans to produce 12 monthly fCO2 distributions for 2010. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is also provided for those who prefer to use pCO2. The CO2 concentration difference between ocean and atmosphere is the thermodynamic driving force of the air-sea CO2 flux, and hence the presented fCO2 distributions can be used in air-sea gas flux calculations together with climatologies of other climate variables.

Land-Sea relationships of climate-related records: example of the Holocene in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vernal, Anne; Fréchette, Bianca; Hillaire-Marcel, Claude

2017-04-01

Anne de Vernal, Bianca Fréchette, Claude Hillaire-Marcel Important progresses have been made to reconstruct climate and ocean changes through time. However, there is often a hiatus between the land-based climate reconstructions and paleoceanographical data. The reconstructed parameters are not the same (e.g. surface air temperature vs. sea-surface temperature). Moreover, the spatial (local to regional) and temporal dimensions (seasonal, annual to multi-decadal) of proxy-data are often inconsistent, thus preventing direct correlation of time series and often leading to uncertainties in multi-site, multi-proxy compilations. Here, we address the issue of land-sea relationships in the eastern Canadian Arctic-Baffin Bay-Labrador Sea-western Greenland based on the examination of different climate-related information from marine cores (dinocysts) collected nearshore vs. offshore, ice cores (isotopes), fjord and lake data (pollen). The combined information tends to indicate that "climate" changes are not easily neither adequately captured by temperature and temperature shifts. However, the seasonal contrast of temperatures seems to be a key parameter. Whereas it is often attenuated offshore, it is generally easy to reconstruct nearshore, where water stratification is usually stronger. The confrontation of data also shows a relationship between ice core data and sea-ice cover and/or sea-surface salinity, suggesting that air-sea exchanges in basins surrounding ice sheets play a significant role with respect to their isotopic composition. On the whole, combined onshore-offshore data consistently suggest a two-step shift towards optimal summer and winter conditions the circum Baffin Bay and northern Labrador Sea at 7.5 and 6 ka BP. These delayed optimal conditions seem to result from ice-meltwater discharges maintaining low salinity conditions in marine surface waters and thus a strong seasonality.

Changes in the seasonality of Arctic sea ice and temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bintanja, R.

2012-04-01

Observations show that the Arctic sea ice cover is currently declining as a result of climate warming. According to climate models, this retreat will continue and possibly accelerate in the near-future. However, the magnitude of this decline is not the same throughout the year. With temperatures near or above the freezing point, summertime Arctic sea ice will quickly diminish. However, at temperatures well below freezing, the sea ice cover during winter will exhibit a much weaker decline. In the future, the sea ice seasonal cycle will be no ice in summer, and thin one-year ice in winter. Hence, the seasonal cycle in sea ice cover will increase with ongoing climate warming. This in itself leads to an increased summer-winter contrast in surface air temperature, because changes in sea ice have a dominant influence on Arctic temperature and its seasonality. Currently, the annual amplitude in air temperature is decreasing, however, because winters warm faster than summer. With ongoing summer sea ice reductions there will come a time when the annual temperature amplitude will increase again because of the large seasonal changes in sea ice. This suggests that changes in the seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice and temperature are closely, and intricately, connected. Future changes in Arctic seasonality (will) have an profound effect on flora, fauna, humans and economic activities.

Air Quality Procedures for Civilian Airports and Air Force Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

s) - phase j (s) 6. aact approach INO a. P Propotion of Vehicles thate ftop. 6. i, rwlash of veh..iclaes -ha -w -per 7 Ni ~Averiq. ow-o o.vecls funn...light winlolowing from land to a large body of water at night due to temperature differences between land and water. I--. Lead This is a heavy metal...8217 . . ... ’•’. , ’ ’. -. . . . .i. .i .i -’’ Sea Breeze A light wind blowing from a large body of water to surrounding land areas during the day due to temperature differences

Skin Temperature Processes in the Presence of Sea Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brumer, S. E.; Zappa, C. J.; Brown, S.; McGillis, W. R.; Loose, B.

2013-12-01

Monitoring the sea-ice margins of polar oceans and understanding the physical processes at play at the ice-ocean-air interface is essential in the perspective of a changing climate in which we face an accelerated decline of ice caps and sea ice. Remote sensing and in particular InfraRed (IR) imaging offer a unique opportunity not only to observe physical processes at sea-ice margins, but also to measure air-sea exchanges near ice. It permits monitoring ice and ocean temperature variability, and can be used for derivation of surface flow field allowing investigating turbulence and shearing at the ice-ocean interface as well as ocean-atmosphere gas transfer. Here we present experiments conducted with the aim of gaining an insight on how the presence of sea ice affects the momentum exchange between the atmosphere and ocean and investigate turbulence production in the interplay of ice-water shear, convection, waves and wind. A set of over 200 high resolution IR imagery records was taken at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL, Hanover NH) under varying ice coverage, fan and pump settings. In situ instruments provided air and water temperature, salinity, subsurface currents and wave height. Air side profiling provided environmental parameters such as wind speed, humidity and heat fluxes. The study aims to investigate what can be gained from small-scale high-resolution IR imaging of the ice-ocean-air interface; in particular how sea ice modulates local physics and gas transfer. The relationship between water and ice temperatures with current and wind will be addressed looking at the ocean and ice temperature variance. Various skin temperature and gas transfer parameterizations will be evaluated at ice margins under varying environmental conditions. Furthermore the accuracy of various techniques used to determine surface flow will be assessed from which turbulence statistics will be determined. This will give an insight on how ice presence may affect the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy.

Simulation of global oceanic upper layers forced at the surface by an optimal bulk formulation derived from multi-campaign measurements.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garric, G.; Pirani, A.; Belamari, S.; Caniaux, G.

2006-12-01

order to improve the air/sea interface for the future MERCATOR global ocean operational system, we have implemented the new bulk formulation developed by METEO-FRANCE (French Meteo office) in the MERCATOR 2 degree global ocean-ice coupled model (ORCA2/LIM). A single bulk formulation for the drag, temperature and moisture exchange coefficients is derived from an extended consistent database gathering 10 years of measurements issued from five experiments dedicated to air-sea fluxes estimates (SEMAPHORE, CATCH, FETCH, EQUALANT99 and POMME) in various oceanic basins (from Northern to equatorial Atlantic). The available database (ALBATROS) cover the widest range of atmospheric and oceanic conditions, from very light (0.3 m/s) to very strong (up to 29 m/s) wind speeds, and from unstable to extremely stable atmospheric boundary layer stratification. We have defined a work strategy to test this new formulation in a global oceanic context, by using this multi- campaign bulk formulation to derive air-sea fluxes from base meteorological variables produces by the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range and Weather Forecast) atmospheric forecast model, in order to get surface boundary conditions for ORCA2/LIM. The simulated oceanic upper layers forced at the surface by the previous air/sea interface are compared to those forced by the optimal bulk formulation. Consecutively with generally weaker transfer coefficient, the latter formulation reduces the cold bias in the equatorial Pacific and increases the too weak summer sea ice extent in Antarctica. Compared to a recent mixed layer depth (MLD) climatology, the optimal bulk formulation reduces also the too deep simulated MLDs. Comparison with in situ temperature and salinity profiles in different areas allowed us to evaluate the impact of changing the air/sea interface in the vertical structure.

Accuracy of sea ice temperature derived from the advanced very high resolution radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Y.; Rothrock, D. A.; Lindsay, R. W.

1995-01-01

The accuracy of Arctic sea ice surface temperatures T(sub s) dericed from advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) thermal channels is evaluated in the cold seasons by comparing them with surface air temperatures T(sub air) from drifting buoys and ice stations. We use three different estimates of satellite surface temperatures, a direct estimate from AVHRR channel 4 with only correction for the snow surface emissivity but not for the atmosphere, a single-channel regression of T(sub s) with T(sub air), and Key and Haefliger's (1992) polar multichannel algorithm. We find no measurable bias in any of these estimates and few differences in their statistics. The similar performance of all three methods indicates that an atmospheric water vapor correction is not important for the dry winter atmosphere in the central Arctic, given the other sources of error that remain in both the satellite and the comparison data. A record of drifting station data shows winter air temperature to be 1.4 C warmer than the snow surface temperature. `Correcting' air temperatures to skin temperature by subtracting this amount implies that satellite T(sub s) estimates are biased warm with respect to skin temperature by about this amount. A case study with low-flying aircraft data suggests that ice crystal precipitation can cause satellite estimates of T(sub s) to be several degrees warmer than radiometric measurements taken close to the surface, presumably below the ice crystal precipitation layer. An analysis in which errors are assumed to exist in all measurements, not just the satellite measurements, gives a standard deviation in the satellite estimates of 0.9 C, about half the standard deviation of 1.7 C estimated by assigning all the variation between T(sub s) and T(sub air) to errors in T(sub s).

Sea ice-induced cold air advection as a mechanism controlling tundra primary productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macias-Fauria, M.; Karlsen, S. R.

2015-12-01

The recent sharp decline in Arctic sea ice extent, concentration, and volume leaves urgent questions regarding its effects on ecological processes. Changes in tundra productivity have been associated with sea ice dynamics on the basis that most tundra ecosystems lay close to the sea. Although some studies have addressed the potential effect of sea ice decline on the primary productivity of terrestrial arctic ecosystems (Bhatt et al., 2010), a clear picture of the mechanisms and patterns linking both processes remains elusive. We hypothesised that sea ice might influence tundra productivity through 1) cold air advection during the growing season (direct/weather effect) or 2) changes in regional climate induced by changes in sea ice (indirect/climate effect). We present a test on the direct/weather effect hypothesis: that is, tundra productivity is coupled with sea ice when sea ice remains close enough from land vegetation during the growing season for cold air advection to limit temperatures locally. We employed weekly MODIS-derived Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (as a proxy for primary productivity) and sea ice data at a spatial resolution of 232m for the period 2000-2014 (included), covering the Svalbard Archipelago. Our results suggest that sea ice-induced cold air advection is a likely mechanism to explain patterns of NDVI trends and heterogeneous spatial dynamics in the Svalbard archipelago. The mechanism offers the potential to explain sea ice/tundra productivity dynamics in other Arctic areas.

Understanding spatial and temporal behavior of sea spray droplets in the marine atmospheric boundary layer using an Eulerian-Lagrangian model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nissanka, I. D.; Richter, D. H.

2017-12-01

Previous studies have shown that sea spray droplets can play a significant role in air-sea heat and moisture exchange. The larger spray droplets have potential to transfer considerable amount of mass, momentum and heat, however they remain closer to surface and their residence times are shorter due to the faster settling. On the other hand, smaller droplets have high vertical mobility which allows sufficient time for droplets to adjust to ambient conditions. Hence, to study the heat and moisture characteristics of sea spray droplets it is important to understand how different droplet sizes behave in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL), especially their temporal evolutions. In this study sea spray droplet transport in the MABL is simulated using Large Eddy Simulation combined with a Lagrangian Particle model which represents spray droplets of varying size. The individual droplets are tracked while their radius and temperature evolve based on local ambient conditions. The particles are advected based on the local resolved velocities and the particle dispersion due to sub-filtered scale motions are modeled using a Lagrangian stochastic model. In this study a series of simulations are conducted with the focus of understanding fundamental droplet microphysics, which will help characterize and quantify the lifetime and airborne concentrations of spray droplets in the MABL, thus elucidating ongoing knowledge gaps which are impossible to fill using observations alone. We measure the size resolved spray droplet vertical concentrations, particle residence times, and temporal evolution of droplet radius and temperature to explain the behavior of sea spry droplets in MABL. The PDF of residence time of different initial droplet sizes and joint PDFs of droplet life time and radius and temperature for different droplet sizes are calculated to further quantify the temporal and spatial behavior of sea spray droplets in the MABL, which can be used as inputs into bulk models of air-sea transfer.

Global temperature definition affects achievement of long-term climate goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Mark; Cowtan, Kevin; Millar, Richard J.

2018-05-01

The Paris Agreement on climate change aims to limit ‘global average temperature’ rise to ‘well below 2 °C’ but reported temperature depends on choices about how to blend air and water temperature data, handle changes in sea ice and account for regions with missing data. Here we use CMIP5 climate model simulations to estimate how these choices affect reported warming and carbon budgets consistent with the Paris Agreement. By the 2090s, under a low-emissions scenario, modelled global near-surface air temperature rise is 15% higher (5%–95% range 6%–21%) than that estimated by an approach similar to the HadCRUT4 observational record. The difference reduces to 8% with global data coverage, or 4% with additional removal of a bias associated with changing sea-ice cover. Comparison of observational datasets with different data sources or infilling techniques supports our model results regarding incomplete coverage. From high-emission simulations, we find that a HadCRUT4 like definition means higher carbon budgets and later exceedance of temperature thresholds, relative to global near-surface air temperature. 2 °C warming is delayed by seven years on average, to 2048 (2035–2060), and CO2 emissions budget for a >50% chance of <2 °C warming increases by 67 GtC (246 GtCO2).

Sea Fog Forecasting with Lagrangian Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, J. M.

2014-12-01

In 1913, G. I. Taylor introduced us to a Lagrangian view of sea fog formation. He conducted his study off the coast of Newfoundland in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster. We briefly review Taylor's classic work and then apply these same principles to a case of sea fog formation and dissipation off the coast of California. The resources used in this study consist of: 1) land-based surface and upper-air observations, 2) NDBC (National Data Buoy Center) observations from moored buoys equipped to measure dew point temperature as well as the standard surface observations at sea (wind, sea surface temperature, pressure, and air temperature), 3) satellite observations of cloud, and 4) a one-dimensional (vertically directed) boundary layer model that tracks with the surface air motion and makes use of sophisticated turbulence-radiation parameterizations. Results of the investigation indicate that delicate interplay and interaction between the radiation and turbulence processes makes accurate forecasts of sea fog onset unlikely in the near future. This pessimistic attitude stems from inadequacy of the existing network of observations and uncertainties in modeling dynamical processes within the boundary layer.

The OceanFlux Greenhouse Gases methodology for deriving a sea surface climatology of CO2 fugacity in support of air-sea gas flux studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddijn-Murphy, L. M.; Woolf, D. K.; Land, P. E.; Shutler, J. D.; Donlon, C.

2015-07-01

Climatologies, or long-term averages, of essential climate variables are useful for evaluating models and providing a baseline for studying anomalies. The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) has made millions of global underway sea surface measurements of CO2 publicly available, all in a uniform format and presented as fugacity, fCO2. As fCO2 is highly sensitive to temperature, the measurements are only valid for the instantaneous sea surface temperature (SST) that is measured concurrently with the in-water CO2 measurement. To create a climatology of fCO2 data suitable for calculating air-sea CO2 fluxes, it is therefore desirable to calculate fCO2 valid for a more consistent and averaged SST. This paper presents the OceanFlux Greenhouse Gases methodology for creating such a climatology. We recomputed SOCAT's fCO2 values for their respective measurement month and year using monthly composite SST data on a 1° × 1° grid from satellite Earth observation and then extrapolated the resulting fCO2 values to reference year 2010. The data were then spatially interpolated onto a 1° × 1° grid of the global oceans to produce 12 monthly fCO2 distributions for 2010, including the prediction errors of fCO2 produced by the spatial interpolation technique. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is also provided for those who prefer to use pCO2. The CO2 concentration difference between ocean and atmosphere is the thermodynamic driving force of the air-sea CO2 flux, and hence the presented fCO2 distributions can be used in air-sea gas flux calculations together with climatologies of other climate variables.

Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and SeaWinds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This image shows Hurricane Frances as captured by instruments onboard two different satellites: the AIRS infrared instrument onboard Aqua, and the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT. Both are JPL-managed instruments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction over the ocean.

The red vectors in the image show Frances' surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. The background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface as viewed in the infrared by AIRS, with cooler areas pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The color scale on the right gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin. (The top of the scale, 320 degrees Kelvin, corresponds to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bottom, 180 degrees K is -135 degrees F.) The powerful circulation of this storm is evident from the combined data as well as the development of a clearly-defined central 'eye'. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the light blue areas reveal the cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. In cloud-free areas the infrared signal comes from Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures.

The power of the SeaWinds scatterometer data set lies in its ability to generate global maps of wind speed and direction, giving us a snapshot of how the atmosphere is circulating. Weather prediction centers, including the Tropical Prediction Center - a branch of NOAA that monitors the creation of ocean-born storms, use scatterometer data to help it 'see' where these storms are brewing so that warnings can be issued and the storms, with often erratic motions, can be tracked.

While the SeaWinds instrument isn't designed to gather hurricane data, having difficulty seeing the surface in heavy rain, it's data can be used in combination with other data sets to give us an insight into these storms. In this combination image, the AIRS infrared data reveals the temperature of the atmosphere around the storm, but doesn't tell us about the wind direction or relative intensity. The directional vectors of the SeaWinds data set show how the air is circulating around the storm.

Scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction by bouncing microwave pulses off the ocean's surface. The SeaWinds instruments measure the backscattered radar energy from wind-generated ocean waves. By making multiple measurements from different looks at the same location, we can infer the vector wind averaged over each 25 km resolution cell. The primary mission objective of the SeaWinds and QuikSCAT scatterometers is to obtain long-term, global coverage of the ocean vector winds for oceanographic and climate research. While not specifically designed for detailed mapping and tracking of hurricanes, both instruments have been found to be useful resources for operational forecasters.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Climate change impacts on sea-air fluxes of CO2 in three Arctic seas: a sensitivity study using Earth observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Land, P. E.; Shutler, J. D.; Cowling, R. D.; Woolf, D. K.; Walker, P.; Findlay, H. S.; Upstill-Goddard, R. C.; Donlon, C. J.

2013-12-01

We applied coincident Earth observation data collected during 2008 and 2009 from multiple sensors (RA2, AATSR and MERIS, mounted on the European Space Agency satellite Envisat) to characterise environmental conditions and integrated sea-air fluxes of CO2 in three Arctic seas (Greenland, Barents, Kara). We assessed net CO2 sink sensitivity due to changes in temperature, salinity and sea ice duration arising from future climate scenarios. During the study period the Greenland and Barents seas were net sinks for atmospheric CO2, with integrated sea-air fluxes of -36 ± 14 and -11 ± 5 Tg C yr-1, respectively, and the Kara Sea was a weak net CO2 source with an integrated sea-air flux of +2.2 ± 1.4 Tg C yr-1. The combined integrated CO2 sea-air flux from all three was -45 ± 18 Tg C yr-1. In a sensitivity analysis we varied temperature, salinity and sea ice duration. Variations in temperature and salinity led to modification of the transfer velocity, solubility and partial pressure of CO2 taking into account the resultant variations in alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Our results showed that warming had a strong positive effect on the annual integrated sea-air flux of CO2 (i.e. reducing the sink), freshening had a strong negative effect and reduced sea ice duration had a small but measurable positive effect. In the climate change scenario examined, the effects of warming in just over a decade of climate change up to 2020 outweighed the combined effects of freshening and reduced sea ice duration. Collectively these effects gave an integrated sea-air flux change of +4.0 Tg C in the Greenland Sea, +6.0 Tg C in the Barents Sea and +1.7 Tg C in the Kara Sea, reducing the Greenland and Barents sinks by 11% and 53%, respectively, and increasing the weak Kara Sea source by 81%. Overall, the regional integrated flux changed by +11.7 Tg C, which is a 26% reduction in the regional sink. In terms of CO2 sink strength, we conclude that the Barents Sea is the most susceptible of the three regions to the climate changes examined. Our results imply that the region will cease to be a net CO2 sink in the 2050s.

An Examination of Intertidal Temperatures Through Remotely Sensed Satellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, V.

2010-12-01

MODIS Aqua and Terra satellites produce both land surface temperatures and sea surface temperatures using calibrated algorithms. In this study, the land surface temperatures were retrieved during clear-sky (non-cloudy) conditions at a 1 km2 resolution (overpass time at 10:30 am) whereas the sea surface temperatures are also retrieved during clear-sky conditions at approximately 4 km resolution (overpass time at 1:30 pm). The purpose of this research was to examine remotely sensed sea surface (SST), intertidal (IST), and land surface temperatures (LST), in conjunction with observed in situ mussel body temperatures, as well as associated weather and tidal data. In Strawberry Hill, Oregon, it was determined that intertidal surface temperatures are similar to but distinctly different from land surface temperatures although influenced by sea surface temperatures. The air temperature and differential heating throughout the day, as well as location in relation to the shore, can greatly influence the remotely sensed surface temperatures. Therefore, remotely sensed satellite data is a very useful tool in examining intertidal temperatures for regional climatic changes over long time periods and may eventually help researchers forecast expected climate changes and help determine associated biological implications.

Impact of Langmuir Turbulence on Upper Ocean Response to Hurricane Edouard: Model and Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blair, A.; Ginis, I.; Hara, T.; Ulhorn, E.

2017-12-01

Tropical cyclone intensity is strongly affected by the air-sea heat flux beneath the storm. When strong storm winds enhance upper ocean turbulent mixing and entrainment of colder water from below the thermocline, the resulting sea surface temperature cooling may reduce the heat flux to the storm and weaken the storm. Recent studies suggest that this upper ocean turbulence is strongly affected by different sea states (Langmuir turbulence), which are highly complex and variable in tropical cyclone conditions. In this study, the upper ocean response under Hurricane Edouard (2014) is investigated using a coupled ocean-wave model with and without an explicit sea state dependent Langmuir turbulence parameterization. The results are compared with in situ observations of sea surface temperature and mixed layer depth from AXBTs, as well as satellite sea surface temperature observations. Overall, the model results of mixed layer deepening and sea surface temperature cooling under and behind the storm are consistent with observations. The model results show that the effects of sea state dependent Langmuir turbulence can be significant, particularly on the mixed layer depth evolution. Although available observations are not sufficient to confirm such effects, some observed trends suggest that the sea state dependent parameterization might be more accurate than the traditional (sea state independent) parameterization.

Satellite monitoring of sea surface pollution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fielder, G.; Telfer, D. J. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Image processing techniques developed are well adapted to the exploration and isolation of local areas which exhibit small temperature differences between themselves and their surroundings. In the worst case of imagery of small areal extent of sea surface having no coastal boundary in the area, there is yet no method of distinguishing unambiguously an oil spill from fog, cloud, the effect produced by shallow sediments, or the effects of naturally occuring thermal fronts. In the case of uniform slicks of liquid North Sea oil in still air, laboratory simulation experiments show that, for oil thicknesses in excess of 1 or 2 mm, there is, under equilibrium conditions, little dependence of oil surface temperature on the thickness of the oil layer. The surface temperature of oil is consistently higher than that of water, the difference being about 1 K at low values of relative humidity, but tending to increase as the relative humidity increases.

Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Coordination

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

profiler (AXCP) ocean velocity shear (Morison), UpTempO buoy measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), sea level atmospheric pressure ( SLP ), and...and prediction…. Steele UpTempO buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS, & surface velocity Visible and Thermal Images of the SIZ from the Coast Guard...Expendable CTD, AXCP= Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric Pressure, SST= Seas Surface Temperature, A/C= aircraft, SIC=Sea Ice

Intense air-sea exchanges and heavy orographic precipitation over Italy: The role of Adriatic sea surface temperature uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocchi, Paolo; Davolio, Silvio

2017-11-01

Strong and persistent low-level winds blowing over the Adriatic basin are often associated with intense precipitation events over Italy. Typically, in case of moist southeasterly wind (Sirocco), rainfall affects northeastern Italy and the Alpine chain, while with cold northeasterly currents (Bora) precipitations are localized along the eastern slopes of the Apennines and central Italy coastal areas. These events are favoured by intense air-sea interactions and it is reasonable to hypothesize that the Adriatic sea surface temperature (SST) can affect the amount and location of precipitation. High-resolution simulations of different Bora and Sirocco events leading to severe precipitation are performed using a convection-permitting model (MOLOCH). Sensitivity experiments varying the SST initialization field are performed with the aim of evaluating the impact of SST uncertainty on precipitation forecasts, which is a relevant topic for operational weather predictions, especially at local scales. Moreover, diagnostic tools to compute water vapour fluxes across the Italian coast and atmospheric water budget over the Adriatic Sea have been developed and applied in order to characterize the air mass that feeds the precipitating systems. Finally, the investigation of the processes through which the SST influences location and intensity of heavy precipitation allows to gain a better understanding on mechanisms conducive to severe weather in the Mediterranean area and in the Adriatic basin in particular. Results show that the effect of the Adriatic SST (uncertainty) on precipitation is complex and can vary considerably among different events. For both Bora and Sirocco events, SST does not influence markedly the atmospheric water budget or the degree of moistening of air that flows over the Adriatic Sea. SST mainly affects the stability of the atmospheric boundary layer, thus influencing the flow dynamics and the orographic flow regime, and in turn, the precipitation pattern.

Can uncertainties in sea ice albedo reconcile patterns of data-model discord for the Pliocene and 20th/21st centuries?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, Fergus W.; Haywood, Alan M.; Dolan, Aisling M.; Dowsett, Harry J.; Francis, Jane E; Hill, Daniel J.; Pickering, Steven J.; Pope, James O.; Salzmann, Ulrich; Wade, Bidget S

2014-01-01

General Circulation Model simulations of the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP, 3.264 to 3.025 Myr ago) currently underestimate the level of warming that proxy data suggest existed at high latitudes, with discrepancies of up to 11°C for sea surface temperature estimates and 17°C for surface air temperature estimates. Sea ice has a strong influence on high-latitude climates, partly due to the albedo feedback. We present results demonstrating the effects of reductions in minimum sea ice albedo limits in general circulation model simulations of the mPWP. While mean annual surface air temperature increases of up to 6°C are observed in the Arctic, the maximum decrease in model-data discrepancies is just 0.81°C. Mean annual sea surface temperatures increase by up to 2°C, with a maximum model-data discrepancy improvement of 1.31°C. It is also suggested that the simulation of observed 21st century sea ice decline could be influenced by the adjustment of the sea ice albedo parameterization.

Arctic (and Antarctic) Observing Experiment - an Assessment of Methods to Measure Temperature over Polar Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigor, I. G.; Clemente-Colon, P.; Nghiem, S. V.; Hall, D. K.; Woods, J. E.; Henderson, G. R.; Zook, J.; Marshall, C.; Gallage, C.

2014-12-01

The Arctic environment has been undergoing profound changes; the most visible is the dramatic decrease in Arctic sea ice extent (SIE). These changes pose a challenge to our ability to measure surface temperature across the Polar Regions. Traditionally, the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) and International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB) have measured surface air temperature (SAT) at 2-m height, which minimizes the ambiguity of measurements near of the surface. Specifically, is the temperature sensor measuring open water, snow, sea ice, or air? But now, with the dramatic decrease in Arctic SIE, increase in open water during summer, and the frailty of the younger sea ice pack, the IABP has had to deploy and develop new instruments to measure temperature. These instruments include Surface Velocity Program (SVP) buoys, which are commonly deployed on the world's ice-free oceans and typically measure sea surface temperature (SST), and the new robust Airborne eXpendable Ice Beacons (AXIB), which measure both SST and SAT. "Best Practice" requires that these instruments are inter-compared, and early results showing differences in collocated temperature measurements of over 2°C prompted the establishment of the IABP Arctic Observing Experiment (AOX) buoy test site at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in Barrow, Alaska. Preliminary results showed that the color of the hull of SVP buoys introduces a bias due to solar heating of the buoy. Since then, we have recommended that buoys should be painted white to reduce biases in temperature measurements due to different colors of the buoys deployed in different regions of the Arctic or the Antarctic. Measurements of SAT are more robust, but some of the temperature shields are susceptible to frosting. During our presentation we will provide an intercomparison of the temperature measurements at the AOX test site (i.e. high quality DOE/ARM observations compared with unattended buoy measurements, and satellite retrievals). We will also show how these data may be used to improve our record of temperature over polar environments.

Comparison between AVHRR surface temperature data and in-situ weather station temperatures over the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezvanbehbahani, S.; Csatho, B. M.; Comiso, J. C.; Babonis, G. S.

2011-12-01

Advanced Very-High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images have been exhaustively used to measure surface temperature time series of the Greenland Ice sheet. The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of monthly average ice sheet surface temperatures, derived from thermal infrared AVHRR satellite imagery on a 6.25 km grid. In-situ temperature data sets are from the Greenland Collection Network (GC-Net). GC-Net stations comprise sensors monitoring air temperature at 1 and 2 meter above the snow surface, gathered at every 60 seconds and monthly averaged to match the AVHRR temporal resolution. Our preliminary results confirm the good agreement between satellite and in-situ temperature measurements reported by previous studies. However, some large discrepancies still exist. While AVHRR provides ice surface temperature, in-situ stations measure air temperatures at different elevations above the snow surface. Since most in-situ data on ice sheets are collected by Automatic Weather Station (AWS) instruments, it is important to characterize the difference between surface and air temperatures. Therefore, we compared and analyzed average monthly AVHRR ice surface temperatures using data collected in 2002. Differences between these temperatures correlate with in-situ temperatures and GC-Net station elevations, with increasing differences at lower elevations and higher temperatures. The Summit Station (3199 m above sea level) and the Swiss Camp (1176 m above sea level) results were compared as high altitude and low altitude stations for 2002, respectively. Our results show that AVHRR derived temperatures were 0.5°K warmer than AWS temperature at the Summit Station, while this difference was 2.8°K in the opposite direction for the Swiss Camp with surface temperatures being lower than air temperatures. The positive bias of 0.5°K at the high altitude Summit Station (surface warmer than air) is within the retrieval error of AVHRR temperatures and might be in part due to atmospheric inversion. The large negative bias of 2.8°K at the low altitude Swiss Camp (surface colder than the air) could be caused by a combination of different factors including local effects such as more windy circumstances above the snow surface and biases introduced by the cloud-masking applied on the AVHRR images. Usually only satellite images acquired in clear-sky conditions are used for deriving monthly AVHRR average temperatures. Since cloud-free days are usually warmer, satellite derived temperatures tend to underestimate the real average temperatures, especially regions with frequent cloud cover, such as Swiss Camp. Therefore, cautions must be exercised while using ice surface temperatures derived from satellite imagery for glaciological applications. Eliminating the cloudy day's' temperature from the in-situ data prior to the comparison with AVHRR derived temperatures will provide a better assessment of AVHRR surface temperature measurement accuracy.

Results from a lab study of melting sea ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiese, M.; Griewank, P.; Notz, D.

2012-04-01

Sea-ice melting is a complex process which is not fully understood yet. In order to study sea-ice melt in detail we perform lab experiments in an approximately 2x0.7x1.2 m large tank in a cold room. We grow sea ice with different salinities at least 10 cm thick. Then we let the ice melt at different air temperatures and oceanic heat fluxes. During the melt period, we measure the evolution of ice thickness, internal temperature, salinity and surface temperature. We will present results from roughly five months of experiments. Topics will include the influence of bulk salinity on melt rates and the surface temperature. The effects of flushing on the salinity evolution and detailed thermal profiles will also be included. To investigate these processes we focus on the energy budget and the salinity evolution. These topics are linked since the thermodynamic properties of sea ice (heat capacity, heat conductivity and latent heat of fusion) are very sensitive to salinity variations. For example the heat capacity of sea ice increases greatly as the temperature approaches the melting point. This increase results in non-linear temperature profiles and enhances heat conduction into the ice. The salinity evolution during the growth phase has been investigated and measured in multiple studies over the last decades. In contrast there are no detailed lab measurements of melting ice available to quantify the effects of flushing melt water and ponding. This is partially due to the fact that the heterogeneity of melting sea ice makes it much more difficult to measure representative values.

Global mean sea level - Indicator of climate change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robock, A.; Hansen, J.; Gornitz, V.; Lebedeff, S.; Moore, E.; Etkins, R.; Epstein, E.

1983-01-01

A critical discussion is presented on the use by Etkins and Epstein (1982) of combined surface air temperature and sea level time series to draw conclusions concerning the discharge of the polar ice sheets. It is objected by Robock that they used Northern Hemisphere land surface air temperature records which are unrepresentative of global sea surface temperature, and he suggests that externally imposed volcanic dust and CO2 forcings can adequately account for observed temperature changes over the last century, with global sea level changing in passive response to sea change as a result of thermal expansion. Hansen et al. adduce evidence for global cooling due to ice discharge that has not exceeded a few hundredths of a degree centigrade in the last century, precluding any importance of this phenomenon in the interpretation of global mean temperature trends for this period. Etkins and Epstein reply that since their 1982 report additional evidence has emerged for the hypothesis that the polar ice caps are diminishing. It is reasserted that each of the indices discussed, including global mean sea surface temperature and sea level, polar ice sheet mass balance, water mass characteristics, and the spin rate and axis of rotation displacement of the earth, are physically linked and can be systematically monitored, as is currently being planned under the auspices of the National Climate Program.

Estimation of the uncertainty of a climate model using an ensemble simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, A.; Mathiot, P.; Goosse, H.

2012-04-01

The atmospheric forcings play an important role in the study of the ocean and sea-ice dynamics of the Southern Ocean. Error in the atmospheric forcings will inevitably result in uncertain model results. The sensitivity of the model results to errors in the atmospheric forcings are studied with ensemble simulations using multivariate perturbations of the atmospheric forcing fields. The numerical ocean model used is the NEMO-LIM in a global configuration with an horizontal resolution of 2°. NCEP reanalyses are used to provide air temperature and wind data to force the ocean model over the last 50 years. A climatological mean is used to prescribe relative humidity, cloud cover and precipitation. In a first step, the model results is compared with OSTIA SST and OSI SAF sea ice concentration of the southern hemisphere. The seasonal behavior of the RMS difference and bias in SST and ice concentration is highlighted as well as the regions with relatively high RMS errors and biases such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and near the ice-edge. Ensemble simulations are performed to statistically characterize the model error due to uncertainties in the atmospheric forcings. Such information is a crucial element for future data assimilation experiments. Ensemble simulations are performed with perturbed air temperature and wind forcings. A Fourier decomposition of the NCEP wind vectors and air temperature for 2007 is used to generate ensemble perturbations. The perturbations are scaled such that the resulting ensemble spread matches approximately the RMS differences between the satellite SST and sea ice concentration. The ensemble spread and covariance are analyzed for the minimum and maximum sea ice extent. It is shown that errors in the atmospheric forcings can extend to several hundred meters in depth near the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Offshore Floating Wind Turbine-driven Deep Sea Water Pumping for Combined Electrical Power and District Cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sant, T.; Buhagiar, D.; Farrugia, R. N.

2014-06-01

A new concept utilising floating wind turbines to exploit the low temperatures of deep sea water for space cooling in buildings is presented. The approach is based on offshore hydraulic wind turbines pumping pressurised deep sea water to a centralised plant consisting of a hydro-electric power system coupled to a large-scale sea water-cooled air conditioning (AC) unit of an urban district cooling network. In order to investigate the potential advantages of this new concept over conventional technologies, a simplified model for performance simulation of a vapour compression AC unit was applied independently to three different systems, with the AC unit operating with (1) a constant flow of sea surface water, (2) a constant flow of sea water consisting of a mixture of surface sea water and deep sea water delivered by a single offshore hydraulic wind turbine and (3) an intermittent flow of deep sea water pumped by a single offshore hydraulic wind turbine. The analysis was based on one year of wind and ambient temperature data for the Central Mediterranean that is known for its deep waters, warm climate and relatively low wind speeds. The study confirmed that while the present concept is less efficient than conventional turbines utilising grid-connected electrical generators, a significant portion of the losses associated with the hydraulic transmission through the pipeline are offset by the extraction of cool deep sea water which reduces the electricity consumption of urban air-conditioning units.

Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Coordination and Ocean Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Morison), UpTempO buoy measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), sea level atmospheric pressure ( SLP ), and velocity (Steele), and dropsonde...dropsondes, micro-aircraft), cloud top/base heights UpTempO buoys for understanding and prediction…. Steele UpTempO buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS...Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric Pressure, SST= Seas Surface Temperature, A/C= aircraft, SIC=Sea Ice Concentration We

Stress induced by hooking, net towing, elevated sea water temperature and air in sablefish: Lack of concordance between mortality and physiological measures of stress

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, M.W.; Olla, B.L.; Schreck, C.B.

2001-01-01

In a series of laboratory studies designed to simulate bycatch processes, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria were either hooked for up to 24 h or towed in a net for 4 h and then subjected to an abrupt transfer to elevated sea water temperature and air. Mortality did not result from hooking or net towing followed by exposure to air, but increased for both capture methods as fish were exposed to elevated temperatures, reflecting the magnifying effect of elevated temperature on mortality. Hooking and exposure to air resulted in increased plasma cortisol and lactate concentrations, while the combination of hooking and exposure to elevated temperature and air resulted in increased lactate and potassium concentrations. In fish that were towed in a net and exposed to air, cortisol, lactate, potassium and sodium concentrations increased, but when subjected to elevated temperature and air, no further increases occurred above the concentrations induced by net towing and air, suggesting a possible maximum of the physiological stress response. The results suggest that caution should be exercised when using physiological measures to quantify stress induced by capture and exposure to elevated temperature and air, that ultimately result in mortality, since the connections between physiological stress and mortality in bycatch processes remain to be fully understood.

Fall Freeze-up of Sea Ice in the Beaufort-Chukchi Seas Using ERS-1 SAR and Buoy Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, B.; Winebrenner, B.; D., Nelson E.

1993-01-01

The lowering of air temperatures below freezing in the fall indicates the end of summer melt and the onset of steady sea ice growth. The thickness and condition of ice that remains at the end of summer has ramifications for the thickness that that ice will attain at the end of the following winter. This period also designates a shifting of key fluxes from upper ocean freshening from ice melt to increased salinity from brine extraction during ice growth. This transitional period has been examined in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas using ERS-1 SAR imagery and air temperatures from drifting buoys during 1991 and 1992. The SAR imagery is used to examine the condition and types of ice present in this period. Much of the surface melt water has drained off at this time. Air temperatures from drifting buoys coincident in time and within 100 km radius of the SAR imagery have been obtained...

Episodic Southern Ocean Heat Loss and Its Mixed Layer Impacts Revealed by the Farthest South Multiyear Surface Flux Mooring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogle, S. E.; Tamsitt, V.; Josey, S. A.; Gille, S. T.; Cerovečki, I.; Talley, L. D.; Weller, R. A.

2018-05-01

The Ocean Observatories Initiative air-sea flux mooring deployed at 54.08°S, 89.67°W, in the southeast Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, is the farthest south long-term open ocean flux mooring ever deployed. Mooring observations (February 2015 to August 2017) provide the first in situ quantification of annual net air-sea heat exchange from one of the prime Subantarctic Mode Water formation regions. Episodic turbulent heat loss events (reaching a daily mean net flux of -294 W/m2) generally occur when northeastward winds bring relatively cold, dry air to the mooring location, leading to large air-sea temperature and humidity differences. Wintertime heat loss events promote deep mixed layer formation that lead to Subantarctic Mode Water formation. However, these processes have strong interannual variability; a higher frequency of 2 σ and 3 σ turbulent heat loss events in winter 2015 led to deep mixed layers (>300 m), which were nonexistent in winter 2016.

Overview of the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) - A study of air-sea interaction in a region of strong oceanic gradients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weller, Robert A.

1991-01-01

From 1984 to 1986 the cooperative Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) was conducted in the subtropical convergence zone southwest of Bermuda. The overall objective of the experiment was to study air-sea interaction on 1- to 100-km horizontal scales in a region of the open ocean characterized by strong horizontal gradients in upper ocean and sea surface properties. Ocean fronts provided both large spatial gradients in sea surface temperature and strong jetlike flows in the upper ocean. The motivation for and detailed objectives of FASINEX are reviewed. Then the components of the field program are summarized. Finally, selected results are presented in order to provide an overview of the outcome of FASINEX.

Estimation of daily maximum and minimum air temperatures in urban landscapes using MODIS time series satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Cheolhee; Im, Jungho; Park, Seonyoung; Quackenbush, Lindi J.

2018-03-01

Urban air temperature is considered a significant variable for a variety of urban issues, and analyzing the spatial patterns of air temperature is important for urban planning and management. However, insufficient weather stations limit accurate spatial representation of temperature within a heterogeneous city. This study used a random forest machine learning approach to estimate daily maximum and minimum air temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) for two megacities with different climate characteristics: Los Angeles, USA, and Seoul, South Korea. This study used eight time-series land surface temperature (LST) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), with seven auxiliary variables: elevation, solar radiation, normalized difference vegetation index, latitude, longitude, aspect, and the percentage of impervious area. We found different relationships between the eight time-series LSTs with Tmax/Tmin for the two cities, and designed eight schemes with different input LST variables. The schemes were evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) from 10-fold cross-validation. The best schemes produced R2 of 0.850 and 0.777 and RMSE of 1.7 °C and 1.2 °C for Tmax and Tmin in Los Angeles, and R2 of 0.728 and 0.767 and RMSE of 1.1 °C and 1.2 °C for Tmax and Tmin in Seoul, respectively. LSTs obtained the day before were crucial for estimating daily urban air temperature. Estimated air temperature patterns showed that Tmax was highly dependent on the geographic factors (e.g., sea breeze, mountains) of the two cities, while Tmin showed marginally distinct temperature differences between built-up and vegetated areas in the two cities.

Evaluation of East Asian climatology as simulated by seven coupled models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dabang; Wang, Huijun; Lang, Xianmei

2005-07-01

Using observation and reanalysis data throughout 1961 1990, the East Asian surface air temperature, precipitation and sea level pressure climatology as simulated by seven fully coupled atmosphere-ocean models, namely CCSR/NIES, CGCM2, CSIRO-Mk2, ECHAM4/OPYC3, GFDL-R30, HadCM3, and NCAR-PCM, are systematically evaluated in this study. It is indicated that the above models can successfully reproduce the annual and seasonal surface air temperature and precipitation climatology in East Asia, with relatively good performance for boreal autumn and annual mean. The models’ ability to simulate surface air temperature is more reliable than precipitation. In addition, the models can dependably capture the geographical distribution pattern of annual, boreal winter, spring and autumn sea level pressure in East Asia. In contrast, relatively large simulation errors are displayed when simulated boreal summer sea level pressure is compared with reanalysis data in East Asia. It is revealed that the simulation errors for surface air temperature, precipitation and sea level pressure are generally large over and around the Tibetan Plateau. No individual model is best in every aspect. As a whole, the ECHAM4/OPYC3 and HadCM3 performances are much better, whereas the CGCM2 is relatively poorer in East Asia. Additionally, the seven-model ensemble mean usually shows a relatively high reliability.

Classification of Baltic Sea ice types by airborne multifrequency microwave radiometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurvonen, L.; Hallikainen, M.

An airborne multifrequency radiometer (24, 34, 48, and 94 GHz, vertical polarization) was used to investigate the behavior of the brightness temperature of different sea ice types in the Gulf of Bothnia (Baltic Sea). The measurements and the main results of the analysis are presented. The measurements were made in dry and wet conditions (air temperature above and below 0 C). The angle of incidence was 45{degree} in all measurements. The following topics are evaluated: (a) frequency dependency of the brightness temperature of different ice types, (b) the capability of the multifrequency radiometer to classify ice types for winter navigationmore » purposes, and (c) the optimum measurement frequencies for mapping sea ice. The weather conditions had a significant impact on the radiometric signatures of some ice types (snow-covered compact pack ice and frost-covered new ice); the impact was the highest at 94 GHz. In all cases the overall classification accuracy was around 90% (the kappa coefficient was from 0.86 to 0.96) when the optimum channel combination (24/34 GHz and 94 GHz) was used.« less

Midlatitude atmosphere-ocean interaction during El Nino. Part II. The northern hemisphere atmosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexander, M.A.

The influence of midlatitude air-sea interaction on the atmospheric anomalies associated with El Nino is investigated by coupling the Community Climate Model to a mixed-layer ocean model in the North Pacific. Prescribed El Nino conditions, warm sea surface temperatures (SST) in the tropical Pacific, cause a southward displacement and strengthening of the Aleutian Low. This results in enhanced (reduced) advection of cold Asian air over the west-central (northwest) Pacific and northward advection of warm air over the eastern Pacific. Allowing air-sea feedback in the North Pacific slightly modified the El Nino-induced near-surface wind, air temperature, and precipitation anomalies. The anomalousmore » cyclonic circulation over the North Pacific is more concentric and shifted slightly to the east in the coupled simulations. Air-sea feedback also damped the air temperature anomalies over most of the North Pacific and reduced the precipitation rate above the cold SST anomaly that develops in the central Pacific. The simulated North Pacific SST anomalies and the resulting Northern Hemisphere atmospheric anomalies are roughly one-third as large as those related to the prescribed El Nino conditions in a composite of five cases. The composite geopotential height anomalies associated with changes in the North Pacific SSTs have an equivalent barotropic structure and range from -65 m to 50 m at the 200-mb level. Including air-sea feedback in the North Pacific tended to damp the atmospheric anomalies caused by the prescribed El Nino conditions in the tropical Pacific. As a result, the zonally elongated geopotential height anomalies over the West Pacific are reduced and shifted to the east. However, the atmospheric changes associated with the North Pacific SST anomalies vary widely among the five cases.« less

Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infrared and SeaWinds Scatterometer Data Combined

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-20

These two images show Hurricane Isabel as viewed by AIRS and SeaWinds scatterometers on NASA ADEOS-2 and QuikScat satellites in September, 2003. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00429

Visible and Thermal Imaging of Sea Ice and Open Water from Coast Guard Arctic Domain Awareness Flights

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

dropsondes, micro- aircraft), cloud top/base heights Arctic Ocean Surface Temperature project Steele Buoy drops for SLP , SST, SSS, & surface velocity...Colón & Vancas (NIC) Drop buoys for SLP , temperature and surface velocity Waves & Fetch in the MIZ Thompson SWIFTS buoys measuring wave energy...Expendable CTD, AXCP= Air Expendable Current Profiler, SLP = Sea Level atmospheric Pressure, SST= Seas Surface Temperature, A/C= aircraft, FSD= Floe Size Distribution, SIC=Sea Ice Concentration

Microbiological changes, shelf life and identification of initial and spoilage microbiota of sea bream fillets stored under various conditions using 16S rRNA gene analysis.

PubMed

Parlapani, Foteini F; Kormas, Konstantinos Ar; Boziaris, Ioannis S

2015-09-01

Sea bream fillets are one of the most important value-added products of the seafood market. Fresh seafood spoils mainly owing to bacterial action. In this study an exploration of initial and spoilage microbiota of sea bream fillets stored under air and commercial modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at 0 and 5 °C was conducted by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of isolates grown on plates. Sensory evaluation and enumeration of total viable counts and spoilage microorganisms were also conducted to determine shelf life and bacterial growth respectively. Different temperatures and atmospheres affected growth and synthesis of spoilage microbiota as well as shelf life. Shelf life under air at 0 and 5 °C was 14 and 5 days respectively, while under MAP it was 20 and 8 days respectively. Initial microbiota were dominated by Pseudomonas fluorescens, Psychrobacter and Macrococcus caseolyticus. Different temperatures and atmospheres affected the synthesis of spoilage microbiota. At the end of shelf life, different phylotypes of Pseudomonas closely related to Pseudomonas fragi were found to dominate in most cases, while Pseudomonas veronii dominated in fillets under MAP at 0 °C. Furthermore, in fillets under MAP at 5 °C, new dominant species such as Carnobacterium maltaromaticum, Carnobacterium divergens and Vagococcus fluvialis were revealed. Different temperature and atmospheric conditions affected bacterial growth, shelf life and the synthesis of spoilage microbiota. Molecular identification revealed species and strains of microorganisms that have not been reported before for sea bream fillets stored under various conditions, thus providing valuable information regarding microbiological spoilage. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ocean Surface Observations of the Diurnal Cycle of Turbulence with ASIP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Brian; Sutherland, Graig; Reverdin, Gilles; Marie, Louis; Christensen, Kai; Brostrom, Goran; Harcourt, Ramsey; Breivik, Oyvind

2015-04-01

The STRASSE field experiment was conducted in August/September 2012 as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) campaign. The average conditions during STRASSE were low wind and high insolation, which are typical for the generation of near-surface diurnal warming. We deployed the Air-Sea Interaction Profiler (ASIP), an autonomous upwardly-rising microstructure instrument capable of resolving small-scale processes close to the air-sea interface. ASIP provides direct estimates of the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, temperature, salinity, and PAR at timescales suitable for the study of diurnal processes. In combination with the ASIP data, we had shipboard meteorological data for calculation of atmospheric forcing, and a surface mounted Lagrangian ADCP for determination of the near-surface velocity. There was a strong diurnal cycle of temperature and dissipation (from ASIP) and shear (from an ADCP). As air-sea fluxes are driven by turbulence immediately at the air-sea interface, the presence of this enhanced shear-induced turbulence will enhance fluxes.

Evidence of latitudinal fractionation of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners along the Baltic Sea region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agrell, C.; Okla, L.; Larsson, P.

Annual cycles of the atmospheric concentrations of PCBs were determined at 16 (mostly rural) stations around the Baltic Sea between 1990 and 1993. The concentration levels of individual congeners were found to be influenced by their physical-chemical properties, ambient temperature, and geographical location. Median levels of PCBs were similar at all stations except at one urban site near Riga. A latitudinal gradient with higher levels in the south was found for the sum of PCB as well as for individual congeners, and the gradient was more pronounced for the low volatility congeners. As a result, the high volatility congeners increasedmore » in relative importance with latitude. Generally, PCB concentrations increased with temperature, but slopes of the partial pressure in air versus reciprocal temperature were different between congeners and between stations. In general, the low volatility congeners were more temperature dependent than the high volatility PCB congeners. Steep slopes at a sampling location indicate that the concentration in air is largely determined by diffusive exchange with soils. Lack of a temperature dependence may be due to the influence of long-range transported air masses at remote sites and due to the episodic or random nature of PCB sources at urban sites.« less

Characteristics of Winter Surface Air Temperature Anomalies in Moscow in 1970-2016 under Conditions of Reduced Sea Ice Area in the Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukurov, K. A.; Semenov, V. A.

2018-01-01

On the basis of observational data on daily mean surface air temperature (SAT) and sea ice concentration (SIC) in the Barents Sea (BS), the characteristics of strong positive and negative winter SAT anomalies in Moscow have been studied in comparison with BS SIC data obtained in 1949-2016. An analysis of surface backward trajectories of air-particle motions has revealed the most probable paths of both cold and warm air invasions into Moscow and located regions that mostly affect strong winter SAT anomalies in Moscow. Atmospheric circulation anomalies that cause strong winter SAT anomalies in Moscow have been revealed. Changes in the ways of both cold and warm air invasions have been found, as well as an increase in the frequency of blocking anticyclones in 2005-2016 when compared to 1970-1999. The results suggest that a winter SIC decrease in the BS in 2005-2016 affects strong winter SAT anomalies in Moscow due to an increase in the frequency of occurrence of blocking anticyclones to the south of and over the BS.

Remote sensing as a research tool. [sea ice surveillance from aircraft and spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carsey, F. D.; Zwally, H. J.

1986-01-01

The application of aircraft and spacecraft remote sensing techniques to sea ice surveillance is evaluated. The effects of ice in the air-sea-ice system are examined. The measurement principles and characteristics of remote sensing methods for aircraft and spacecraft surveillance of sea ice are described. Consideration is given to ambient visible light, IR, passive microwave, active microwave, and laser altimeter and sonar systems. The applications of these systems to sea ice surveillance are discussed and examples are provided. Particular attention is placed on the use of microwave data and the relation between ice thickness and sea ice interactions. It is noted that spacecraft and aircraft sensing techniques can successfully measure snow cover; ice thickness; ice type; ice concentration; ice velocity field; ocean temperature; surface wind vector field; and air, snow, and ice surface temperatures.

Suppression of ENSO in a coupled model without water vapor feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, A.; Manabe, S.

We examine 800-year time series of internally generated variability in both a coupled ocean-atmosphere model where water vapor anomalies are not allowed to interact with longwave radiation and one where they are. The ENSO-like phenomenon in the experiment without water vapor feedback is drastically suppressed both in amplitude and geographic extent relative to the experiment with water vapor feedback. Surprisingly, the reduced amplitude of ENSO-related sea surface temperature anomalies in the model without water vapor feedback cannot be attributed to greater longwave damping of sea surface temperature. (Differences between the two experiments in radiative feedback due to clouds counterbalance almost perfectly the differences in radiative feedback due to water vapor.) Rather, the interaction between water vapor anomalies and longwave radiation affects the ENSO-like phenomenon through its influence on the vertical structure of radiative heating: Because of the changes in water vapor associated with it, a given warm equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly is associated with a radiative heating profile that is much more gravitationally unstable when water vapor feedback is present. The warm sea surface temperature anomaly therefore results in more convection in the experiment with water vapor feedback. The increased convection, in turn, is related to a larger westerly wind-stress anomaly, which creates a larger decrease in upwelling of cold water, thereby enhancing the magnitude of the original warm sea surface temperature anomaly. In this manner, the interaction between water vapor anomalies and longwave radiation magnifies the air-sea interactions at the heart of the ENSO phenomenon; without this interaction, the coupling between sea surface temperature and wind stress is effectively reduced, resulting in smaller amplitude ENSO episodes with a more limited geographical extent.

Antarctic Sea ice variations and seasonal air temperature relationships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weatherly, John W.; Walsh, John E.; Zwally, H. J.

1991-01-01

Data through 1987 are used to determine the regional and seasonal dependencies of recent trends of Antarctic temperature and sea ice. Lead-lag relationships involving regional sea ice and air temperature are systematically evaluated, with an eye toward the ice-temperature feedbacks that may influence climatic change. Over the 1958-1087 period the temperature trends are positive in all seasons. For the 15 years (l973-l987) for which ice data are available, the trends are predominantly positive only in winter and summer, and are most strongly positive over the Antarctic Peninsula. The spatially aggregated trend of temperature for this latter period is small but positive, while the corresponding trend of ice coverage is small but negative. Lag correlations between seasonal anomalies of the two variables are generally stronger with ice lagging the summer temperatures and with ice leading the winter temperatures. The implication is that summer temperatures predispose the near-surface waters to above-or below-normal ice coverage in the following fall and winter.

Sea ice simulations based on fields generated by the GLAS GCM. [Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences General Circulation Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, C. L.; Herman, G. F.

1980-01-01

The GLAS General Circulation Model (GCM) was applied to the four-month simulation of the thermodynamic part of the Parkinson-Washington sea ice model using atmospheric boundary conditions. The sea ice thickness and distribution were predicted for the Jan. 1-Apr. 30 period using the GCM-fields of solar and infrared radiation, specific humidity and air temperature at the surface, and snow accumulation; the sensible heat and evaporative surface fluxes were consistent with the ground temperatures produced by the ice model and the air temperatures determined by the atmospheric concept. It was concluded that the Parkinson-Washington sea ice model results in acceptable ice concentrations and thicknesses when used with GLAS GCM for the Jan.-Apr. period suggesting the feasibility of fully coupled ice-atmosphere simulations with these two approaches.

The Impact of Sea Ice Concentration Accuracies on Climate Model Simulations with the GISS GCM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, Claire L.; Rind, David; Healy, Richard J.; Martinson, Douglas G.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Goddard Institute for Space Studies global climate model (GISS GCM) is used to examine the sensitivity of the simulated climate to sea ice concentration specifications in the type of simulation done in the Atmospheric Modeling Intercomparison Project (AMIP), with specified oceanic boundary conditions. Results show that sea ice concentration uncertainties of +/- 7% can affect simulated regional temperatures by more than 6 C, and biases in sea ice concentrations of +7% and -7% alter simulated annually averaged global surface air temperatures by -0.10 C and +0.17 C, respectively, over those in the control simulation. The resulting 0.27 C difference in simulated annual global surface air temperatures is reduced by a third, to 0.18 C, when considering instead biases of +4% and -4%. More broadly, least-squares fits through the temperature results of 17 simulations with ice concentration input changes ranging from increases of 50% versus the control simulation to decreases of 50% yield a yearly average global impact of 0.0107 C warming for every 1% ice concentration decrease, i.e., 1.07 C warming for the full +50% to -50% range. Regionally and on a monthly average basis, the differences can be far greater, especially in the polar regions, where wintertime contrasts between the +50% and -50% cases can exceed 30 C. However, few statistically significant effects are found outside the polar latitudes, and temperature effects over the non-polar oceans tend to be under 1 C, due in part to the specification of an unvarying annual cycle of sea surface temperatures. The +/- 7% and 14% results provide bounds on the impact (on GISS GCM simulations making use of satellite data) of satellite-derived ice concentration inaccuracies, +/- 7% being the current estimated average accuracy of satellite retrievals and +/- 4% being the anticipated improved average accuracy for upcoming satellite instruments. Results show that the impact on simulated temperatures of imposed ice concentration changes is least in summer, encouragingly the same season in which the satellite accuracies are thought to be worst. Hence the impact of satellite inaccuracies is probably less than the use of an annually averaged satellite inaccuracy would suggest.

Improving Forecast Skill by Assimilation of AIRS Temperature Soundings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Reale, Oreste

2010-01-01

AIRS was launched on EOS Aqua on May 4, 2002, together with AMSU-A and HSB, to form a next generation polar orbiting infrared and microwave atmospheric sounding system. The primary products of AIRS/AMSU-A are twice daily global fields of atmospheric temperature-humidity profiles, ozone profiles, sea/land surface skin temperature, and cloud related parameters including OLR. The AIRS Version 5 retrieval algorithm, is now being used operationally at the Goddard DISC in the routine generation of geophysical parameters derived from AIRS/AMSU data. A major innovation in Version 5 is the ability to generate case-by-case level-by-level error estimates delta T(p) for retrieved quantities and the use of these error estimates for Quality Control. We conducted a number of data assimilation experiments using the NASA GEOS-5 Data Assimilation System as a step toward finding an optimum balance of spatial coverage and sounding accuracy with regard to improving forecast skill. The model was run at a horizontal resolution of 0.5 deg. latitude X 0.67 deg longitude with 72 vertical levels. These experiments were run during four different seasons, each using a different year. The AIRS temperature profiles were presented to the GEOS-5 analysis as rawinsonde profiles, and the profile error estimates delta (p) were used as the uncertainty for each measurement in the data assimilation process. We compared forecasts analyses generated from the analyses done by assimilation of AIRS temperature profiles with three different sets of thresholds; Standard, Medium, and Tight. Assimilation of Quality Controlled AIRS temperature profiles significantly improve 5-7 day forecast skill compared to that obtained without the benefit of AIRS data in all of the cases studied. In addition, assimilation of Quality Controlled AIRS temperature soundings performs better than assimilation of AIRS observed radiances. Based on the experiments shown, Tight Quality Control of AIRS temperature profile performs best on the average from the perspective of improving Global 7 day forecast skill.

Modeling the influence of climate change on the mass balance of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Adriatic Sea.

PubMed

Lamon, Lara; MacLeod, Matthew; Marcomini, Antonio; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2012-05-01

Climate forcing is forecasted to influence the Adriatic Sea region in a variety of ways, including increasing temperature, and affecting wind speeds, marine currents, precipitation and water salinity. The Adriatic Sea is intensively developed with agriculture, industry, and port activities that introduce pollutants to the environment. Here, we developed and applied a Level III fugacity model for the Adriatic Sea to estimate the current mass balance of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Sea, and to examine the effects of a climate change scenario on the distribution of these pollutants. The model's performance was evaluated for three PCB congeners against measured concentrations in the region using environmental parameters estimated from the 20th century climate scenario described in the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) by the IPCC, and using Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. We find that modeled fugacities of PCBs in air, water and sediment of the Adriatic are in good agreement with observations. The model indicates that PCBs in the Adriatic Sea are closely coupled with the atmosphere, which acts as a net source to the water column. We used model experiments to assess the influence of changes in temperature, wind speed, precipitation, marine currents, particulate organic carbon and air inflow concentrations forecast in the IPCC A1B climate change scenario on the mass balance of PCBs in the Sea. Assuming an identical PCBs' emission profile (e.g. use pattern, treatment/disposal of stockpiles, mode of entry), modeled fugacities of PCBs in the Adriatic Sea under the A1B climate scenario are higher because higher temperatures reduce the fugacity capacity of air, water and sediments, and because diffusive sources to the air are stronger. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The structure of the stably stratified internal boundary layer in offshore flow over the sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garratt, J. R.; Ryan, B. F.

1989-04-01

Observations obtained mainly from a research aircraft are presented of the mean and turbulent structure of the stably stratified internal boundary layer (IBL) over the sea formed by warm air advection from land to sea. The potential temperature and humidity fields reveal the vertical extent of the IBL, for fetches out to several hundred of kilometres, geostrophic winds of 20 25 m s-1, and potential temperature differences between undisturbed continental air and the sea surface of 7 to 17 K. The dependence of IBL depth on these external parameters is discussed in the context of the numerical results of Garratt (1987), and some discrepancies are noted. Wind observations show the development of a low-level wind maximum (wind component normal to the coast) and rotation of the wind to smaller cross-isobar flow angles. Potential temperature (θ) profiles within the IBL reveal quite a different structure to that found in the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) over land. Over the sea, θ profiles have large positive curvature with vertical gradients increasing monotonically with height; this reflects the dominance of turbulent cooling within the layer. The behaviour is consistent with known behaviour in the NBL over land where curvature becomes negative (vertical gradients of θ decreasing with height) as radiative cooling becomes dominant. Turbulent properties are discussed in terms of non-dimensional quantities, normalised by the surface friction velocity, as functions of normalised height using the IBL depth. Vertical profiles of these and the normalised wavelength of the spectral maximum agree well with known results for the stable boundary layer over land (Caughey et al., 1979).

Influence of coupling on atmosphere, sea ice and ocean regional models in the Ross Sea sector, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jourdain, Nicolas C.; Mathiot, Pierre; Gallée, Hubert; Barnier, Bernard

2011-04-01

Air-sea ice-ocean interactions in the Ross Sea sector form dense waters that feed the global thermohaline circulation. In this paper, we develop the new limited-area ocean-sea ice-atmosphere coupled model TANGO to simulate the Ross Sea sector. TANGO is built up by coupling the atmospheric limited-area model MAR to a regional configuration of the ocean-sea ice model NEMO. A method is then developed to identify the mechanisms by which local coupling affects the simulations. TANGO is shown to simulate realistic sea ice properties and atmospheric surface temperatures. These skills are mostly related to the skills of the stand alone atmospheric and oceanic models used to build TANGO. Nonetheless, air temperatures over ocean and winter sea ice thickness are found to be slightly improved in coupled simulations as compared to standard stand alone ones. Local atmosphere ocean feedbacks over the open ocean are found to significantly influence ocean temperature and salinity. In a stand alone ocean configuration, the dry and cold air produces an ocean cooling through sensible and latent heat loss. In a coupled configuration, the atmosphere is in turn moistened and warmed by the ocean; sensible and latent heat loss is therefore reduced as compared to the stand alone simulations. The atmosphere is found to be less sensitive to local feedbacks than the ocean. Effects of local feedbacks are increased in the coastal area because of the presence of sea ice. It is suggested that slow heat conduction within sea ice could amplify the feedbacks. These local feedbacks result in less sea ice production in polynyas in coupled mode, with a subsequent reduction in deep water formation.

Precipitation and temperature changes in the major Chinese river basins during 1957-2013 and links to sea surface temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qing; Prange, Matthias; Merkel, Ute

2016-05-01

The variation characteristics of precipitation and temperature in the three major Chinese river basins (Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River) in the period of 1957-2013 were analyzed on an annual and seasonal basis, as well as their links to sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean on both interannual and decadal time scales. Annual mean temperature of the three river basins increased significantly overall since 1957, with an average warming rate of about 0.19 °C/10a, but the warming was characterized by a staircase form with steps around 1987 and 1998. The significant increase of annual mean temperature could mostly be attributed to the remarkable warming trend in spring, autumn and winter. Warming rates in the northern basins were generally much higher than in the southern basins. However, both the annual precipitation and seasonal mean precipitation of the three river basins showed little change in the study area average, but distinct interannual variations since 1957 and clear regional differences. An overall warming-wetting tendency was found in the northwestern and southeastern river basins in 1957-2013, while the central regions tended to become warmer and drier. Results from a Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) showed that the interannual variations of seasonal mean precipitation and surface air temperature over the three river basins were both associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) since 1957. ENSO SST patterns affected precipitation and surface air temperature variability throughout the year, but with very different response patterns in the different seasons. For instance, temperature in most of the river basins was positively correlated with central-eastern equatorial Pacific SST in winter and spring, but negatively correlated in summer and autumn. On the decadal time scale, the seasonal mean precipitation and surface air temperature variations were strongly associated with the Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation.

Warm Arctic-cold Siberia: comparing the recent and the early 20th-century Arctic warmings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegmann, Martin; Orsolini, Yvan; Zolina, Olga

2018-02-01

The Warm Arctic-cold Siberia surface temperature pattern during recent boreal winter is suggested to be triggered by the ongoing decrease of Arctic autumn sea ice concentration and has been observed together with an increase in mid-latitude extreme events and a meridionalization of tropospheric circulation. However, the exact mechanism behind this dipole temperature pattern is still under debate, since model experiments with reduced sea ice show conflicting results. We use the early twentieth-century Arctic warming (ETCAW) as a case study to investigate the link between September sea ice in the Barents-Kara Sea (BKS) and the Siberian temperature evolution. Analyzing a variety of long-term climate reanalyses, we find that the overall winter temperature and heat flux trend occurs with the reduction of September BKS sea ice. Tropospheric conditions show a strengthened atmospheric blocking over the BKS, strengthening the advection of cold air from the Arctic to central Siberia on its eastern flank, together with a reduction of warm air advection by the westerlies. This setup is valid for both the ETCAW and the current Arctic warming period.

Possible rainfall reduction through reduced surface temperatures due to overgrazing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.

1975-01-01

Surface temperature reduction in terrain denuded of vegetation (as by overgrazing) is postulated to decrease air convection, reducing cloudiness and rainfall probability during weak meteorological disturbances. By reducing land-sea daytime temperature differences, the surface temperature reduction decreases daytime circulation of thermally driven local winds. The described desertification mechanism, even when limited to arid regions, high albedo soils, and weak meteorological disturbances, can be an effective rainfall reducing process in many areas including most of the Mediterranean lands.

Selection for the best ETS (error, trend, seasonal) model to forecast weather in the Aceh Besar District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amora Jofipasi, Chesilia; Miftahuddin; Hizir

2018-05-01

Weather is a phenomenon that occurs in certain areas that indicate a change in natural activity. Weather can be predicted using data in previous periods over a period. The purpose of this study is to get the best ETS model to predict the weather in Aceh Besar. The ETS model is a time series univariate forecasting method; its use focuses on trend and seasonal components. The data used are air temperature, dew point, sea level pressure, station pressure, visibility, wind speed, and sea surface temperature from January 2006 to December 2016. Based on AIC, AICc and BIC the smallest values obtained the conclusion that the ETS (M, N, A) is used to predict air temperature, and sea surface temperature, ETS (A, N, A) is used to predict dew point, sea level pressure and station pressure, ETS (A, A, N) is used to predict visibility, and ETS (A, N, N) is used to predict wind speed.

Nest temperatures in a loggerhead nesting beach in Turkey is more determined by sea surface than air temperature.

PubMed

Girondot, Marc; Kaska, Yakup

2015-01-01

While climate change is now fully recognised as a reality, its impact on biodiversity is still not completely understood. To predict its impact, proxies coherent with the studied ecosystem or species are thus required. Marine turtles are threatened worldwide (though some populations are recovering) as they are particularly sensitive to temperature throughout their entire life cycle. This is especially true at the embryo stage when temperature affects both growth rates and sex determination. Nest temperature is thus of prime importance to understand the persistence of populations in the context of climate change. We analysed the nest temperature of 21 loggerheads (Caretta caretta) originating from Dalyan Beach in Turkey using day-lagged generalised mixed models with autocorrelation. Surprisingly, the selected model for nest temperature includes an effect for sea surface temperature 4-times higher than for air temperature. We also detected a very significant effect of metabolic heating during development compatible with what is already known about marine turtle nests. Our new methodology allows the prediction of marine turtle nest temperatures with good precision based on a combination of air temperature measured at beach level and sea surface temperature in front of the beach. These data are available in public databases for most of the beaches worldwide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Air-sea heat exchange, an element of the water cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chahine, M. T.

1984-01-01

The distribution and variation of water vapor, clouds and precipitation are examined. Principal driving forces for these distributions are energy exchange and evaporation at the air-sea interface, which are also important elements of air-sea interaction studies. The overall aim of air-sea interaction studies is to quantitatively determine mass, momentum and energy fluxes, with the goal of understanding the mechanisms controlling them. The results of general circulation simulations indicate that the atmosphere in mid-latitudes responds to changes in the oceanic surface conditions in the tropics. This correlation reflects the strong interaction between tropical and mid-latitude conditions caused by the transport of heat and momentum from the tropics. Studies of air-sea exchanges involve a large number of physica, chemical and dynamical processes including heat flux, radiation, sea-surface temperature, precipitation, winds and ocean currents. The fluxes of latent heat are studied and the potential use of satellite data in determining them evaluated. Alternative ways of inferring heat fluxes will be considered.

Climate Impacts on Sea Turtle Breeding Phenology in Greece and Associated Foraging Habitats in the Wider Mediterranean Region

PubMed Central

Morreale, Stephen J.; Saba, Vincent S.; Panagopoulou, Aliki; Margaritoulis, Dimitris; Spotila, James R.

2016-01-01

Sea turtles are vulnerable to climate change impacts in both their terrestrial (nesting beach) and oceanic habitats. From 1982 to 2012, air and sea surface temperatures at major high use foraging and nesting regions (n = 5) of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in Greece have steadily increased. Here, we update the established relationships between sea surface temperature and nesting data from Zakynthos (latitude: 37.7°N), a major nesting beach, while also expanding these analyses to include precipitation and air temperature and additional nesting data from two other key beaches in Greece: Kyparissia Bay (latitude: 37.3°N) and Rethymno, Crete (latitude: 35.4°N). We confirmed that nesting phenology at Zakynthos has continued to be impacted by breeding season temperature; however, temperature has no consistent relationship with nest numbers, which are declining on Zakynthos and Crete but increasing at Kyparissia. Then using statistically downscaled outputs of 14 climate models assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we projected future shifts in nesting for these populations. Based on the climate models, we projected that temperature at the key foraging and breeding sites (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Crete, Gulf of Gabès and Zakynthos/Kyparissia Bay; overall latitudinal range: 33.0°—45.8°N) for loggerhead turtles nesting in Greece will rise by 3–5°C by 2100. Our calculations indicate that the projected rise in air and ocean temperature at Zakynthos could cause the nesting season in this major rookery to shift to an earlier date by as much as 50–74 days by 2100. Although an earlier onset of the nesting season may provide minor relief for nest success as temperatures rise, the overall climatic changes to the various important habitats will most likely have an overall negative impact on this population. PMID:27332550

Climate Impacts on Sea Turtle Breeding Phenology in Greece and Associated Foraging Habitats in the Wider Mediterranean Region.

PubMed

Patel, Samir H; Morreale, Stephen J; Saba, Vincent S; Panagopoulou, Aliki; Margaritoulis, Dimitris; Spotila, James R

2016-01-01

Sea turtles are vulnerable to climate change impacts in both their terrestrial (nesting beach) and oceanic habitats. From 1982 to 2012, air and sea surface temperatures at major high use foraging and nesting regions (n = 5) of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in Greece have steadily increased. Here, we update the established relationships between sea surface temperature and nesting data from Zakynthos (latitude: 37.7°N), a major nesting beach, while also expanding these analyses to include precipitation and air temperature and additional nesting data from two other key beaches in Greece: Kyparissia Bay (latitude: 37.3°N) and Rethymno, Crete (latitude: 35.4°N). We confirmed that nesting phenology at Zakynthos has continued to be impacted by breeding season temperature; however, temperature has no consistent relationship with nest numbers, which are declining on Zakynthos and Crete but increasing at Kyparissia. Then using statistically downscaled outputs of 14 climate models assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we projected future shifts in nesting for these populations. Based on the climate models, we projected that temperature at the key foraging and breeding sites (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Crete, Gulf of Gabès and Zakynthos/Kyparissia Bay; overall latitudinal range: 33.0°-45.8°N) for loggerhead turtles nesting in Greece will rise by 3-5°C by 2100. Our calculations indicate that the projected rise in air and ocean temperature at Zakynthos could cause the nesting season in this major rookery to shift to an earlier date by as much as 50-74 days by 2100. Although an earlier onset of the nesting season may provide minor relief for nest success as temperatures rise, the overall climatic changes to the various important habitats will most likely have an overall negative impact on this population.

Determination of a Critical Sea Ice Thickness Threshold for the Central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, V.; Frauenfeld, O. W.; Nowotarski, C. J.

2017-12-01

While sea ice extent is readily measurable from satellite observations and can be used to assess the overall survivability of the Arctic sea ice pack, determining the spatial variability of sea ice thickness remains a challenge. Turbulent and conductive heat fluxes are extremely sensitive to ice thickness but are dominated by the sensible heat flux, with energy exchange expected to increase with thinner ice cover. Fluxes over open water are strongest and have the greatest influence on the atmosphere, while fluxes over thick sea ice are minimal as heat conduction from the ocean through thick ice cannot reach the atmosphere. We know that turbulent energy fluxes are strongest over open ocean, but is there a "critical thickness of ice" where fluxes are considered non-negligible? Through polar-optimized Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations, this study assesses how the wintertime Arctic surface boundary layer, via sensible heat flux exchange and surface air temperature, responds to sea ice thinning. The region immediately north of Franz Josef Land is characterized by a thickness gradient where sea ice transitions from the thickest multi-year ice to the very thin marginal ice seas. This provides an ideal location to simulate how the diminishing Arctic sea ice interacts with a warming atmosphere. Scenarios include both fixed sea surface temperature domains for idealized thickness variability, and fixed ice fields to detect changes in the ocean-ice-atmosphere energy exchange. Results indicate that a critical thickness threshold exists below 1 meter. The threshold is between 0.4-1 meters thinner than the critical thickness for melt season survival - the difference between first year and multi-year ice. Turbulent heat fluxes and surface air temperature increase as sea ice thickness transitions from perennial ice to seasonal ice. While models predict a sea ice free Arctic at the end of the warm season in future decades, sea ice will continue to transform seasonally during Polar winter. However, despite seasonal sea ice change, if and where its thickness remains below this critical threshold, the Arctic Ocean will continue interacting with the overlying atmosphere and contributing to Arctic amplification during the cold season.

Surface wave effects on water temperature in the Baltic Sea: simulations with the coupled NEMO-WAM model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alari, Victor; Staneva, Joanna; Breivik, Øyvind; Bidlot, Jean-Raymond; Mogensen, Kristian; Janssen, Peter

2016-08-01

Coupled circulation (NEMO) and wave model (WAM) system was used to study the effects of surface ocean waves on water temperature distribution and heat exchange at regional scale (the Baltic Sea). Four scenarios—including Stokes-Coriolis force, sea-state dependent energy flux (additional turbulent kinetic energy due to breaking waves), sea-state dependent momentum flux and the combination these forcings—were simulated to test the impact of different terms on simulated temperature distribution. The scenario simulations were compared to a control simulation, which included a constant wave-breaking coefficient, but otherwise was without any wave effects. The results indicate a pronounced effect of waves on surface temperature, on the distribution of vertical temperature and on upwelling's. Overall, when all three wave effects were accounted for, did the estimates of temperature improve compared to control simulation. During the summer, the wave-induced water temperature changes were up to 1 °C. In northern parts of the Baltic Sea, a warming of the surface layer occurs in the wave included simulations in summer months. This in turn reduces the cold bias between simulated and measured data, e.g. the control simulation was too cold compared to measurements. The warming is related to sea-state dependent energy flux. This implies that a spatio-temporally varying wave-breaking coefficient is necessary, because it depends on actual sea state. Wave-induced cooling is mostly observed in near-coastal areas and is the result of intensified upwelling in the scenario, when Stokes-Coriolis forcing is accounted for. Accounting for sea-state dependent momentum flux results in modified heat exchange at the water-air boundary which consequently leads to warming of surface water compared to control simulation.

Atmospheric responses to sensible and latent heating fluxes over the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minobe, S.; Ida, T.; Takatama, K.

2016-12-01

Air-sea interaction over mid-latitude oceanic fronts such as the Gulf Stream attracted large attention in the last decade. Observational analyses and modelling studies revealed that atmospheric responses over the Gulf Stream including surface wind convergence, enhanced precipitation and updraft penetrating to middle-to-upper troposphere roughly on the Gulf Stream current axis or on the warmer flank of sea-surface temperature (SST) front of the Gulf Stream . For these atmospheric responses, oceanic information should be transmitted to the atmosphere via turbulent heat fluxes, and thus the mechanisms for atmospheric responses can be understood better by examining latent and sensible air-sea heat fluxes more closely. Thus, the roles of the sensible and latent heat fluxes are examined by conducting a series of numerical experiments using the IPRC Regional Atmospheric Model over the Gulf Stream by applying SST smoothing for latent and sensible heating separately. The results indicate that the sensible and latent heat fluxes affect the atmosphere differently. Sensible heat flux intensifies surface wind convergence to produce sea-level pressure (SLP) anomaly. Latent heat flux supplies moistures and maintains enhanced precipitation. The different heat flux components cause upward wind velocity at different levels.

Atmospheric temperature changes over the 20th century at very high elevations in the European Alps from englacial temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, A.; Vincent, C.

2013-05-01

the paucity of observations, a great deal of uncertainty remains concerning temperature changes at very high altitudes over the last century. Englacial temperature measurements performed in boreholes provide a very good indicator of atmospheric temperatures for very high elevations although they are not directly related to air temperatures. Temperature profiles from seven deep boreholes drilled at three different sites between 4240 and 4300 m above sea level in the Mont Blanc area (French Alps) have been analyzed using a heat flow model and a Bayesian inverse modeling approach. Atmospheric temperature changes over the last century were estimated by simultaneous inversion of these temperature profiles. A mean warming rate of 0.14°C/decade between 1900 and 2004 was found. This is similar to the observed regional low altitude trend in the northwestern Alps, suggesting that air temperature trends are not altitude dependent.

Seasonal atmospheric deposition and air-sea gas exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over the Yangtze River Estuary, East China Sea: Implications for source-sink processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yuqing; Lin, Tian; Wu, Zilan; Li, Yuanyuan; Li, Zhongxia; Guo, Zhigang; Yao, Xiaohong

2018-04-01

In this work, air samples and surface seawater samples covering four seasons from March 2014 to January 2015 were collected from a background receptor site in the YRE to explore the seasonal fluxes of air-sea gas exchange and dry and wet deposition of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their source-sink processes at the air-sea interface. The average dry and wet deposition fluxes of 15 PAHs were estimated as 879 ± 1393 ng m-2 d-1 and 755 ± 545 ng m-2 d-1, respectively. Gaseous PAH release from seawater to the atmosphere averaged 3114 ± 1999 ng m-2 d-1 in a year round. The air-sea gas exchange of PAHs was the dominant process at the air-sea interface in the YRE as the magnitude of volatilization flux of PAHs exceeded that of total dry and wet deposition. The gas PAH exchange flux was dominated by three-ring PAHs, with the highest value in summer and lowest in winter, indicating a marked seasonal variation owing to differences in Henry's law constants associated with temperature, as well as wind speed and gaseous-dissolved gradient among seasons. Based on the simplified mass balance estimation, a net 11 tons y-1 of PAHs (mainly three-ring PAHs) were volatilized from seawater to the atmosphere in a ∼20,000 km2 area in the YRE. Other than the year-round Yangtze River input and ocean ship emissions, the selective release of low-molecular-weight PAHs from bottom sediments in winter due to resuspension triggered by the East Asian winter monsoon is another potential source of PAHs. This work suggests that the source-sink processes of PAHs at the air-sea interface in the YRE play a crucial role in regional cycling of PAHs.

Projected Impact of Climate Change on the Energy Budget of the Arctic Ocean by a Global Climate Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, James R.; Russell, Gary L.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The annual energy budget of the Arctic Ocean is characterized by a net heat loss at the air-sea interface that is balanced by oceanic heat transport into the Arctic. The energy loss at the air-sea interface is due to the combined effects of radiative, sensible, and latent heat fluxes. The inflow of heat by the ocean can be divided into two components: the transport of water masses of different temperatures between the Arctic and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the export of sea ice, primarily through Fram Strait. Two 150-year simulations (1950-2099) of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. One is a control simulation for the present climate with constant 1950 atmospheric composition, and the other is a transient experiment with observed GHGs from 1950 to 1990 and 0.5% annual compounded increases of CO2 after 1990. For the present climate the model agrees well with observations of radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere, atmospheric advective energy transport into the Arctic, and surface air temperature. It also simulates the seasonal cycle and summer increase of cloud cover and the seasonal cycle of sea-ice cover. In addition, the changes in high-latitude surface air temperature and sea-ice cover in the GHG experiment are consistent with observed changes during the last 40 and 20 years, respectively. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that even though the net annual incident solar radiation at the surface decreases by 4.6 W(per square meters) (because of greater cloud cover and increased cloud optical depth), the absorbed solar radiation increases by 2.8 W(per square meters) (because of less sea ice). Increased cloud cover and warmer air also cause increased downward thermal radiation at the surface so that the net radiation into the ocean increases by 5.0 Wm-2. The annual increase in radiation into the ocean, however, is compensated by larger increases in sensible and latent heat fluxes out of the ocean. Although the net energy loss from the ocean surface increases by 0.8 W (per square meters), this is less than the interannual variability, and the increase may not indicate a long-term trend. The seasonal cycle of heat fluxes is significantly enhanced. The downward surface heat flux increases in summer (maximum 2 of 19 W per square meters or 23% in June) while the upward heat flux increases in winter (maximum of 16 W per square meters or 28% in November). The increased downward flux in summer is due to a combination of increases in absorbed solar and thermal radiation and smaller losses of sensible and latent heat. The increased heat loss in winter is due to increased sensible and latent heat fluxes, which in turn are due to reduced sea-ice cover. On the other hand, the seasonal cycle of surface air temperature is damped, as there is a large increase in winter temperature but little change in summer.

Air temperature change in the northern and southern tropical Andes linked to North-Atlantic stadials and Greenland interstadials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urrego, Dunia H.; Hooghiemstra, Henry

2016-04-01

We use eight pollen records reflecting climatic and environmental change from northern and southern sites in the tropical Andes. Our analysis focuses on the signature of millennial-scale climate variability during the last 30,000 years, in particular the Younger Dryas (YD), Heinrich stadials (HS) and Greenland interstadials (GI). We identify rapid responses of the vegetation to millennial-scale climate variability in the tropical Andes. The signature of HS and the YD are generally recorded as downslope migrations of the upper forest line (UFL), and are likely linked to air temperature cooling. The GI1 signal is overall comparable between northern and southern records and indicates upslope UFL migrations and warming in the tropical Andes. Our marker for lake level changes indicates a north to south difference that could be related to moisture availability. The direction of air temperature change recorded by the Andean vegetation is consistent with millennial-scale cryosphere and sea surface temperature records from the American tropics, but suggests a potential difference between the magnitude of temperature change in the ocean and the atmosphere.

Updating sea spray aerosol emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0.2

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The uploaded data consists of the BRACE Na aerosol observations paired with CMAQ model output, the updated model's parameterization of sea salt aerosol emission size distribution, and the model's parameterization of the sea salt emission factor as a function of sea surface temperature. This dataset is associated with the following publication:Gantt , B., J. Kelly , and J. Bash. Updating sea spray aerosol emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0.2. Geoscientific Model Development. Copernicus Publications, Katlenburg-Lindau, GERMANY, 8: 3733-3746, (2015).

The EUSTACE project: delivering global, daily information on surface air temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghent, D.; Rayner, N. A.

2017-12-01

Day-to-day variations in surface air temperature affect society in many ways; however, daily surface air temperature measurements are not available everywhere. A global daily analysis cannot be achieved with measurements made in situ alone, so incorporation of satellite retrievals is needed. To achieve this, in the EUSTACE project (2015-2018, https://www.eustaceproject.eu) we have developed an understanding of the relationships between traditional (land and marine) surface air temperature measurements and retrievals of surface skin temperature from satellite measurements, i.e. Land Surface Temperature, Ice Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature and Lake Surface Water Temperature. Here we discuss the science needed to produce a fully-global daily analysis (or ensemble of analyses) of surface air temperature on the centennial scale, integrating different ground-based and satellite-borne data types. Information contained in the satellite retrievals is used to create globally-complete fields in the past, using statistical models of how surface air temperature varies in a connected way from place to place. This includes developing new "Big Data" analysis methods as the data volumes involved are considerable. We will present recent progress along this road in the EUSTACE project, i.e.: • identifying inhomogeneities in daily surface air temperature measurement series from weather stations and correcting for these over Europe; • estimating surface air temperature over all surfaces of Earth from surface skin temperature retrievals; • using new statistical techniques to provide information on higher spatial and temporal scales than currently available, making optimum use of information in data-rich eras. Information will also be given on how interested users can become involved.

Modelling storm development and the impact when introducing waves, sea spray and heat fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lichuan; Rutgersson, Anna; Sahlée, Erik

2015-04-01

In high wind speed conditions, sea spray generated due to intensity breaking waves have big influence on the wind stress and heat fluxes. Measurements show that drag coefficient will decrease in high wind speed. Sea spray generation function (SSGF), an important term of wind stress parameterization in high wind speed, usually treated as a function of wind speed/friction velocity. In this study, we introduce a wave state depended SSGG and wave age depended Charnock number into a high wind speed wind stress parameterization (Kudryavtsev et al., 2011; 2012). The proposed wind stress parameterization and sea spray heat fluxes parameterization from Andreas et al., (2014) were applied to an atmosphere-wave coupled model to test on four storm cases. Compared with measurements from the FINO1 platform in the North Sea, the new wind stress parameterization can reduce the forecast errors of wind in high wind speed range, but not in low wind speed. Only sea spray impacted on wind stress, it will intensify the storms (minimum sea level pressure and maximum wind speed) and lower the air temperature (increase the errors). Only the sea spray impacted on the heat fluxes, it can improve the model performance on storm tracks and the air temperature, but not change much in the storm intensity. If both of sea spray impacted on the wind stress and heat fluxes are taken into account, it has the best performance in all the experiment for minimum sea level pressure and maximum wind speed and air temperature. Andreas, E. L., Mahrt, L., and Vickers, D. (2014). An improved bulk air-sea surface flux algorithm, including spray-mediated transfer. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. Kudryavtsev, V. and Makin, V. (2011). Impact of ocean spray on the dynamics of the marine atmospheric boundary layer. Boundary-layer meteorology, 140(3):383-410. Kudryavtsev, V., Makin, V., and S, Z. (2012). On the sea-surface drag and heat/mass transfer at strong winds. Technical report, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.

Atmospheric Profiles, Clouds and the Evolution of Sea Ice Cover in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

by incorporating the proposed IR sensors and ground­sky temperature difference algorithm into a tethered balloon borne payload (Figure 6).This...a drop or balloon sonde, which is low cost but cannot be guided, and a typical UAV, which provides guidance flexibility but uses costly avionics and...air space using balloon launches The SmartSonde vehicle was first test flown under a bungee launch system and manual (R/C) control. After several

Atmospheric deposition and air-sea gas exchange fluxes of DDT and HCH in the Yangtze River Estuary, East China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhongxia; Lin, Tian; Li, Yuanyuan; Jiang, Yuqing; Guo, Zhigang

2017-07-01

The Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) is strongly influenced by the Yangtze River and lies on the pathway of the East Asian Monsoon. This study examined atmospheric deposition and air-sea gas exchange fluxes of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) to determine whether the YRE is a sink or source of selected pesticides at the air-water interface under the influences of river input and atmospheric transport. The air-sea gas exchange of DDT was characterized by net volatilization with a marked difference in its fluxes between summer (140 ng/m2/d) and the other three seasons (12 ng/m2/d), possibly due to the high surface seawater temperatures and larger riverine input in summer. However, there was no obvious seasonal variation in the atmospheric HCH deposition, and the air-sea gas exchange reached equilibrium because of low HCH levels in the air and seawater after the long-term banning of HCH and the degradation. The gas exchange flux of HCH was comparable to the dry and wet deposition fluxes at the air-water interface. This suggests that the influences from the Yangtze River input and East Asian continental outflow on the fate of HCH in the YRE were limited. The gas exchange flux of DDT was about fivefold higher than the total dry and wet deposition fluxes. DDT residues in agricultural soil transported by enhanced riverine runoff were responsible for sustaining such a high net volatilization in summer. Moreover, our results indicated that there were fresh sources of DDT from the local environment to sustain net volatilization throughout the year.

Effects of sea-ice and biogeochemical processes and storms on under-ice water fCO2 during the winter-spring transition in the high Arctic Ocean: Implications for sea-air CO2 fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Skjelvan, Ingunn; Olsen, Are; Assmy, Philipp; Peterson, Algot K.; Spreen, Gunnar; Ward, Brian

2017-07-01

We performed measurements of carbon dioxide fugacity (fCO2) in the surface water under Arctic sea ice from January to June 2015 during the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition. Over this period, the ship drifted with four different ice floes and covered the deep Nansen Basin, the slopes north of Svalbard, and the Yermak Plateau. This unique winter-to-spring data set includes the first winter-time under-ice water fCO2 observations in this region. The observed under-ice fCO2 ranged between 315 µatm in winter and 153 µatm in spring, hence was undersaturated relative to the atmospheric fCO2. Although the sea ice partly prevented direct CO2 exchange between ocean and atmosphere, frequently occurring leads and breakup of the ice sheet promoted sea-air CO2 fluxes. The CO2 sink varied between 0.3 and 86 mmol C m-2 d-1, depending strongly on the open-water fractions (OW) and storm events. The maximum sea-air CO2 fluxes occurred during storm events in February and June. In winter, the main drivers of the change in under-ice water fCO2 were dissolution of CaCO3 (ikaite) and vertical mixing. In June, in addition to these processes, primary production and sea-air CO2 fluxes were important. The cumulative loss due to CaCO3 dissolution of 0.7 mol C m-2 in the upper 10 m played a major role in sustaining the undersaturation of fCO2 during the entire study. The relative effects of the total fCO2 change due to CaCO3 dissolution was 38%, primary production 26%, vertical mixing 16%, sea-air CO2 fluxes 16%, and temperature and salinity insignificant.

Assessing Climate Variability Effects on Dengue Incidence in San Juan, Puerto Rico

PubMed Central

Méndez-Lázaro, Pablo; Muller-Karger, Frank E.; Otis, Daniel; McCarthy, Matthew J.; Peña-Orellana, Marisol

2014-01-01

We test the hypothesis that climate and environmental conditions are becoming favorable for dengue transmission in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sea Level Pressure (SLP), Mean Sea Level (MSL), Wind, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Air Surface Temperature (AST), Rainfall, and confirmed dengue cases were analyzed. We evaluated the dengue incidence and environmental data with Principal Component Analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, Mann-Kendall trend test and logistic regressions. Results indicated that dry days are increasing and wet days are decreasing. MSL is increasing, posing higher risk of dengue as the perimeter of the San Juan Bay estuary expands and shorelines move inland. Warming is evident with both SST and AST. Maximum and minimum air surface temperature extremes have increased. Between 1992 and 2011, dengue transmission increased by a factor of 3.4 (95% CI: 1.9–6.1) for each 1 °C increase in SST. For the period 2007–2011 alone, dengue incidence reached a factor of 5.2 (95% CI: 1.9–13.9) for each 1 °C increase in SST. Teenagers are consistently the age group that suffers the most infections in San Juan. Results help understand possible impacts of different climate change scenarios in planning for social adaptation and public health interventions. PMID:25216253

The role of sea ice in 2 x CO2 climate model sensitivity. Part 1: The total influence of sea ice thickness and extent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.; Healy, R.; Parkinson, C.; Martinson, D.

1995-01-01

As a first step in investigating the effects of sea ice changes on the climate sensitivity to doubled atmospheric CO2, the authors use a standard simple sea ice model while varying the sea ice distributions and thicknesses in the control run. Thinner ice amplifies the atmospheric temperature senstivity in these experiments by about 15% (to a warming of 4.8 C), because it is easier for the thinner ice to be removed as the climate warms. Thus, its impact on sensitivity is similar to that of greater sea ice extent in the control run, which provides more opportunity for sea ice reduction. An experiment with sea ice not allowed to change between the control and doubled CO2 simulations illustrates that the total effect of sea ice on surface air temperature changes, including cloud cover and water vapor feedbacks that arise in response to sea ice variations, amounts to 37% of the temperature sensitivity to the CO2 doubling, accounting for 1.56 C of the 4.17 C global warming. This is about four times larger than the sea ice impact when no feedbacks are allowed. The different experiments produce a range of results for southern high latitudes with the hydrologic budget over Antarctica implying sea level increases of varying magnitude or no change. These results highlight the importance of properly constraining the sea ice response to climate perturbations, necessitating the use of more realistic sea ice and ocean models.

Bayesian Hierarchical Air-Sea Interaction Modeling: Application to the Labrador Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niiler, Pearn P.

2002-01-01

The objectives are to: 1) Organize data from 26 MINIMET drifters in the Labrador Sea, including sensor calibration and error checking of ARGOS transmissions. 2) Produce wind direction, barometer, and sea surface temperature time series. In addition, provide data from historical file of 150 SHARP drifters in the Labrador Sea. 3) Work with data interpretation and data-modeling assimilation issues.

Long-term climate change commitment and reversibility: An EMIC intercomparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zickfeld, K.; Eby, M.; Weaver, A. J.

2012-12-01

This paper summarizes the results of an intercomparison project with Earth System Models of Intermediate Complexity (EMICs) undertaken in support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The focus is on long-term climate projections designed to: (i) quantify the climate change "commitment" of a range of radiative forcing trajectories, and (ii) explore the extent to which climate change is reversible if atmospheric CO2 is left to evolve freely or is artificially restored to pre-industrial levels. All commitment simulations follow the four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and their extensions to 2300. Most EMICs simulate significant surface air temperature and thermosteric sea level rise commitment following stabilization of the atmospheric composition at year-2300 levels. The additional warming by the year 3000 is 0.0-0.6 °C for RCP4.5 and 0.0-1.2 °C for RCP8.5, and the additional sea level rise is 0.1-1.0 m for RCP4.5 and 0.4-2.6 m for RCP8.5. Elimination of anthropogenic CO2 emissions results in constant or slightly decreasing surface air temperature in all EMICs. Thermosteric sea level rise continues after elimination of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, with additional sea level rise between 2300 and 3000 of 0.0-0.5 m for RCP4.5 and 0.2-2.4 m for RCP8.5. The largest warming and sea level rise commitment are simulated for the case with constant year-2300 CO2 emissions. Restoration of atmospheric CO2 from RCP to pre-industrial levels over 100-1000 years does not result in the simultaneous return to pre-industrial climate conditions, as surface air temperature and sea level rise exhibit a substantial time lag relative to atmospheric CO2, and requires large artificial removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Results of the climate change commitment and reversibility simulations differ widely among EMICs, both in the physical and biogeochemical response. Particularly large differences are identified in the response of the terrestrial carbon cycle to atmospheric CO2 and climate, highlighting the need for improved understanding and representation of land carbon cycle processes in Earth System models.

The diagnosis and forecast system of hydrometeorological characteristics for the White, Barents, Kara and Pechora Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomin, Vladimir; Diansky, Nikolay; Gusev, Anatoly; Kabatchenko, Ilia; Panasenkova, Irina

2017-04-01

The diagnosis and forecast system for simulating hydrometeorological characteristics of the Russian Western Arctic seas is presented. It performs atmospheric forcing computation with the regional non-hydrostatic atmosphere model Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) with spatial resolution 15 km, as well as computation of circulation, sea level, temperature, salinity and sea ice with the marine circulation model INMOM (Institute of Numerical Mathematics Ocean Model) with spatial resolution 2.7 km, and the computation of wind wave parameters using the Russian wind-wave model (RWWM) with spatial resolution 5 km. Verification of the meteorological characteristics is done for air temperature, air pressure, wind velocity, water temperature, currents, sea level anomaly, wave characteristics such as wave height and wave period. The results of the hydrometeorological characteristic verification are presented for both retrospective and forecast computations. The retrospective simulation of the hydrometeorological characteristics for the White, Barents, Kara and Pechora Seas was performed with the diagnosis and forecast system for the period 1986-2015. The important features of the Kara Sea circulation are presented. Water exchange between Pechora and Kara Seas is described. The importance is shown of using non-hydrostatic atmospheric circulation model for the atmospheric forcing computation in coastal areas. According to the computation results, extreme values of hydrometeorological characteristics were obtained for the Russian Western Arctic seas.

Physics of High-Temperature Air. Part. 2. Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

water-soluble material such as sea salt, and biotic particles such as bacteria and fine plant debris, as well as water and ice particles. Table 7.3...150 180 1-F .41.W-32 4 o Figure 7.5. Scattering from Distributions of Water Droplets (of mean radius 4 gmo ) at Different Wavelengths. (Source: Bauer

The EUSTACE project: delivering global, daily information on surface air temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rayner, Nick

2017-04-01

Day-to-day variations in surface air temperature affect society in many ways; however, daily surface air temperature measurements are not available everywhere. A global daily analysis cannot be achieved with measurements made in situ alone, so incorporation of satellite retrievals is needed. To achieve this, in the EUSTACE project (2015-June 2018, https://www.eustaceproject.eu) we are developing an understanding of the relationships between traditional (land and marine) surface air temperature measurements and retrievals of surface skin temperature from satellite measurements, i.e. Land Surface Temperature, Ice Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature and Lake Surface Water Temperature. Here we discuss the science needed to produce a fully-global daily analysis (or ensemble of analyses) of surface air temperature on the centennial scale, integrating different ground-based and satellite-borne data types. Information contained in the satellite retrievals is used to create globally-complete fields in the past, using statistical models of how surface air temperature varies in a connected way from place to place. As the data volumes involved are considerable, such work needs to include development of new "Big Data" analysis methods. We will present recent progress along this road in the EUSTACE project: 1. providing new, consistent, multi-component estimates of uncertainty in surface skin temperature retrievals from satellites; 2. identifying inhomogeneities in daily surface air temperature measurement series from weather stations and correcting for these over Europe; 3. estimating surface air temperature over all surfaces of Earth from surface skin temperature retrievals; 4. using new statistical techniques to provide information on higher spatial and temporal scales than currently available, making optimum use of information in data-rich eras. Information will also be given on how interested users can become involved.

The EUSTACE project: delivering global, daily information on surface air temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghent, D.; Rayner, N. A.

2016-12-01

Day-to-day variations in surface air temperature affect society in many ways; however, daily surface air temperature measurements are not available everywhere. A global daily analysis cannot be achieved with measurements made in situ alone, so incorporation of satellite retrievals is needed. To achieve this, in the EUSTACE project (2015-June 2018, https://www.eustaceproject.eu) we are developing an understanding of the relationships between traditional (land and marine) surface air temperature measurements and retrievals of surface skin temperature from satellite measurements, i.e. Land Surface Temperature, Ice Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature and Lake Surface Water Temperature. Here we discuss the science needed to produce a fully-global daily analysis (or ensemble of analyses) of surface air temperature on the centennial scale, integrating different ground-based and satellite-borne data types. Information contained in the satellite retrievals is used to create globally-complete fields in the past, using statistical models of how surface air temperature varies in a connected way from place to place. As the data volumes involved are considerable, such work needs to include development of new "Big Data" analysis methods. We will present recent progress along this road in the EUSTACE project, i.e.: • providing new, consistent, multi-component estimates of uncertainty in surface skin temperature retrievals from satellites; • identifying inhomogeneities in daily surface air temperature measurement series from weather stations and correcting for these over Europe; • estimating surface air temperature over all surfaces of Earth from surface skin temperature retrievals; • using new statistical techniques to provide information on higher spatial and temporal scales than currently available, making optimum use of information in data-rich eras. Information will also be given on how interested users can become involved.

Relationships Between the Bulk-Skin Sea Surface Temperature Difference, Wind, and Net Air-Sea Heat Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emery, William J.; Castro, Sandra L.; Lindstrom, Eric (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The primary purpose of this project was to evaluate and improve models for the bulk-skin temperature difference to the point where they could accurately and reliably apply under a wide variety of environmental conditions. To accomplish this goal, work was conducted in three primary areas. These included production of an archive of available data sets containing measurements of the skin and bulk temperatures and associated environmental conditions, evaluation of existing skin layer models using the compiled data archive, and additional theoretical work on the development of an improved model using the data collected under diverse environmental conditions. In this work we set the basis for a new physical model of renewal type, and propose a parameterization for the temperature difference across the cool skin of the ocean in which the effects of thermal buoyancy, wind stress, and microscale breaking are all integrated by means of the appropriate renewal time scales. Ideally, we seek to obtain a model that will accurately apply under a wide variety of environmental conditions. A summary of the work in each of these areas is included in this report. A large amount of work was accomplished under the support of this grant. The grant supported the graduate studies of Sandra Castro and the preparation of her thesis which will be completed later this year. This work led to poster presentations at the 1999 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting and 2000 IGARSS meeting. Additional work will be presented in a talk at this year's American Meteorological Society Air-Sea Interaction Meeting this May. The grant also supported Sandra Castro during a two week experiment aboard the R/P Flip (led by Dr. Andrew Jessup of the Applied Physics Laboratory) to help obtain additional shared data sets and to provide Sandra with a fundamental understanding of the physical processes needed in the models. In a related area, the funding also partially supported Dr. William Emery and Daniel Baldwin in the preparation of their publication "Accuracy of in situ sea surface temperatures used to calibrate infrared satellite measurements". The remainder of this report is drawn from these publications and presentations.

Potential regulation on the climatic effect of Tibetan Plateau heating by tropical air-sea coupling in regional models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziqian; Duan, Anmin; Yang, Song

2018-05-01

Based on the conventional weather research and forecasting (WRF) model and the air-sea coupled mode WRF-OMLM, we investigate the potential regulation on the climatic effect of Tibetan Plateau (TP) heating by the air-sea coupling over the tropical Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Results indicate that the TP heating significantly enhances the southwesterly monsoon circulation over the northern Indian Ocean and the South Asia subcontinent. The intensified southwesterly wind cools the sea surface mainly through the wind-evaporation-SST (sea surface temperature) feedback. Cold SST anomaly then weakens monsoon convective activity, especially that over the Bay of Bengal, and less water vapor is thus transported into the TP along its southern slope from the tropical oceans. As a result, summer precipitation decreases over the TP, which further weakens the TP local heat source. Finally, the changed TP heating continues to influence the summer monsoon precipitation and atmospheric circulation. To a certain extent, the air-sea coupling over the adjacent oceans may weaken the effect of TP heating on the mean climate in summer. It is also implied that considerations of air-sea interaction are necessary in future simulation studies of the TP heating effect.

The Siberian High and Arctic Sea Ice: Long-term Climate Change and Impacts on Air Pollution during Wintertime in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, X.; Zhao, S.; Feng, T.; Tie, X.; Li, G.

2017-12-01

China has undergone severe air pollution during wintertime as national industrialization and urbanization have been increasingly developed in the past three decades. It has been suggested that high emission and adverse weather patterns contribute to wintertime air pollution. Recent studies propose that climate change and Arctic sea ice loss likely lead to extreme haze events in winter. Here we use two reanalysis and observational datasets to present the trends of Siberian High (SH) intensity over Eurasia, and Arctic temperature and sea ice. The results show the Arctic region of Asia is becoming warming accompanied by a rapid decline of sea ice while Eurasia is cooling and SH intensity is gradually enhancing. Wind patterns induced by these changes cause straight westerly prevailing over Eurasia at the year of weak SH while strengthened northerly winds at the year of strong SH. Therefore, we utilize regional dynamical and chemical WRF-Chem model to determine the impact of SH intensity difference on wintertime air pollution in China. As a result, enhancing northerly winds at the year of strong SH rapidly dilute and transport air pollution, causing a decline of 50 - 400 µg m-3 PM2.5 concentrations relative to that at the year of weak SH. We also assess the impact of emission reduction to half the current level on air pollution. The results show that emission reduction by 50% has an equivalent impact as the variability of SH intensity. This suggests that climate change over Eurasia has largely offset the negative impact of emission on air pollution and it is urgently needed to take measures to mitigate air pollution. In view of current high emission scenario in China, it will be a long way to effectively mitigate, or ultimately prevent wintertime air pollution.

Economic contribution of 'artificial upwelling' mariculture to sea-thermal power generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roels, O.A.

1976-07-01

Deep-sea water has two valuable properties: it is uniformly cold and, compared to surface water, it is rich in nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate which are necessary for plant growth. In tropical and subtropical areas, the temperature difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water can be used for sea-thermal power generation or other cooling applications such as air-conditioning, ice-making, desalination, and cooling of refineries, power plants, etc. Once the deep water is brought to the surface, utilization of both the cold temperature and the nutrient content is likely to be more advantageous than the usemore » of only one of them. Claude demonstrated the technical feasibility of sea-thermal power generation in Cuba in 1930. The technical feasibility of artificial upwelling mariculture in the St. Croix installation has been demonstrated. Results to date demonstrate that the gross sales value of the potential mariculture yield from a given volume of deep-sea water is many times that of the sales value of the power which can be generated by the Claude process from the same volume of deep water. Utilizing both the nutrient content and the cold temperature of the deep water may therefore make sea-thermal power generation economically feasible.« less

Further Studies on Oceanic Biogeochemistry and Carbon Cycling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Signorini, S. R.; McClain, C. R.

2003-01-01

This TM consists of two chapters. Chapter I describes the development of a coupled, one-dimensional biogeochemical model using turbulence closure mixed layer (TCMLM) dynamics. The model is applied to the Sargasso Sea at the BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time Series) site and the results are compared with a previous model study in the same region described in NASNTP-2001-209991. The use of the TCMLM contributed to some improvements in the model simulation of chlorophyll, PAR, nitrate, phosphate, and oxygen, but most importantly, the current model achieved good agreement with the data with much more realistic background eddy diffusivity. However, off-line calculations of horizontal transport of biogeochemical properties revealed that one-dimensional dynamics can only provide a limited assessment of the nutrient and carbon balances at BATS. Future studies in the BATS region will require comprehensive three-dimensional field studies, combined with three-dimensional eddy resolving numerical experiments, to adequately quantify the impact of the local and remote forcing on ecosystem dynamics and carbon cycling. Chapter II addresses the sensitivity of global sea-air CO, flux estimates to wind speed, temperature, and salinity. Sensitivity analyses of sea-air CO, flux to wind speed climatologies, gas transfer algorithms, SSS and SST were conducted for the global oceans and regional domains. Large uncertainties in the global sea-air flux are identified, primarily due to the different gas transfer algorithms used. The sensitivity of the sea-air flux to SST and SSS is similar in magnitude to the effect of using different wind climatologies. Globally, the mean ocean uptake of CO, changes by 5 to 16%, depending upon the combination of SST and SSS used.

Response of carbon fluxes and climate to orbital forcing changes in the Community Climate System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jochum, M.; Peacock, S.; Moore, J. K.; Lindsay, K. T.

2009-12-01

A global general circulation model coupled to an ocean ecosystem model is used to quantify the response of carbon fluxes and climate to changes in orbital forcing. Compared to the present-day simulation, the simulation with the Earth's orbital parameters from 115,000 years ago features significantly cooler northern high latitudes, but only moderately cooler southern high latitudes. This asymmetry is explained by a 30% reduction of the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation that is caused by an increased Arctic sea-ice export and a resulting freshening of the North Atlantic. The strong northern high-latitude cooling and the direct insolation induced tropical warming lead to global shifts in precipitation and winds to the order of 10-20%. These climate shifts lead to regional differences in air-sea carbon fluxes of the same order. However, the differences in global net carbon fluxes are insignificant. This surprising result is due to several effects, two of which stand out: Firstly, colder sea surface temperature leads to a more effective solubility pump but also to increased sea-ice concentration which blocks air-sea exchange; and secondly, the weakening of Southern Ocean winds, which is predicted by some idealized studies, is small compared to its interannual variability.

Sea Ice Surface Temperature Product from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy K.; Key, Jeffrey R.; Casey, Kimberly A.; Riggs, George A.; Cavalieri, Donald J.

2003-01-01

Global sea ice products are produced from the Earth Observing System (EOS) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board both the Terra and Aqua satellites. Daily sea ice extent and ice-surface temperature (IST) products are available at 1- and 4-km resolution. Validation activities have been undertaken to assess the accuracy of the MODIS IST product at the South Pole station in Antarctica and in the Arctic Ocean using near-surface air-temperature data from a meteorological station and drifting buoys. Results from the study areas show that under clear skies, the MODIS ISTs are very close to those of the near-surface air temperatures with a bias of -1.1 and -1.2 K, and an uncertainty of 1.6 and 1.7 K, respectively. It is shown that the uncertainties would be reduced if the actual temperature of the ice surface were reported instead of the near-surface air temperature. It is not possible to get an accurate IST from MODIS in the presence of even very thin clouds or fog, however using both the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) and the MODIS on the Aqua satellite, it may be possible to develop a relationship between MODIS-derived IST and ice temperature derived from the AMSR-E. Since the AMSR-E measurements are generally unaffected by cloud cover, they may be used to complement the MODIS IST measurements.

Southern Ocean Climate and Sea Ice Anomalies Associated with the Southern Oscillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwok, R.; Comiso, J. C.

2001-01-01

The anomalies in the climate and sea ice cover of the Southern Ocean and their relationships with the Southern Oscillation (SO) are investigated using a 17-year of data set from 1982 through 1998. We correlate the polar climate anomalies with the Southern Oscillation index (SOI) and examine the composites of these anomalies under the positive (SOI > 0), neutral (0 > SOI > -1), and negative (SOI < -1) phases of SOL The climate data set consists of sea-level pressure, wind, surface air temperature, and sea surface temperature fields, while the sea ice data set describes its extent, concentration, motion, and surface temperature. The analysis depicts, for the first time, the spatial variability in the relationship of the above variables and the SOL The strongest correlation between the SOI and the polar climate anomalies are found in the Bellingshausen, Amundsen and Ross sea sectors. The composite fields reveal anomalies that are organized in distinct large-scale spatial patterns with opposing polarities at the two extremes of SOI, and suggest oscillating climate anomalies that are closely linked to the SO. Within these sectors, positive (negative) phases of the SOI are generally associated with lower (higher) sea-level pressure, cooler (warmer) surface air temperature, and cooler (warmer) sea surface temperature in these sectors. Associations between these climate anomalies and the behavior of the Antarctic sea ice cover are clearly evident. Recent anomalies in the sea ice cover that are apparently associated with the SOI include: the record decrease in the sea ice extent in the Bellingshausen Sea from mid- 1988 through early 199 1; the relationship between Ross Sea SST and ENSO signal, and reduced sea ice concentration in the Ross Sea; and, the shortening of the ice season in the eastern Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea, far western Weddell Sea, and the lengthening of the ice season in the western Ross Sea, Bellingshausen Sea and central Weddell Sea gyre over the period 1988-1994. Four ENSO episodes over the last 17 years contributed to a negative mean in the SOI (-0.5). In each of these episodes, significant retreats in the Bellingshausen/Amundsen Sea were observed providing direct confirmation of the impact of SO on the Antarctic sea ice cover.

Marine Primary and Secondary Aerosol emissions related to seawater biogeochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellegri, Karine; D'Anna, Barbara; Marchand, Nicolas; Charriere, Bruno; Sempere, Richard; Mas, Sebastien; Schwier, Allison; Rose, Clémence; Pey, Jorge; Langley Dewitt, Helen; Même, Aurélie; R'mili, Badr; George, Christian; Delmont, Anne

2014-05-01

Marine aerosol contributes significantly to the global aerosol load and consequently has an important impact on both the Earth's albedo and climate. Different factors influence the way they are produced from the sea water and transferred to the atmosphere. The sea state (whitecap coverage) and sea temperature influence the size and concentration of primarily produced particles but also biogeochemical characteristics of the sea water may influence both the physical and chemical fluxes. In order to study marine emissions, one approach is to use semicontrolled environments such as mesocosms. Within the SAM project (Sources of marine Aerosol in the Mediterranean), we characterize the primary Sea Salt Aerosol (SSA) and Secondary aerosol formation by nucleation during mesocosms experiments performed in May 2013 at the Oceanographic and Marine Station STARESO in western Corsica. We followed both water and air characteristics of three mesocosms containing an immerged part filled with 3,3 m3 of sea water and an emerged part filled with filtered natural air. Mesocosms were equipped with a pack of optical and physicochemical sensors and received different treatments: one of these mesocosms was left unchanged as control and the two others were enriched by addition of nitrates and phosphates respecting Redfield ratio (N:P = 16) in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. The set of sensors in each mesocosm was allowed to monitor the water temperature, conductivity, pH, incident light, fluorescence of chlorophyll a, and dissolved oxygen concentration. The mesocosms waters were daily sampled for chemical and biological (dissolved organic matter (i.e. DOC and CDOM), particulate matter and related polar compounds, transparent polysaccharides and nutrients concentration) and biological (chlorophyll a, virus, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations) analyses. Secondary new particle formation was followed on-line in the emerged parts of the mesocosms, while a primary production by bubble bursting was simulated from a sample of sea water in a dedicated set-up every day. The size segregated aerosol number fluxes, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) fluxes, and biological and organic contents were determined as a function of the sea water characteristics.

Effects of Northern Hemisphere Sea Surface Temperature Changes on the Global Air Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, K.; Liu, J.

2017-12-01

The roles of regional sea surface temperature (SST) variability on modulating the climate system and consequently the air quality are investigated using the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Idealized, spatially uniform SST anomalies of +/- 1 °C are superimposed onto the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and North Indian Oceans individually. Ignoring the response of natural emissions, our simulations suggest large seasonal and regional variability of surface O3 and PM2.5 concentrations in response to SST anomalies, especially during boreal summers. Increasing the SST by 1 °C in one of the oceans generally decreases the surface O3 concentrations from 1 to 5 ppbv while increases the anthropogenic PM2.5 concentrations from 0.5 to 3 µg m-3. We implement the integrated process rate (IPR) analysis in CESM and find that meteorological transport in response to SST changes is the key process causing air pollutant perturbations in most cases. During boreal summers, the increase in tropical SST over different ocean basins enhances deep convection, which significantly increases the air temperature over the upper troposphere and trigger large-scale subsidence over nearby and remote regions. These processes tend to increase tropospheric stability and suppress rainfall at lower mid-latitudes. Consequently, it reduces the vertical transport of O3 to the surface while facilitating the accumulation of PM2.5 concentrations over most regions. In addition, this regional SST warming may also considerably suppress intercontinental transport of air pollution as confirmed with idealized CO-like tracers. Our findings indicate a robust linkage between basin-scale SST variability and regional air quality, which can help local air quality management.

The impact of satellite temperature soundings on the forecasts of a small national meteorological service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfson, N.; Thomasell, A.; Alperson, Z.; Brodrick, H.; Chang, J. T.; Gruber, A.; Ohring, G.

1984-01-01

The impact of introducing satellite temperature sounding data on a numerical weather prediction model of a national weather service is evaluated. A dry five level, primitive equation model which covers most of the Northern Hemisphere, is used for these experiments. Series of parallel forecast runs out to 48 hours are made with three different sets of initial conditions: (1) NOSAT runs, only conventional surface and upper air observations are used; (2) SAT runs, satellite soundings are added to the conventional data over oceanic regions and North Africa; and (3) ALLSAT runs, the conventional upper air observations are replaced by satellite soundings over the entire model domain. The impact on the forecasts is evaluated by three verification methods: the RMS errors in sea level pressure forecasts, systematic errors in sea level pressure forecasts, and errors in subjective forecasts of significant weather elements for a selected portion of the model domain. For the relatively short range of the present forecasts, the major beneficial impacts on the sea level pressure forecasts are found precisely in those areas where the satellite sounding are inserted and where conventional upper air observations are sparse. The RMS and systematic errors are reduced in these regions. The subjective forecasts of significant weather elements are improved with the use of the satellite data. It is found that the ALLSAT forecasts are of a quality comparable to the SAR forecasts.

Southern Ocean Climate and Sea Ice Anomalies Associated with the Southern Oscillation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwok, R.; Comiso, J. C.

2002-03-01

The anomalies in the climate and sea ice cover of the Southern Ocean and their relationships with the Southern Oscillation (SO) are investigated using a 17-yr dataset from 1982 to 1998. The polar climate anomalies are correlated with the Southern Oscillation index (SOI) and the composites of these anomalies are examined under the positive (SOI > 0), neutral (0 > SOI > 1), and negative (SOI < 1) phases of SOI. The climate dataset consists of sea level pressure, wind, surface air temperature, and sea surface temperature fields, while the sea ice dataset describes its extent, concentration, motion, and surface temperature. The analysis depicts, for the first time, the spatial variability in the relationship of the above variables with the SOI. The strongest correlation between the SOI and the polar climate anomalies are found in the Bellingshausen, Amundsen, and Ross Seas. The composite fields reveal anomalies that are organized in distinct large-scale spatial patterns with opposing polarities at the two extremes of SOI, and suggest oscillations that are closely linked to the SO. Within these sectors, positive (negative) phases of the SOI are generally associated with lower (higher) sea level pressure, cooler (warmer) surface air temperature, and cooler (warmer) sea surface temperature in these sectors. Associations between these climate anomalies and the behavior of the Antarctic sea ice cover are evident. Recent anomalies in the sea ice cover that are clearly associated with the SOI include the following: the record decrease in the sea ice extent in the Bellingshausen Sea from mid-1988 to early 1991; the relationship between Ross Sea SST and the ENSO signal, and reduced sea ice concentration in the Ross Sea; and the shortening of the ice season in the eastern Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea, far western Weddell Sea and lengthening of the ice season in the western Ross Sea, Bellinghausen Sea, and central Weddell Sea gyre during the period 1988-94. Four ENSO episodes over the last 17 years contributed to a negative mean in the SOI (0.5). In each of these episodes, significant retreats in ice cover of the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas were observed showing a unique association of this region of the Antarctic with the Southern Oscillation.

Seasonal variability of the Red Sea, from satellite gravity, radar altimetry, and in situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahr, John; Smeed, David A.; Leuliette, Eric; Swenson, Sean

2014-08-01

Seasonal variations of sea surface height (SSH) and mass within the Red Sea are caused mostly by exchange of heat with the atmosphere and by flow through the strait opening into the Gulf of Aden to the south. That flow involves a net mass transfer into the Red Sea during fall and out during spring, though in summer there is an influx of cool water at intermediate depths. Thus, summer water in the south is warmer near the surface due to higher air temperatures, but cooler at intermediate depths. Summer water in the north experiences warming by air-sea exchange only. The temperature affects water density, which impacts SSH but has no effect on mass. We study this seasonal cycle by combining GRACE mass estimates, altimeter SSH measurements, and steric contributions derived from the World Ocean Atlas temperature climatology. Among our conclusions are: mass contributions are much larger than steric contributions; the mass is largest in winter, consistent with winds pushing water into the Red Sea in fall and out during spring; the steric signal is largest in summer, consistent with surface warming; and the cool, intermediate-depth water flowing into the Red Sea in spring has little impact on the steric signal, because contributions from the lowered temperature are offset by effects of decreased salinity. The results suggest that the combined use of altimeter and GRACE measurements can provide a useful alternative to in situ data for monitoring the steric signal.

Effects of rising temperature on the viability of an important sea turtle rookery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laloë, Jacques-Olivier; Cozens, Jacquie; Renom, Berta; Taxonera, Albert; Hays, Graeme C.

2014-06-01

A warming world poses challenges for species with temperature-dependent sex determination, including sea turtles, for which warmer incubation temperatures produce female hatchlings. We combined in situ sand temperature measurements with air temperature records since 1850 and predicted warming scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to derive 250-year time series of incubation temperatures, hatchling sex ratios, and operational sex ratios for one of the largest sea turtles rookeries globally (Cape Verde Islands, Atlantic). We estimate that light-coloured beaches currently produce 70.10% females whereas dark-coloured beaches produce 93.46% females. Despite increasingly female skewed sex ratios, entire feminization of this population is not imminent. Rising temperatures increase the number of breeding females and hence the natural rate of population growth. Predicting climate warming impacts across hatchlings, male-female breeding ratios and nesting numbers provides a holistic approach to assessing the conservation concerns for sea turtles in a warming world.

The absence of an Atlantic imprint on the multidecadal variability of wintertime European temperature.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Ayako; Palter, Jaime B

2016-03-15

Northern Hemisphere climate responds sensitively to multidecadal variability in North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST). It is therefore surprising that an imprint of such variability is conspicuously absent in wintertime western European temperature, despite that Europe's climate is strongly influenced by its neighbouring ocean, where multidecadal variability in basin-average SST persists in all seasons. Here we trace the cause of this missing imprint to a dynamic anomaly of the atmospheric circulation that masks its thermodynamic response to SST anomalies. Specifically, differences in the pathways Lagrangian particles take to Europe during anomalous SST winters suppress the expected fluctuations in air-sea heat exchange accumulated along those trajectories. Because decadal variability in North Atlantic-average SST may be driven partly by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the atmosphere's dynamical adjustment to this mode of variability may have important implications for the European wintertime temperature response to a projected twenty-first century AMOC decline.

Oceanographic, Air-sea Interaction, and Environmental Aspects of Artificial Upwelling Produced by Wave-Inertia Pumps for Potential Hurricane Intensity Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, A.; Dean, C.

2017-12-01

The artificial upwelling system consisting of the wave-inertia pumps driven by surface waves can produce flow of cold deep water to the surface. One of the recently proposed potential applications of the artificial upwelling system is the hurricane intensity mitigation. Even relatively small reduction of intensity may provide significant benefits. The ocean heat content (OHC) is the "fuel" for hurricanes. The OHC can be reduced by mixing of the surface layer with the cold water produced by wave-inertia pumps. Implementation of this system for hurricane mitigation has several oceanographic and air-sea interaction aspects. The cold water brought to the surface from a deeper layer has higher density than the surface water and, therefore, tends to sink back down. The mixing of the cold water produced by artificial upwelling depends on environmental conditions such as stratification, regional ocean circulation, and vertical shear. Another aspect is that as the sea surface temperature drops below the air temperature, the stable stratification develops in the atmospheric boundary layer. The stable atmospheric stratification suppresses sensible and latent heat air-sea fluxes and reduces the net longwave irradiance from the sea surface. As a result, the artificial upwelling may start increasing the OHC (though still reducing the sea surface temperature). In this work, the fate of the cold water in the stratified environment with vertical shear has been studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools. A 3D large eddy simulation model is initialized with observational temperature, salinity, and current velocity data from a sample location in the Straits of Florida. A periodic boundary condition is set along the direction of the current, which allows us to simulate infinite fetch. The model results indicate that the cold water brought to the sea surface by a wave-inertia pump forms a convective jet. This jet plunges into the upper ocean mixed layer and penetrates the thermocline. On the way down, the jet partially mixes with the surrounding water reducing the temperature of the upper ocean. The OHC thus can either reduce or increase, depending on the wave-inertia pump parameters. Based on the model results, we discuss feasibility of the implementation of the artificial upwelling system for hurricane intensity mitigation.

A study of oceanic surface heat fluxes in the Greenland, Norwegian, and Barents Seas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakkinen, Sirpa; Cavalieri, Donald J.

1989-01-01

This study examines oceanic surface heat fluxes in the Norwegian, Greenland, and Barents seas using the gridded Navy Fleet Numerical Oceanography Central surface analysis and the First GARP Global Experiment (FGGE) IIc cloudiness data bases. Monthly and annual means of net and turbulent heat fluxes are computed for the FGGE year 1979. The FGGE IIb data base consisting of individual observations provides particularly good data coverage in this region for a comparison with the gridded Navy winds and air temperatures. The standard errors of estimate between the Navy and FGGE IIb winds and air temperatures are 3.6 m/s and 2.5 C, respectively. The computations for the latent and sensible heat fluxes are based on bulk formulas with the same constant heat exchange coefficient of 0.0015. The results show extremely strong wintertime heat fluxes in the northern Greenland Sea and especially in the Barents Sea in contrast to previous studies.

Accounting for observational uncertainties in the evaluation of low latitude turbulent air-sea fluxes simulated in a suite of IPSL model versions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servonnat, Jerome; Braconnot, Pascale; Gainusa-Bogdan, Alina

2015-04-01

Turbulent momentum and heat (sensible and latent) fluxes at the air-sea interface are key components of the whole energetic of the Earth's climate and their good representation in climate models is of prime importance. In this work, we use the methodology developed by Braconnot & Frankignoul (1993) to perform a Hotelling T2 test on spatio-temporal fields (annual cycles). This statistic provides a quantitative measure accounting for an estimate of the observational uncertainty for the evaluation of low-latitude turbulent air-sea fluxes in a suite of IPSL model versions. The spread within the observational ensemble of turbulent flux data products assembled by Gainusa-Bogdan et al (submitted) is used as an estimate of the observational uncertainty for the different turbulent fluxes. The methodology holds on a selection of a small number of dominating variability patterns (EOFs) that are common to both the model and the observations for the comparison. Consequently it focuses on the large-scale variability patterns and avoids the possibly noisy smaller scales. The results show that different versions of the IPSL couple model share common large scale model biases, but also that there the skill on sea surface temperature is not necessarily directly related to the skill in the representation of the different turbulent fluxes. Despite the large error bars on the observations the test clearly distinguish the different merits of the different model version. The analyses of the common EOF patterns and related time series provide guidance on the major differences with the observations. This work is a first attempt to use such statistic on the evaluation of the spatio-temporal variability of the turbulent fluxes, accounting for an observational uncertainty, and represents an efficient tool for systematic evaluation of simulated air-seafluxes, considering both the fluxes and the related atmospheric variables. References Braconnot, P., and C. Frankignoul (1993), Testing Model Simulations of the Thermocline Depth Variability in the Tropical Atlantic from 1982 through 1984, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 23(4), 626-647 Gainusa-Bogdan A., Braconnot P. and Servonnat J. (submitted), Using an ensemble data set of turbulent air-sea fluxes to evaluate the IPSL climate model in tropical regions, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmosphere, 2014JD022985

Relating Regional Arctic Sea Ice and climate extremes over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionita-Scholz, Monica; Grosfeld, Klaus; Lohmann, Gerrit; Scholz, Patrick

2016-04-01

The potential increase of temperature extremes under climate change is a major threat to society, as temperature extremes have a deep impact on environment, hydrology, agriculture, society and economy. Hence, the analysis of the mechanisms underlying their occurrence, including their relationships with the large-scale atmospheric circulation and sea ice concentration, is of major importance. At the same time, the decline in Arctic sea ice cover during the last 30 years has been widely documented and it is clear that this change is having profound impacts at regional as well as planetary scale. As such, this study aims to investigate the relation between the autumn regional sea ice concentration variability and cold winters in Europe, as identified by the numbers of cold nights (TN10p), cold days (TX10p), ice days (ID) and consecutive frost days (CFD). We analyze the relationship between Arctic sea ice variation in autumn (September-October-November) averaged over eight different Arctic regions (Barents/Kara Seas, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi/Bering Seas, Central Arctic, Greenland Sea, Labrador Sea/Baffin Bay, Laptev/East Siberian Seas and Northern Hemisphere) and variations in atmospheric circulation and climate extreme indices in the following winter season over Europe using composite map analysis. Based on the composite map analysis it is shown that the response of the winter extreme temperatures over Europe is highly correlated/connected to changes in Arctic sea ice variability. However, this signal is not symmetrical for the case of high and low sea ice years. Moreover, the response of temperatures extreme over Europe to sea ice variability over the different Arctic regions differs substantially. The regions which have the strongest impact on the extreme winter temperature over Europe are: Barents/Kara Seas, Beaufort Sea, Central Arctic and the Northern Hemisphere. For the years of high sea ice concentration in the Barents/Kara Seas there is a reduction in the number of cold nights, cold days, ice days and consecutive frost days over the western part of Europe. In the opposite case of low sea ice concentration over the Barents/Kara Seas an increase of up to 8 days/winter of cold nights and days is observed over the whole Europe and an increase of up to 4 days/winter in the number of ID and CFD is observed over the same regions. The cold winters over Europe (low sea ice years) are associated with anomalous anticyclone and the downstream development of a mid-latitude trough, which in turn favours the advection of cold air from the north, providing favourable conditions for severe winters over Europe. We suggest that these results can help to improve the seasonal predictions of winter extreme events over Europe. Due to the non-linear response to high vs. low sea ice years, the skill of the predictions might depend on the sign and amplitude of the anomalies.

Recovery, statistical validation and analysis of a historical meteorological dataset collected at the Hanbury Botanical Gardens (Liguria, northwestern Italy) from 1900 to 1940

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vagge, Greta; Cutroneo, Laura; Gandolfi, Daniela; Ferretti, Gabriele; Scafidi, Davide; Capello, Marco

2018-05-01

A historical set of daily meteorological data collected at the Hanbury Botanical Gardens (Liguria, northwestern Italy) from 1900 to 1940 was recovered from five manually entered registers. They were digitised and statistically analysed to check their reliability and study their trends and variations. In particular, air temperature, precipitation and their extreme values were considered, together with wind direction, sea state, sky conditions and relative humidity. The results show a decreasing trend in mean annual temperature of approximately 0.2 °C/decade due to a decrease in maximum air temperature. Annual cumulative precipitation increased by 65.2 mm/decade over the study period. The data analysis showed a summer temperature decrease in 1912 and a severe drought in 1921. Moreover, the years with most days with extreme temperatures were associated to the negative phases of the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). During the study period, SW winds were prevailing. Sky conditions followed seasonal trends, while slight sea was the most frequent sea state.

Spatial variability of chilling temperature in Turkey and its effect on human comfort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toros, H.; Deniz, A.; Şaylan, L.; Şen, O.; Baloğlu, M.

2005-03-01

Air temperature, absolute humidity and wind speed are the most important meteorological parameters that affect human thermal comfort. Because of heat loss, the human body feels air temperatures different to actual temperatures. Wind speed is the most practical element for consideration in terms of human comfort. In winter, due to the strong wind speeds, the sensible temperature is generally colder than the air temperature. This uncomfortable condition can cause problems related to tourism, heating and cooling. In this study, the spatial and temporal distributions of cooling temperatures and Wind Chill Index (WCI) are analyzed for Turkey, and their effect on the human body is considered. In this paper, monthly cooling temperatures between October and March in the years 1929 to 1990 are calculated by using measured temperature and wind speed at 79 stations in Turkey. The influence of wind chill is especially observed in the regions of the Aegean, west and middle Black Sea and east and central Anatolia. The wind chill in these regions has an uncomfortable effect on the human body. Usually, the WCI value is higher in western, northern and central Anatolia than in other regions.

North Atlantic sub-decadal variability in climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reintges, Annika; Martin, Thomas; Latif, Mojib; Park, Wonsun

2017-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant variability mode for the winter climate of the North Atlantic sector. During a positive (negative) NAO phase, the sea level pressure (SLP) difference between the subtropical Azores high and the subpolar Icelandic low is anomalously strong (weak). This affects, for example, temperature, precipitation, wind, and surface heat flux over the North Atlantic, and over large parts of Europe. In observations we find enhanced sub-decadal variability of the NAO index that goes along with a dipolar sea surface temperature (SST) pattern. The corresponding SLP and SST patterns are reproduced in a control experiment of the Kiel Climate Model (KCM). Large-scale air-sea interaction is suggested to be essential for the North Atlantic sub-decadal variability in the KCM. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a key role, setting the timescale of the variability by providing a delayed negative feedback to the NAO. The interplay of the NAO and the AMOC on the sub-decadal timescale is further investigated in the CMIP5 model ensemble. For example, the average CMIP5 model AMOC pattern associated with sub-decadal variability is characterized by a deep-reaching dipolar structure, similar to the KCM's sub-decadal AMOC variability pattern. The results suggest that dynamical air-sea interactions are crucial to generate enhanced sub-decadal variability in the North Atlantic climate.

Estimating ocean-air heat fluxes during cold air outbreaks by satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, S. H.; Atlas, D.

1981-01-01

Nomograms of mean column heating due to surface sensible and latent heat fluxes were developed. Mean sensible heating of the cloud free region is related to the cloud free path (CFP, the distance from the shore to the first cloud formation) and the difference between land air and sea surface temperatures, theta sub 1 and theta sub 0, respectively. Mean latent heating is related to the CFP and the difference between land air and sea surface humidities q sub 1 and q sub 0 respectively. Results are also applicable to any path within the cloud free region. Corresponding heat fluxes may be obtained by multiplying the mean heating by the mean wind speed in the boundary layer. The sensible heating estimated by the present method is found to be in good agreement with that computed from the bulk transfer formula. The sensitivity of the solutions to the variations in the initial coastal soundings and large scale subsidence is also investigated. The results are not sensitive to divergence but are affected by the initial lapse rate of potential temperature; the greater the stability, the smaller the heating, other things being equal. Unless one knows the lapse rate at the shore, this requires another independent measurement. For this purpose the downwind slope of the square of the boundary layer height is used, the mean value of which is also directly proportional to the mean sensible heating. The height of the boundary layer should be measurable by future spaceborn lidar systems.

Black Sea impact on its west-coast land surface temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheval, Sorin; Constantin, Sorin

2018-03-01

This study investigates the Black Sea influence on the thermal characteristics of its western hinterland based on satellite imagery acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The marine impact on the land surface temperature (LST) values is detected at daily, seasonal and annual time scales, and a strong linkage with the land cover is demonstrated. The remote sensing products used within the study supply LST data with complete areal coverage during clear sky conditions at 1-km spatial resolution, which is appropriate for climate studies. The sea influence is significant up to 4-5 km, by daytime, while the nighttime influence is very strong in the first 1-2 km, and it gradually decreases westward. Excepting the winter, the daytime temperature increases towards the plateau with the distance from the sea, e.g. with a gradient of 0.9 °C/km in the first 5 km in spring or with 0.7 °C/km in summer. By nighttime, the sea water usually remains warmer than the contiguous land triggering higher LST values in the immediate proximity of the coastline in all seasons, e.g. mean summer LST is 19.0 °C for the 1-km buffer, 16.6 °C for the 5-km buffer and 16.0 °C for the 10-km buffer. The results confirm a strong relationship between the land cover and thermal regime in the western hinterland of the Black Sea coast. The satellite-derived LST and air temperature values recorded at the meteorological stations are highly correlated for similar locations, but the marine influence propagates differently, pledging for distinct analysis. Identified anomalies in the general observed trends are investigated in correlation with sea surface temperature dynamics in the coastal area.

Long-term, high frequency in situ measurements of intertidal mussel bed temperatures using biomimetic sensors

PubMed Central

Helmuth, Brian; Choi, Francis; Matzelle, Allison; Torossian, Jessica L.; Morello, Scott L.; Mislan, K.A.S.; Yamane, Lauren; Strickland, Denise; Szathmary, P. Lauren; Gilman, Sarah E.; Tockstein, Alyson; Hilbish, Thomas J.; Burrows, Michael T.; Power, Anne Marie; Gosling, Elizabeth; Mieszkowska, Nova; Harley, Christopher D.G.; Nishizaki, Michael; Carrington, Emily; Menge, Bruce; Petes, Laura; Foley, Melissa M.; Johnson, Angela; Poole, Megan; Noble, Mae M.; Richmond, Erin L.; Robart, Matt; Robinson, Jonathan; Sapp, Jerod; Sones, Jackie; Broitman, Bernardo R.; Denny, Mark W.; Mach, Katharine J.; Miller, Luke P.; O’Donnell, Michael; Ross, Philip; Hofmann, Gretchen E.; Zippay, Mackenzie; Blanchette, Carol; Macfarlan, J.A.; Carpizo-Ituarte, Eugenio; Ruttenberg, Benjamin; Peña Mejía, Carlos E.; McQuaid, Christopher D.; Lathlean, Justin; Monaco, Cristián J.; Nicastro, Katy R.; Zardi, Gerardo

2016-01-01

At a proximal level, the physiological impacts of global climate change on ectothermic organisms are manifest as changes in body temperatures. Especially for plants and animals exposed to direct solar radiation, body temperatures can be substantially different from air temperatures. We deployed biomimetic sensors that approximate the thermal characteristics of intertidal mussels at 71 sites worldwide, from 1998-present. Loggers recorded temperatures at 10–30 min intervals nearly continuously at multiple intertidal elevations. Comparisons against direct measurements of mussel tissue temperature indicated errors of ~2.0–2.5 °C, during daily fluctuations that often exceeded 15°–20 °C. Geographic patterns in thermal stress based on biomimetic logger measurements were generally far more complex than anticipated based only on ‘habitat-level’ measurements of air or sea surface temperature. This unique data set provides an opportunity to link physiological measurements with spatially- and temporally-explicit field observations of body temperature. PMID:27727238

Long-term, high frequency in situ measurements of intertidal mussel bed temperatures using biomimetic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmuth, Brian; Choi, Francis; Matzelle, Allison; Torossian, Jessica L.; Morello, Scott L.; Mislan, K. A. S.; Yamane, Lauren; Strickland, Denise; Szathmary, P. Lauren; Gilman, Sarah E.; Tockstein, Alyson; Hilbish, Thomas J.; Burrows, Michael T.; Power, Anne Marie; Gosling, Elizabeth; Mieszkowska, Nova; Harley, Christopher D. G.; Nishizaki, Michael; Carrington, Emily; Menge, Bruce; Petes, Laura; Foley, Melissa M.; Johnson, Angela; Poole, Megan; Noble, Mae M.; Richmond, Erin L.; Robart, Matt; Robinson, Jonathan; Sapp, Jerod; Sones, Jackie; Broitman, Bernardo R.; Denny, Mark W.; Mach, Katharine J.; Miller, Luke P.; O'Donnell, Michael; Ross, Philip; Hofmann, Gretchen E.; Zippay, Mackenzie; Blanchette, Carol; Macfarlan, J. A.; Carpizo-Ituarte, Eugenio; Ruttenberg, Benjamin; Peña Mejía, Carlos E.; McQuaid, Christopher D.; Lathlean, Justin; Monaco, Cristián J.; Nicastro, Katy R.; Zardi, Gerardo

2016-10-01

At a proximal level, the physiological impacts of global climate change on ectothermic organisms are manifest as changes in body temperatures. Especially for plants and animals exposed to direct solar radiation, body temperatures can be substantially different from air temperatures. We deployed biomimetic sensors that approximate the thermal characteristics of intertidal mussels at 71 sites worldwide, from 1998-present. Loggers recorded temperatures at 10-30 min intervals nearly continuously at multiple intertidal elevations. Comparisons against direct measurements of mussel tissue temperature indicated errors of ~2.0-2.5 °C, during daily fluctuations that often exceeded 15°-20 °C. Geographic patterns in thermal stress based on biomimetic logger measurements were generally far more complex than anticipated based only on ‘habitat-level’ measurements of air or sea surface temperature. This unique data set provides an opportunity to link physiological measurements with spatially- and temporally-explicit field observations of body temperature.

Combined terrestrial and marine biomarker records from an Icelandic fjord: insights into Holocene climate drivers and marine/ terrestrial responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moossen, H. M.; Seki, O.; Quillmann, U.; Andrews, J. T.; Bendle, J. A.

2012-12-01

Holocene climate change has affected human cultures throughout at least the last 4000 years (D'Andrea et al., 2011). Today, studying Holocene climate variability is important, both to constrain the influence of climate change on ancient cultures and to place contemporary climate change in a historic context. Organic geochemical biomarkers are an ideal tool to study how climatic changes have affected terrestrial and marine ecosystems, as a host of different biomarker based climate proxies have emerged over recent years. Applying the available biomarker proxies on sediment cores from fjordic environments facilitates the study of how climate has affected terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and how these ecosystems have interacted. Ìsafjardardjúp fjord in Northwest Iceland is an ideal location to study North Atlantic Holocene climate change because the area is very sensitive to changes in the oceanic and atmospheric current systems (Hurrell, 1995; Quillmann et al., 2010). In this study we present high resolution (1 sample/30 calibrated years) terrestrial and marine biomarker records from a 38 m sediment core from Ìsafjardardjúp fjord covering the Holocene. We reconstruct sea surface temperature variations using the alkenone derived UK'37 proxy. Air temperature changes are reconstructed using the GDGT derived MBT/CBT palaeothermometer. We use the average chain length (ACL) variability of n-alkanes derived from terrestrial higher plant leaf waxes to reconstruct changing precipitation regimes. The relationship between ACL and precipitation is confirmed by comparing it with the δD signature of the C29 n-alkane and soil pH changes inferred by the CBT proxy. The combined sea surface and air temperature and precipitation records indicate that different climate changing drivers were dominant at different stages of the Holocene. Sea surface temperatures were strongly influenced by the melting of the remaining glaciers from the last glacial maximum throughout the early Holocene, while air temperatures were influenced by high solar insolation. The central Holocene climate is mainly driven by decreasing northern hemisphere insolation, while the lateral transport of energy from the equator into the North Atlantic region drives climate change in the late Holocene. D'Andrea, W.J., Huang, Y., Fritz, S.C., Anderson, N.J., (2011) Abrupt Holocene climate change as an important factor for human migration in West Greenland. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(24), 9765-9769. Hurrell, J.W., (1995) Decadal trends in the North Atlantic Oscillation - Regional temperatures and precipitation. Science, 269(5224), 676-679. Quillmann, U., Jennings, A., Andrews, J., (2010) Reconstructing Holocene palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography in Isafjaroardjup, northwest Iceland, from two fjord records overprinted by relative sea-level and local hydrographic changes. Journal of Quaternary Science, 25(7), 1144-1159.

Seasonally Distinct Reconstructions of Northern Alaskan Temperature Variability Since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longo, W. M.; Crowther, J.; Daniels, W.; Russell, J. M.; Giblin, A. E.; Morrill, C.; Zhang, X.; Wang, X.; Huang, Y.

2015-12-01

Paleoclimate reconstructions have provided little consensus on how continental temperatures in Eastern Beringia changed from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present. Reconstructions show regional differences in LGM severity, the timing of deglacial warming, and Holocene temperature variability. Currently, arctic temperatures are increasing at the fastest rates on the planet, highlighting the need to identify the sensitivities of arctic systems to various climate forcings. This cannot be done without resolving the complex climate history of Eastern Beringia. Here, we present two new organic geochemical temperature reconstructions from Lake E5, north central Alaska that span the LGM, last glacial termination and Holocene. The proxies (alkenones and brGDGTs) record seasonally distinct temperatures, allowing for the attribution of different forcings to each proxy. The alkenone-based UK37 reconstruction records spring/early summer lake temperatures and indicates a 4 oC abrupt warming at 13.1 ka and a relatively warm late Holocene, which peaks at 2.4 ka and exhibits a cooling trend from 2.4 to 0.1 ka. The brGDGT reconstruction is calibrated to mean annual air temperature and interpreted here as exhibiting a strong warm season bias. BrGDGTs show an abrupt 4.5 oC warming at 14 ka, and show evidence for an early Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), which cools by 3 oC after 8.4 ka. Because UK37 temperatures do not exhibit an early HTM, we hypothesize that summer insolation had a minimal effect on spring/early summer lake temperatures. Instead, the UK37 reconstruction agrees with sea ice and sea surface temperature reconstructions from the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and northeast Pacific Ocean. We hypothesize that forcings associated with sea ice concentration and changes in atmospheric circulation had stronger affects on spring/early summer lake temperatures and we present modern observational data in support of this hypothesis. By contrast, the summer-biased brGDGT reconstruction suggests a strong and relatively direct temperature response to summer insolation forcing. Together, these records suggest that both internal and external forcings significantly affected LGM to present temperature variability in Eastern Beringia, with different seasonal biases.

In Situ Global Sea Surface Salinity and Variability from the NCEI Global Thermosalinograph Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Boyer, T.; Zhang, H. M.

2017-12-01

Sea surface salinity (SSS) plays an important role in the global ocean circulations. The variations of sea surface salinity are key indicators of changes in air-sea water fluxes. Using nearly 30 years of in situ measurements of sea surface salinity from thermosalinographs, we will evaluate the variations of the sea surface salinity in the global ocean. The sea surface salinity data used are from our newly-developed NCEI Global Thermosalinograph Database - NCEI-TSG. This database provides a comprehensive set of quality-controlled in-situ sea-surface salinity and temperature measurements collected from over 340 vessels during the period 1989 to the present. The NCEI-TSG is the world's most complete TSG dataset, containing all data from the different TSG data assembly centers, e.g. COAPS (SAMOS), IODE (GOSUD) and AOML, with more historical data from NCEI's archive to be added. Using this unique dataset, we will investigate the spatial variations of the global SSS and its variability. Annual and interannual variability will also be studied at selected regions.

Metabolic plasticity and critical temperatures for aerobic scope in a eurythermal marine invertebrate (Littorina saxatilis, Gastropoda: Littorinidae) from different latitudes.

PubMed

Sokolova, Inna M; Pörtner, Hans-Otto

2003-01-01

Effects of latitudinal cold adaptation and cold acclimation on metabolic rates and aerobic scope were studied in the eurythermal marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis from temperate North Sea and sub-arctic White Sea areas. Animals were acclimated for 6-8 weeks at control temperature (13 degrees C) or at 4 degrees C, and their respiration rates were measured during acute temperature change (1-1.5 degrees C h(-1)) in a range between 0 degrees C and 32 degrees C. In parallel, the accumulation of anaerobic end products and changes in energy status were monitored. Starting from 0 degrees C, aerobic metabolic rates of L. saxatilis rose quickly with increasing temperatures up to a point at or slightly above the respective acclimation temperature. Beyond this value, thermal sensitivity of oxygen consumption rate V((O(2))) greatly decreased in a wide, 15 degrees C range of experimental temperatures. This change in metabolic regulation was also reflected in the activation energy of aerobic metabolism (E(a)), which was approximately seven times lower at temperatures above Arrhenius breakpoint temperatures (ABTs) than at temperatures below ABTs. Warming progressively led to a discrepancy between energy demand and energy production, as demonstrated by a decrease in the levels of high-energy phosphates [phosho-L-arginine (PLA) and ATP], and resulted in the onset of anaerobiosis at critically high temperatures, indicating a limitation of aerobic scope. The comparison of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic rates in L. saxatilis in air and water suggests that the heat-induced onset of anaerobiosis is due to the insufficient oxygen supply to tissues at high temperatures. Cold acclimation led to an increase in aerobic metabolic rates and a considerable downward shift of the upper critical temperature in North Sea L. saxatilis but not in White Sea L. saxatilis. Limited metabolic plasticity in response to cold acclimation in sub-arctic White Sea snails as compared with their temperate North Sea counterparts suggests that metabolic depression occurs during overwintering under the more extreme winter conditions at the White Sea.

Strong Dependence of U.S. Summertime Air Quality on the Decadal Variability of Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Lu; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Li, Mingwei

2017-12-01

We find that summertime air quality in the eastern U.S. displays strong dependence on North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, resulting from large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions. Using observations, reanalysis data sets, and climate model simulations, we further identify a multidecadal variability in surface air quality driven by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). In one-half cycle ( 35 years) of the AMO from cold to warm phase, summertime maximum daily 8 h ozone concentrations increase by 1-4 ppbv and PM2.5 concentrations increase by 0.3-1.0 μg m-3 over much of the east. These air quality changes are related to warmer, drier, and more stagnant weather in the AMO warm phase, together with anomalous circulation patterns at the surface and aloft. If the AMO shifts to the cold phase in future years, it could partly offset the climate penalty on U.S. air quality brought by global warming, an effect which should be considered in long-term air quality planning.

On the Current Trend of Tropical Cyclone Activity and the Lengthening of the Tropical Cyclone Season in the North Atlantic Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

2013-01-01

In this TP, the trend in North Atlantic basin TC activity, especially as related to the determination of the length of season (LOS) and its possible association with warming surface-air and sea-surface temperature, is revisited. In particular, examined are: (1) the trend in TC activity for the yearly intervals 1945-1965, 1966-1994, and 1995-2012 for TCs having duration NSD greater or equal to 0.25 day, less than 2 days, greater than or equal to 2 days, greater than or equal to 4 days, and greater than or equal to 8 days; (2) the latitudinal and longitudinal genesis locations of the short-lived TC (defined herein as those TCs having duration NSD less than 2 days) for the three yearly intervals; (3) the first storm day (FSD), last storm day (LSD), and LOS based on TCs having duration NSD greater than or equal to 0.25 day and NSD greater than or equal to 2 days; (4) the relationship between FSD, LSD, and LOS for TCs having duration NSD greater than or equal to 0.25 day and NSD greater than or equal to 2 days; (5) the surface-air and sea-surface temperature, wind, and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the interval 1945-2012; (6) the relationship of FSD, LSD, and LOS against surface-air and sea-surface temperature, wind, and the NAO; (7) the relationship of TC activity against surface-air and sea-surface temperature, wind, and the NAO; and (8) the relationship of TC activity against FSD and LOS. This TP represents an update to an earlier study by Wilson concerning the length of the yearly hurricane season.

Oceanic influence on seasonal malaria outbreaks over Senegal and Sahel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diouf, Ibrahima; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Belen; Deme, Abdoulaye; Cisse Cisse, Moustapha; Ndione Ndione, Jaques-Andre; Gaye, Amadou T.; Suarez, Roberto

2015-04-01

Beyond assessment and analysis of observed and simulated malaria parameters, this study is furthermore undertaken in the framework of predictability of malaria outbreaks in Senegal and remote regions in Sahel, which are found to take place two months after the rainy season. The predictors are the sea surface temperature anomalous patterns at different ocean basins mainly over the Pacific and Atlantic as they are related to changes in air temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind. A relationship between El Niño and anomalous malaria parameters is found. The malaria parameters are calculated with the Liverpool Malaria Model (LMM) using meteorological datasets from different reanalysis products. A hindcast of these parameters is performed using the Sea Surface temperature based Statistical Seasonal ForeCAST (S4CAST) model developed at UCM in order to predict malaria parameters some months in advance. The results of this work will be useful for decision makers to better access to climate forecasts and application on malaria transmission risk.

Observation and difference analysis of carbon fluxes in different types of soil in Tianjin coastal zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ya-Juan; Wang, Ting-Feng; Mao, Tian-Yu

2018-02-01

Tianjin Coastal Zone is located in the coastal area of the Bohai Sea, belonging to the typical coastal wetland, with high carbon value. Over the past decade the development of great intensity, there are obvious characteristics of artificial influence. This study focuses on observing the carbon fluxes of different soil types in the coastal area under strong artificial disturbance, summarizing the carbon sink calculation formula according to the soil type, and analyzing the main influencing factors affecting the carbon flux. The results show that there are representative intertidal zones in Tianjin, and the respiration of soil and secondary soil are different. The main influencing factors are soil surface temperature or air temperature. Coastal zones with different ecosystems can basically establish the relationship between temperature and soil carbon flux. (R2 = 0.5990), the relationship between artificial backfill is Q = 0.2061 - 0.2129T - 0.0391T2 (R2 = 0.7469), and the artificial soil is restored by artificial soil and the herbaceous greening is carried out., The relationship is Q = -0.1019 + 0.0327T‧ (R2 = 0.6621), T-soil temperature, T’-air temperature. At the same temperature, soil carbon fluxes in shoal wetlands are generally stronger than artificial backfill, showing more carbon source emissions.

Seasonal atmospheric deposition and air-sea gaseous exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over the Yangtze River Estuary, East China Sea: Implication for the source-sink processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y.; Guo, Z.

2017-12-01

As the home of the largest port in the world, the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) in the East China Sea (ECS) is adjacent to the largest economic zone in China with more than 10% of Chinese population and provides one-fifth of national GDP. The YRE is under the path of contaminated East Asian continental outflow. These make the YRE unique for the pollutant biogeochemical cycling in the world. In this work, 94 pairs of air samples and 20 surface seawater samples covering four seasons were collected from a remote receptor site in the YRE from March 2014 to January 2015, in order to explore the seasonal fluxes of air-sea gaseous exchange and atmospheric dry and wet deposition of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their source-sink processes at the air-sea interface. The average dry and wet deposition fluxes of 15 PAHs were estimated as 879 ± 1393 ng m-2 d-1 and 755 ± 545 ng m-2 d-1, respectively. The gaseous PAHs were released from seawater to atmosphere during the whole year with an average of 3039 ± 2030 ng m-2 d-1. The gaseous exchange of PAHs was referred as the dominant process at the air-sea interface in the YRE as the magnitude of volatilization flux of PAHs exceeded that of the total dry and wet deposition. The gaseous PAH exchange flux was dominated by 3-ring PAHs, with the highest value in summer while lowest in winter, depicting a strong seasonal variation due to temperature, wind speed and air-sea concentration gradient difference among seasons. Based on the simplified mass balance estimation, net 9.6 tons/y of PAHs was volatilized from seawater to atmosphere with an area of approximately 20000 km2 in the YRE. Apart from Yangtze River input and ocean ship emissions in the entire year, the selective release of low molecular weight PAHs from sediments in winter due to re-suspension triggered by the East Asian winter monsoon could be another possible source for dissolved PAHs. This work suggests that the source-sink processes of PAHs at air-sea interface in the YRE plays a crucial role in regional cycling of PAHs.

Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Response to Pacific Tropical Instability Waves(.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Small, R. Justin; Xie, Shang-Ping; Wang, Yuqing

2003-11-01

Tropical instability waves (TIWs) are 1000-km-long waves that appear along the sea surface temperature (SST) front of the equatorial cold tongue in the eastern Pacific. The study investigates the atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL) response to TIW-induced SST variations using a high-resolution regional climate model. An investigation is made of the importance of pressure gradients induced by changes in air temperature and moisture, and vertical mixing, which is parameterized in the model by a 1.5-level turbulence closure scheme. Significant turbulent flux anomalies of sensible and latent heat are caused by changes in the air sea temperature and moisture differences induced by the TIWs. Horizontal advection leads to the occurrence of the air temperature and moisture extrema downwind of the SST extrema. High and low hydrostatic surface pressures are then located downwind of the cold and warm SST patches, respectively. The maximum and minimum wind speeds occur in phase with SST, and a thermally direct circulation is created. The momentum budget indicates that pressure gradient, vertical mixing, and horizontal advection dominate. In the PBL the vertical mixing acts as a frictional drag on the pressure-gradient-driven winds. Over warm SST the mixed layer deepens relative to over cold SST. The model simulations of the phase and amplitude of wind velocity, wind convergence, and column-integrated water vapor perturbations due to TIWs are similar to those observed from satellite and in situ data.

Air-Sea Momentum and Enthalpy Exchange in Coupled Atmosphere-Wave-Ocean Modeling of Tropical Cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curcic, M.; Chen, S. S.

2016-02-01

The atmosphere and ocean are coupled through momentum, enthalpy, and mass fluxes. Accurate representation of these fluxes in a wide range of weather and climate conditions is one of major challenges in prediction models. Their current parameterizations are based on sparse observations in low-to-moderate winds and are not suited for high wind conditions such as tropical cyclones (TCs) and winter storms. In this study, we use the Unified Wave INterface - Coupled Model (UWIN-CM), a high resolution, fully-coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model, to better understand the role of ocean surface waves in mediating air-sea momentum and enthalpy exchange in TCs. In particular, we focus on the explicit treatment of wave growth and dissipation for calculating atmospheric and oceanic stress, and its role in upper ocean mixing and surface cooling in the wake of the storm. Wind-wave misalignment and local wave disequilibrium result in difference between atmospheric and oceanic stress being largest on the left side of the storm. We find that explicit wave calculation in the coupled model reduces momentum transfer into the ocean by more than 10% on average, resulting in reduced cooling in TC's wake and subsequent weakening of the storm. We also investigate the impacts of sea surface temperature and upper ocean parameterization on air-sea enthalpy fluxes in the fully coupled model. High-resolution UWIN-CM simulations of TCs with various intensities and structure are conducted in this study to better understand the complex TC-ocean interaction and improve the representation of air-sea coupling processes in coupled prediction models.

Gulf of Mexico Air/Sea Interaction: Measurements and Initial Data Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, C.; Huang, C. H.; Roberts, P. T.; Bariteau, L.; Fairall, C. W.; Gibson, W.; Ray, A.

2011-12-01

Corporate, government, and university researchers collaborated to develop an atmospheric boundary layer environmental observations program on an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The primary goals of this project were to provide data to (1) improve our understanding of boundary layer processes and air-sea interaction over the Gulf of Mexico; (2) improve regional-scale meteorological and air quality modeling; and (3) provide a framework for advanced offshore measurements to support future needs such as emergency response, exploration and lease decisions, wind energy research and development, and meteorological and air quality forecasting. In October 2010, meteorological and oceanographic sensors were deployed for an extended period (approximately 12 months) on a Chevron service platform (ST 52B, 90.5W, 29N) to collect boundary layer and sea surface data sufficient to support these objectives. This project has significant importance given the large industrial presence in the Gulf, sizeable regional population nearby, and the recognized need for precise and timely pollutant forecasts. Observations from this project include surface meteorology; sodar marine boundary layer winds; microwave radiometer profiles of temperature, relative humidity, and liquid water; ceilometer cloud base heights; water temperature and current profiles; sea surface temperature; wave height statistics; downwelling solar and infrared radiation; and air-sea turbulent momentum and heat fluxes. This project resulted in the collection of an unprecedented set of boundary layer measurements over the Gulf of Mexico that capture the range of meteorological and oceanographic interactions and processes that occur over an entire year. This presentation will provide insight into the logistical and scientific issues associated with the deployment and operations of unique measurements in offshore areas and provide results from an initial data analysis of boundary layer processes over the Gulf of Mexico, with a special focus on the relationship among measured and modeled energy fluxes and other oceanographic and atmospheric conditions.

Atmospheric forcing on the seasonal variability of sea level at Cochin, southwest coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivas, K.; Dinesh Kumar, P. K.

2006-07-01

The seasonal cycles of some atmospheric parameters at Cochin (southwest coast of India) have been studied with a specific emphasis on the role played by them in forcing the seasonal sea level. Equatorward along-shore wind stress as well as equatorward volume transport by coastal currents along the Indian peninsula could play an important role in the sea level low during the premonsoon and southwest monsoon seasons. During postmonsoon season, along-shore wind stress plays no major role in the high sea level whereas this could be due to the poleward volume transport by the coastal along-shore currents. Atmospheric pressure and river discharge do not seem to influence much the sea level during the southwest monsoon period, even though the river discharge during that period is considerable. The sea level was minimal during the southwest monsoon season, when the river discharge was at its annual maximum. The difference between the seasonal march of observed and pressure corrected sea level (CSL) was not significant for the study region. Harmonic analysis of the climatological data on the various parameters revealed that air temperature is the only parameter with a dominance of the semi-annual over the annual cycle. Cross-shore wind stress indicated strong interannual variability whereas relative density showed strong seasonal variability. The climatological seasonal cycles of CSL at eight other tide gauge stations along the west coast of the Indian subcontinent are also examined, to assess the role of various forcings on the seasonal sea level cycle. The signatures of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon could be seen in some of the parameters (SST, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, along-shore wind stress, relative density and sea level). The signature of ENSO was particularly strong in the case of atmospheric pressure followed by relative density, the variance accounted by the relationship being 47% and 16%, respectively.

Temperature profile in apricot tree canopies under the soil and climate conditions of the Romanian Black Sea Coast.

PubMed

Paltineanu, Cristian; Septar, Leinar; Chitu, Emil

2016-03-01

The paper describes the temperature profiles determined by thermal imagery in apricot tree canopies under the semi-arid conditions of the Black Sea Coast in a chernozem of Dobrogea Region, Romania. The study analyzes the thermal vertical profile of apricot orchards for three representative cultivars during summertime. Measurements were done when the soil water content (SWC) was at field capacity (FC) within the rooting depth, after intense sprinkler irrigation applications. Canopy temperature was measured during clear sky days at three heights for both sides of the apricot trees, sunlit (south), and shaded (north). For the SWC studied, i.e., FC, canopy height did not induce a significant difference between the temperature of apricot tree leaves (Tc) and the ambient air temperature (Ta) within the entire vertical tree profile, and temperature measurements by thermal imagery can therefore be taken at any height on the tree crown leaves. Differences between sunlit and shaded sides of the canopy were significant. Because of these differences for Tc-Ta among the apricot tree cultivars studied, lower base lines (LBLs) should be determined for each cultivar separately. The use of thermal imagery technique under the conditions of semi-arid coastal areas with low range of vapor pressure deficit could be useful in irrigation scheduling of apricot trees. The paper discusses the implications of the data obtained in the experiment under the conditions of the coastal area of the Black Sea, Romania, and neighboring countries with similar climate, such as Bulgaria and Turkey.

Marine sources of ice nucleating particles: results from phytoplankton cultures and samples collected at sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilbourn, E.; Thornton, D.; Brooks, S. D.; Graff, J.

2016-12-01

The role of marine aerosols as ice nucleating particles is currently poorly understood. Despite growing interest, there are remarkably few ice nucleation measurements on representative marine samples. Here we present results of heterogeneous ice nucleation from laboratory studies and in-situ air and sea water samples collected during NAAMES (North Atlantic Aerosol and Marine Ecosystems Study). Thalassiosira weissflogii (CCMP 1051) was grown under controlled conditions in batch cultures and the ice nucleating activity depended on the growth phase of the cultures. Immersion freezing temperatures of the lab-grown diatoms were determined daily using a custom ice nucleation apparatus cooled at a set rate. Our results show that the age of the culture had a significant impact on ice nucleation temperature, with samples in stationary phase causing nucleation at -19.9 °C, approximately nine degrees warmer than the freezing temperature during exponential growth phase. Field samples gathered during the NAAMES II cruise in May 2016 were also tested for ice nucleating ability. Two types of samples were gathered. Firstly, whole cells were fractionated by size from surface seawater using a BD Biosciences Influx Cell Sorter (BD BS ISD). Secondly, aerosols were generated using the SeaSweep and subsequently size-selected using a PIXE Cascade Impactor. Samples were tested for the presence of ice nucleating particles (INP) using the technique described above. There were significant differences in the freezing temperature of the different samples; of the three sample types the lab-grown cultures tested during stationary phase froze at the warmest temperatures, followed by the SeaSweep samples (-25.6 °C) and the size-fractionated cell samples (-31.3 °C). Differences in ice nucleation ability may be due to size differences between the INP, differences in chemical composition of the sample, or some combination of these two factors. Results will be presented and atmospheric implications discussed.

A difficult Arctic science issue: Midlatitude weather linkages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, James E.

2016-09-01

There is at present unresolved uncertainty whether Arctic amplification (increased air temperatures and loss of sea ice) impacts the location and intensities of recent major weather events in midlatitudes. There are three major impediments. The first is the null hypothesis where the shortness of time series since major amplification (∼15 years) is dominated by the variance of the physical process in the attribution calculation. This makes it impossible to robustly distinguish the influence of Arctic forcing of regional circulation from random events. The second is the large chaotic jet stream variability at midlatitudes producing a small Arctic forcing signal-to-noise ratio. Third, there are other potential external forcings of hemispheric circulation, such as teleconnections driven by tropical and midlatitude sea surface temperature anomalies. It is, however, important to note and understand recent emerging case studies. There is evidence for a causal connection of Barents-Kara sea ice loss, a stronger Siberian High, and cold air outbreaks into eastern Asia. Recent cold air penetrating into the southeastern United States was related to a shift in the long-wave atmospheric wind pattern and reinforced by warmer temperatures west of Greenland. Arctic Linkages is a major research challenge that benefits from an international focus on the topic.

Balloons and Bottles: Activities on Air-Sea Heat Exchange.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphree, Tom

1998-01-01

Presents an activity designed to demonstrate how heating and cooling an air mass affects its temperature, volume, density, and pressure. Illustrates how thermal energy can cause atmospheric motion such as expansion, contraction, and winds. (Author/WRM)

The spatial and interannual dynamics of the surface water carbonate system and air-sea CO2 fluxes in the outer shelf and slope of the Eurasian Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pipko, Irina I.; Pugach, Svetlana P.; Semiletov, Igor P.; Anderson, Leif G.; Shakhova, Natalia E.; Gustafsson, Örjan; Repina, Irina A.; Spivak, Eduard A.; Charkin, Alexander N.; Salyuk, Anatoly N.; Shcherbakova, Kseniia P.; Panova, Elena V.; Dudarev, Oleg V.

2017-11-01

The Arctic is undergoing dramatic changes which cover the entire range of natural processes, from extreme increases in the temperatures of air, soil, and water, to changes in the cryosphere, the biodiversity of Arctic waters, and land vegetation. Small changes in the largest marine carbon pool, the dissolved inorganic carbon pool, can have a profound impact on the carbon dioxide (CO2) flux between the ocean and the atmosphere, and the feedback of this flux to climate. Knowledge of relevant processes in the Arctic seas improves the evaluation and projection of carbon cycle dynamics under current conditions of rapid climate change. Investigation of the CO2 system in the outer shelf and continental slope waters of the Eurasian Arctic seas (the Barents, Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian seas) during 2006, 2007, and 2009 revealed a general trend in the surface water partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) distribution, which manifested as an increase in pCO2 values eastward. The existence of this trend was defined by different oceanographic and biogeochemical regimes in the western and eastern parts of the study area; the trend is likely increasing due to a combination of factors determined by contemporary change in the Arctic climate, each change in turn evoking a series of synergistic effects. A high-resolution in situ investigation of the carbonate system parameters of the four Arctic seas was carried out in the warm season of 2007; this year was characterized by the next-to-lowest historic sea-ice extent in the Arctic Ocean, on satellite record, to that date. The study showed the different responses of the seawater carbonate system to the environment changes in the western vs. the eastern Eurasian Arctic seas. The large, open, highly productive water area in the northern Barents Sea enhances atmospheric CO2 uptake. In contrast, the uptake of CO2 was strongly weakened in the outer shelf and slope waters of the East Siberian Arctic seas under the 2007 environmental conditions. The surface seawater appears in equilibrium or slightly supersaturated by CO2 relative to atmosphere because of the increasing influence of river runoff and its input of terrestrial organic matter that mineralizes, in combination with the high surface water temperature during sea-ice-free conditions. This investigation shows the importance of processes that vary on small scales, both in time and space, for estimating the air-sea exchange of CO2. It stresses the need for high-resolution coverage of ocean observations as well as time series. Furthermore, time series must include multi-year studies in the dynamic regions of the Arctic Ocean during these times of environmental change.

Modelling dengue fever risk in the State of Yucatan, Mexico using regional-scale satellite-derived sea surface temperature.

PubMed

Laureano-Rosario, Abdiel E; Garcia-Rejon, Julian E; Gomez-Carro, Salvador; Farfan-Ale, Jose A; Muller-Karger, Frank E

2017-08-01

Accurately predicting vector-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, is essential for communities worldwide. Changes in environmental parameters such as precipitation, air temperature, and humidity are known to influence dengue fever dynamics. Furthermore, previous studies have shown how oceanographic variables, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related sea surface temperature from the Pacific Ocean, influences dengue fever in the Americas. However, literature is lacking on the use of regional-scale satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) to assess its relationship with dengue fever in coastal areas. Data on confirmed dengue cases, demographics, precipitation, and air temperature were collected. Incidence of weekly dengue cases was examined. Stepwise multiple regression analyses (AIC model selection) were used to assess which environmental variables best explained increased dengue incidence rates. SST, minimum air temperature, precipitation, and humidity substantially explained 42% of the observed variation (r 2 =0.42). Infectious diseases are characterized by the influence of past cases on current cases and results show that previous dengue cases alone explained 89% of the variation. Ordinary least-squares analyses showed a positive trend of 0.20±0.03°C in SST from 2006 to 2015. An important element of this study is to help develop strategic recommendations for public health officials in Mexico by providing a simple early warning capability for dengue incidence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulated Altitude Investigation of Stewart-Warner Model 906-B Combustion Heater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebersbach, Frederick R.; Cervenka, Adolph J.

1947-01-01

An investigation has been conducted to determine thermal and pressure-drop performance and the operational characteristics of a Stewart-Warner model 906-B combustion heater. The performance tests covered a range of ventilating-air flows from 500 to 3185 pounds per hour, combustion-air pressure drops from 5 to 35 inches of water, and pressure altitudes from sea level to 41,000 feet. The operational characteristics investigated were the combustion-air flows for sustained combustion and for consistent ignition covering fuel-air ratios ranging from 0.033 to 0.10 and pressure altitudes from sea level to 45,000 feet. Rated heat output of 50,000 Btu per hour was obtained at pressure altitudes up to 27,000 feet for ventilating-air flows greater than 800 pounds per hour; rated output was not obtained at ventilating-air flow below 800 pounds per hour at any altitude. The maximum heater efficiency was found to be 60.7 percent at a fuel-air ratio of 0.050, a sea-level pressure altitude, a ventilating-air temperature of 0 F, combustion-air temperature of 14 F, a ventilating-air flow of 690 pounds per hour, and a combustion-air flow of 72.7 pounds per hour. The minimum combustion-air flow for sustained combustion at a pressure altitude of 25,000 feet was about 9 pounds per hour for fuel-air ratios between 0.037 and 0.099 and at a pressure altitude of 45,000 feet increased to 18 pounds per hour at a fuel-air ratio of 0.099 and 55 pounds per hour at a fuel-air ratio of 0.036. Combustion could be sustained at combustion-air flows above values of practical interest. The maximum flow was limited, however, by excessively high exhaust-gas temperature or high pressure drop. Both maximum and minimum combustion-air flows for consistent ignition decrease with increasing pressure altitude and the two curves intersect at a pressure altitude of approximately 25,000 feet and a combustion-air flow of approximately 28 pounds per hour.

The role of the Atlantic Water in multidecadal ocean variability in the Nordic and Barents Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yashayaev, Igor; Seidov, Dan

2015-03-01

The focus of this work is on the temporal and spatial variability of the Atlantic Water (AW). We analyze the existing historic hydrographic data from the World Ocean Database to document the long-term variability of the AW throughflow across the Norwegian Sea to the western Barents Sea. Interannual-to-multidecadal variability of water temperature, salinity and density are analyzed along six composite sections crossing the AW flow and coastal currents at six selected locations. The stations are lined up from southwest to northeast - from the northern North Sea (69°N) throughout the Norwegian Sea to the Kola Section in the Barents Sea (33°30‧E). The changing volume and characteristics of the AW throughflow dominate the hydrographic variability on decadal and longer time scales in the studied area. We examine the role of fluctuations of the volume of inflow versus the variable local factors, such as the air-sea interaction and mixing with the fresh coastal and cold Arctic waters, in controlling the long-term regional variability. It is shown that the volume of the AW, passing through the area and affecting the position of the outer edge of the warm and saline core, correlates well with temperature and salinity averaged over the central portions of the studied sections. The coastal flow (mostly associated with the Norwegian Coastal Current flowing over the continental shelf) is largely controlled by seasonal local heat and freshwater impacts. Temperature records at all six lines show a warming trend superimposed on a series of relatively warm and cold periods, which in most cases follow, with a delay of four to five years, the periods of relatively low and high North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the periods of relatively high and low Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), respectively. In general, there is a relatively high correlation between the year-to-year changes of the NAO and AMO indices, which is to some extent reflected in the (delayed) AW temperature fluctuations. It takes about two years for freshening and salinification events and a much shorter time (of about a year or less) for cooling and warming episodes to propagate or spread across the region. This significant difference in the propagation rates of salinity and temperature anomalies is explained by the leading role of horizontal advection in the propagation of salinity anomalies, whereas temperature is also controlled by the competing air-sea interaction along the AW throughflow. Therefore, although a water parcel moves within the flow as a whole, the temperature, salinity and density anomalies split and propagate separately, with the temperature and density signals leading relative to the salinity signal. A new hydrographic index, coastal-to-offshore density step, is introduced to capture variability in the strength of the AW volume transport. This index shows the same cycles of variability as observed in temperature, NAO and AMO but without an obvious trend.

Analysis of reactive bromine production and ozone depletion in the Arctic boundary layer using 3-D simulations with GEM-AQ: inference from synoptic-scale patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyota, K.; McConnell, J. C.; Lupu, A.; Neary, L.; McLinden, C. A.; Richter, A.; Kwok, R.; Semeniuk, K.; Kaminski, J. W.; Gong, S.-L.; Jarosz, J.; Chipperfield, M. P.; Sioris, C. E.

2011-04-01

Episodes of high bromine levels and surface ozone depletion in the springtime Arctic are simulated by an online air-quality model, GEM-AQ, with gas-phase and heterogeneous reactions of inorganic bromine species and a simple scheme of air-snowpack chemical interactions implemented for this study. Snowpack on sea ice is assumed to be the only source of bromine to the atmosphere and to be capable of converting relatively stable bromine species to photolabile Br2 via air-snowpack interactions. A set of sensitivity model runs are performed for April 2001 at a horizontal resolution of approximately 100 km×100 km in the Arctic, to provide insights into the effects of temperature and the age (first-year, FY, versus multi-year, MY) of sea ice on the release of reactive bromine to the atmosphere. The model simulations capture much of the temporal variations in surface ozone mixing ratios as observed at stations in the high Arctic and the synoptic-scale evolution of areas with enhanced BrO column amount ("BrO clouds") as estimated from satellite observations. The simulated "BrO clouds" are in modestly better agreement with the satellite measurements when the FY sea ice is assumed to be more efficient at releasing reactive bromine to the atmosphere than on the MY sea ice. Surface ozone data from coastal stations used in this study are not sufficient to evaluate unambiguously the difference between the FY sea ice and the MY sea ice as a source of bromine. The results strongly suggest that reactive bromine is released ubiquitously from the snow on the sea ice during the Arctic spring while the timing and location of the bromine release are largely controlled by meteorological factors. It appears that a rapid advection and an enhanced turbulent diffusion associated with strong boundary-layer winds drive transport and dispersion of ozone to the near-surface air over the sea ice, increasing the oxidation rate of bromide (Br-) in the surface snow. Also, if indeed the surface snowpack does supply most of the reactive bromine in the Arctic boundary layer, it appears to be capable of releasing reactive bromine at temperatures as high as -10 °C, particularly on the sea ice in the central and eastern Arctic Ocean. Dynamically-induced BrO column variability in the lowermost stratosphere appears to interfere with the use of satellite BrO column measurements for interpreting BrO variability in the lower troposphere but probably not to the extent of totally obscuring "BrO clouds" that originate from the surface snow/ice source of bromine in the high Arctic. A budget analysis of the simulated air-surface exchange of bromine compounds suggests that a "bromine explosion" occurs in the interstitial air of the snowpack and/or is accelerated by heterogeneous reactions on the surface of wind-blown snow in ambient air, both of which are not represented explicitly in our simple model but could have been approximated by a parameter adjustment for the yield of Br2 from the trigger.

Estimating Turbulent Surface Fluxes from Small Unmanned Aircraft: Evaluation of Current Abilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Elston, J.; Cassano, J. J.; Mack, J.; Wildmann, N.; Nigro, M. A.; Ivey, M.; Wolfe, D. E.; Muschinski, A.

2014-12-01

Heat transfer between the atmosphere and Earth's surface represents a key component to understanding Earth energy balance, making it important in understanding and simulating climate. Arguably, the oceanic air-sea interface and Polar sea-ice-air interface are amongst the most challenging in which to measure these fluxes. This difficulty results partially from challenges associated with infrastructure deployment on these surfaces and partially from an inability to obtain spatially representative values over a potentially inhomogeneous surface. Traditionally sensible (temperature) and latent (moisture) fluxes are estimated using one of several techniques. A preferred method involves eddy-correlation where cross-correlation between anomalies in vertical motion (w) and temperature (T) or moisture (q) is used to estimate heat transfer. High-frequency measurements of these quantities can be derived using tower-mounted instrumentation. Such systems have historically been deployed over land surfaces or on ships and buoys to calculate fluxes at the air-land or air-sea interface, but such deployments are expensive and challenging to execute, resulting in a lack of spatially diverse measurements. A second ("bulk") technique involves the observation of horizontal windspeed, temperature and moisture at a given altitude over an extended time period in order to estimate the surface fluxes. Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) represent a unique platform from which to derive these fluxes. These sUAS can be small ( 1 m), lightweight ( 700 g), low cost ( $2000) and relatively easy to deploy to remote locations and over inhomogeneous surfaces. We will give an overview of the ability of sUAS to provide measurements necessary for estimating surface turbulent fluxes. This discussion is based on flights in the vicinity of the 1000 ft. Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) tower, and over the US Department of Energy facility at Oliktok Point, Alaska. We will present initial comparisons between UAS-derived turbulent fluxes and those derived from tower-based instrumentation and discuss differences in the context of sensor technology and flight patterns employed to collect data.

Sea ice radar signatures from ERS-1 SAR during late Summer and Fall in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, Benjamin; Cunningham, Glenn; Kwok, Ron

1993-01-01

A study which examines ERS-1 C band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) imagery of sea ice obtained in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas from mid Summer through Fall freeze up and early Winter in 1991 is presented. Radar backscatter statistics of sea ice were obtained from the imagery, using common floes tracked through consecutive repeat images whenever possible. During the Summer months, strong fluctuations in ice signatures of several dB are observed over 2 to 3 day periods, which are found to be closely related to air temperature excursions above and below freezing that alters the phase of the ice surface. As air temperatures drop steadily below freezing in the Fall, the signatures of the pack ice increase in brightness and become more stable with time. Multiyear ice is distinguished from rough and smooth first year ice. There are also variations in the multiyear signatures with latitude. Large variations are seen in new ice and open water contained within leads which results in ambiguous classification.

Meteorological and Land Surface Properties Impacting Sea Breeze Extent and Aerosol Distribution in a Dry Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igel, Adele L.; van den Heever, Susan C.; Johnson, Jill S.

2018-01-01

The properties of sea breeze circulations are influenced by a variety of meteorological and geophysical factors that interact with one another. These circulations can redistribute aerosol particles and pollution and therefore can play an important role in local air quality, as well as impact remote sensing. In this study, we select 11 factors that have the potential to impact either the sea breeze circulation properties and/or the spatial distribution of aerosols. Simulations are run to identify which of the 11 factors have the largest influence on the sea breeze properties and aerosol concentrations and to subsequently understand the mean response of these variables to the selected factors. All simulations are designed to be representative of conditions in coastal sub tropical environments and are thus relatively dry, as such they do not support deep convection associated with the sea breeze front. For this dry sea breeze regime, we find that the background wind speed was the most influential factor for the sea breeze propagation, with the soil saturation fraction also being important. For the spatial aerosol distribution, the most important factors were the soil moisture, sea-air temperature difference, and the initial boundary layer height. The importance of these factors seems to be strongly tied to the development of the surface-based mixed layer both ahead of and behind the sea breeze front. This study highlights potential avenues for further research regarding sea breeze dynamics and the impact of sea breeze circulations on pollution dispersion and remote sensing algorithms.

A Multiyear Dataset of SSM/I-Derived Global Ocean Surface Turbulent Fluxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, Shu-Hsien; Shie, Chung-Lin; Atlas, Robert M.; Ardizzone, Joe; Nelkin, Eric; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The surface turbulent fluxes of momentum, latent heat, and sensible heat over global oceans are essential to weather, climate and ocean problems. Evaporation is a key component of the hydrological cycle and the surface heat budget, while the wind stress is the major forcing for driving the oceanic circulation. The global air-sea fluxes of momentum, latent and sensible heat, radiation, and freshwater (precipitation-evaporation) are the forcing for driving oceanic circulation and, hence, are essential for understanding the general circulation of global oceans. The global air-sea fluxes are required for driving ocean models and validating coupled ocean-atmosphere global models. We have produced a 7.5-year (July 1987-December 1994) dataset of daily surface turbulent fluxes over the global oceans from the Special Sensor microwave/Imager (SSM/I) data. Daily turbulent fluxes were derived from daily data of SSM/I surface winds and specific humidity, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) sea surface temperatures, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) air-sea temperature differences, using a stability-dependent bulk scheme. The retrieved instantaneous surface air humidity (with a 25-km resolution) validated well with that of the collocated radiosonde observations over the global oceans. Furthermore, the retrieved daily wind stresses and latent heat fluxes were found to agree well with that of the in situ measurements (IMET buoy, RV Moana Wave, and RV Wecoma) in the western Pacific warm pool during the TOGA COARE intensive observing period (November 1992-February 1993). The global distributions of 1988-94 seasonal-mean turbulent fluxes will be presented. In addition, the global distributions of 1990-93 annual-means turbulent fluxes and input variables will be compared with those of UWM/COADS covering the same period. The latter is based on the COADS (comprehensive ocean-atmosphere data set) and is recognized to be one of the best climatological analyses of fluxes derived from ship observations.

Multi-model attribution of upper-ocean temperature changes using an isothermal approach.

PubMed

Weller, Evan; Min, Seung-Ki; Palmer, Matthew D; Lee, Donghyun; Yim, Bo Young; Yeh, Sang-Wook

2016-06-01

Both air-sea heat exchanges and changes in ocean advection have contributed to observed upper-ocean warming most evident in the late-twentieth century. However, it is predominantly via changes in air-sea heat fluxes that human-induced climate forcings, such as increasing greenhouse gases, and other natural factors such as volcanic aerosols, have influenced global ocean heat content. The present study builds on previous work using two different indicators of upper-ocean temperature changes for the detection of both anthropogenic and natural external climate forcings. Using simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, we compare mean temperatures above a fixed isotherm with the more widely adopted approach of using a fixed depth. We present the first multi-model ensemble detection and attribution analysis using the fixed isotherm approach to robustly detect both anthropogenic and natural external influences on upper-ocean temperatures. Although contributions from multidecadal natural variability cannot be fully removed, both the large multi-model ensemble size and properties of the isotherm analysis reduce internal variability of the ocean, resulting in better observation-model comparison of temperature changes since the 1950s. We further show that the high temporal resolution afforded by the isotherm analysis is required to detect natural external influences such as volcanic cooling events in the upper-ocean because the radiative effect of volcanic forcings is short-lived.

Multi-model attribution of upper-ocean temperature changes using an isothermal approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, Evan; Min, Seung-Ki; Palmer, Matthew D.; Lee, Donghyun; Yim, Bo Young; Yeh, Sang-Wook

2016-06-01

Both air-sea heat exchanges and changes in ocean advection have contributed to observed upper-ocean warming most evident in the late-twentieth century. However, it is predominantly via changes in air-sea heat fluxes that human-induced climate forcings, such as increasing greenhouse gases, and other natural factors such as volcanic aerosols, have influenced global ocean heat content. The present study builds on previous work using two different indicators of upper-ocean temperature changes for the detection of both anthropogenic and natural external climate forcings. Using simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, we compare mean temperatures above a fixed isotherm with the more widely adopted approach of using a fixed depth. We present the first multi-model ensemble detection and attribution analysis using the fixed isotherm approach to robustly detect both anthropogenic and natural external influences on upper-ocean temperatures. Although contributions from multidecadal natural variability cannot be fully removed, both the large multi-model ensemble size and properties of the isotherm analysis reduce internal variability of the ocean, resulting in better observation-model comparison of temperature changes since the 1950s. We further show that the high temporal resolution afforded by the isotherm analysis is required to detect natural external influences such as volcanic cooling events in the upper-ocean because the radiative effect of volcanic forcings is short-lived.

Cloud screening and melt water detection over melting sea ice using AATSR/SLSTR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Istomina, Larysa; Heygster, Georg

2014-05-01

With the onset of melt in the Arctic Ocean, the fraction of melt water on sea ice, the melt pond fraction, increases. The consequences are: the reduced albedo of sea ice, increased transmittance of sea ice and affected heat balance of the system with more heat passing through the ice into the ocean, which facilitates further melting. The onset of melt, duration of melt season and melt pond fraction are good indicators of the climate state of the Arctic and its change. In the absence of reliable sea ice thickness retrievals in summer, melt pond fraction retrieval from satellite is in demand as input for GCM as an indicator of melt state of the sea ice. The retrieval of melt pond fraction with a moderate resolution radiometer as AATSR is, however, a non-trivial task due to a variety of subpixel surface types with very different optical properties, which give non-unique combinations if mixed. In this work this has been solved by employing additional information on the surface and air temperature of the pixel. In the current work, a concept of melt pond detection on sea ice is presented. The basis of the retrieval is the sensitivity of AATSR reflectance channels 550nm and 860nm to the amount of melt water on sea ice. The retrieval features extensive usage of a database of in situ surface albedo spectra. A tree of decisions is employed to select the feasible family of in situ spectra for the retrieval, depending on the melt stage of the surface. Reanalysis air temperature at the surface and brightness temperature measured by the satellite sensor are analyzed in order to evaluate the melting status of the surface. Case studies for FYI and MYI show plausible retrieved melt pond fractions, characteristic for both of the ice types. The developed retrieval can be used to process the historical AATSR (2002-2012) dataset, as well as for the SLSTR sensor onboard the future Sentinel-3 mission (scheduled for launch in 2015), to keep the continuity and obtain longer time sequence of the product. Cloud detection over melting sea ice is a non-trivial problem as well. The sensitivity of AATSR 3.7 micron band to atmospheric reflectance is used to screen out clouds over melting sea ice.

Distinct characteristics of the intermediate water observed off the east coast of Korea during two contrasting years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, S.; Yoon, S.; Park, J. H.; Kim, Y. H.; Chang, K. I.

2016-02-01

The intermediate water known as `East Sea Intermediate Water' and its coastal mode `North Korea Cold Water' found south of the Subpolar Front (SF) is formed in the northern East (Japan) Sea, and its physical properties are known to be determined by wintertime air-sea interaction north of the SF. Hydrographic data collected off the coast bi-monthly from 1994 to 2011 show significant decadal oscillations in spiciness following isopycnals of intermediate water (27.1-27.2 sigma-theta typically corresponding to 150 m depth), which are explained by the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and consequent cold-air outbreaks. During positive AO phases over the decades, the cold-air outbreak and water formation are more active and the intermediate water having the same spiciness reaches higher density (higher spiciness following the same isopycnals). At interannual timescale, however, the spiciness variability is well beyond the relationship with the AO. Especially, significantly lower spiciness (or both less saline and lower temperature) intermediate water was observed in spring of 2010 than 2001 under the similar AO condition (negative peaks). Strong cooling with common negative peaks in surface net-heat flux (with different patterns) and common negative peaks in the AO index are prominent in winter of the two years over past two decades. Such contrasting characteristics of intermediate water between 2001 and 2010 are consistent with the HYCOM reanalysis results which, along with the satellite altimetry-derived sea surface height maps, indicates widespread extension of low (high) spiciness intermediate water in the southwestern East Sea in 2010 (2001). A clear contrast in circulation pattern, along with net-heat flux pattern, is suggested to derive the observational results in the distinctly different characteristics of the intermediate water.

A major increase in winter snowfall during the middle Holocene on western Greenland caused by reduced sea ice in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Elizabeth K.; Briner, Jason P.; Ryan-Henry, John J.; Huang, Yongsong

2016-05-01

Precipitation is predicted to increase in the Arctic as temperature increases and sea ice retreats. Yet the mechanisms controlling precipitation in the Arctic are poorly understood and quantified only by the short, sparse instrumental record. We use hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) of lipid biomarkers in lake sediments from western Greenland to reconstruct precipitation seasonality and summer temperature during the past 8 kyr. Aquatic biomarker δ2H was 100‰ more negative from 6 to 4 ka than during the early and late Holocene, which we interpret to reflect increased winter snowfall. The middle Holocene also had high summer air temperature, decreased early winter sea ice in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea, and a strong, warm West Greenland Current. These results corroborate model predictions of winter snowfall increases caused by sea ice retreat and furthermore suggest that warm currents advecting more heat into the polar seas may enhance Arctic evaporation and snowfall.

Performance of Control System Using Microcontroller for Sea Water Circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indriani, A.; Witanto, Y.; Pratama, A. S.; Supriyadi; Hendra; Tanjung, A.

2018-02-01

Now a day control system is very important rule for any process. Control system have been used in the automatic system. Automatic system can be seen in the industrial filed, mechanical field, electrical field and etc. In industrial and mechanical field, control system are used for control of motion component such as motor, conveyor, machine, control of process made of product, control of system and soon. In electrical field, control system can met for control of electrical system as equipment or part electrical like fan, rice cooker, refrigerator, air conditioner and etc. Control system are used for control of temperature and circulation gas, air and water. Control system of temperature and circulation of water also can be used for fisher community. Control system can be create by using microcontroller, PLC and other automatic program [1][2]. In this paper we will focus on the close loop system by using microcontroller Arduino Mega to control of temperature and circulation of sea water for fisher community. Performance control system is influenced by control equipment, sensor sensitivity, test condition, environment and others. The temperature sensor is measured using the DS18S20 and the sea water clarity sensor for circulation indicator with turbidity sensor. From the test results indicated that this control system can circulate sea water and maintain the temperature and clarity of seawater in a short time.

Intraseasonal Cold Air Outbreak over East Asia and the preceding atmospheric condition over the Barents-Kara Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, M. E.; Inoue, J.

2011-12-01

Frequent occurrence of cold air outbreak is a dominant feature of the East Asian winter monsoon. A contributing factor for the this cold air outbreak is the role of stationary Rossby waves over the Eurasian continent which intensifies the surface Siberian High and the accompanying cold air outflow. Reduced sea ice and increase in turbulence heat flux is hypothesized as a source of such stationary waves (Honda et al. 2009). In particular, the winter of 2009/2010 saw a strong correlation of high pressure anomaly over the Barents/Kara sea and the following cold air buildup over the Eurasian continent and its advection towards East Asia (Hori et al. 2011). The lag correlation of surface temperature over Japan and the 850hPa geopotential height shows a cyclonic anomaly appearing over the Barents/Kara sea which creates a cold air advection over the Eurasian continent. The pressure anomaly subsequently shifted westward to mature into a blocking high which created a wave- train pattern downstream advecting the cold air buildup eastward toward East Asia and Japan (Fig1). We further examine this mechanism for other years including the 2005/2006, 2010/2011 winter and other winters with extreme cold air outbreaks. Overall, the existence of an anticyclonic anomaly over the Barents/Kara sea correlated well with the seasonal dominance of cold air over the Eurasian continent thereby creating a contrast of a warm Arctic and cold Eurasian continent.In the intraseasonal timescale, the existence of this anticyclone corresponds to a persisting atmospheric blocking in the high latitudes. In the presentation, we address the underlying chain of events leading up to a strong cold air outbreak over East Asia from an atmosphere - sea ice - land surafce interaction point of view for paritular cold winter years.

Pollen from the Deep-Sea: A Breakthrough in the Mystery of the Ice Ages

PubMed Central

Sánchez Goñi, María F.; Desprat, Stéphanie; Fletcher, William J.; Morales-Molino, César; Naughton, Filipa; Oliveira, Dulce; Urrego, Dunia H.; Zorzi, Coralie

2018-01-01

Pollen from deep-sea sedimentary sequences provides an integrated regional reconstruction of vegetation and climate (temperature, precipitation, and seasonality) on the adjacent continent. More importantly, the direct correlation of pollen, marine and ice indicators allows comparison of the atmospheric climatic changes that have affected the continent with the response of the Earth’s other reservoirs, i.e., the oceans and cryosphere, without any chronological uncertainty. The study of long continuous pollen records from the European margin has revealed a changing and complex interplay between European climate, North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs), ice growth and decay, and high- and low-latitude forcing at orbital and millennial timescales. These records have shown that the amplitude of the last five terrestrial interglacials was similar above 40°N, while below 40°N their magnitude differed due to precession-modulated changes in seasonality and, particularly, winter precipitation. These records also showed that vegetation response was in dynamic equilibrium with rapid climate changes such as the Dangaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles and Heinrich events, similar in magnitude and velocity to the ongoing global warming. However, the magnitude of the millennial-scale warming events of the last glacial period was regionally-specific. Precession seems to have imprinted regions below 40°N while obliquity, which controls average annual temperature, probably mediated the impact of D-O warming events above 40°N. A decoupling between high- and low-latitude climate was also observed within last glacial warm (Greenland interstadials) and cold phases (Greenland stadials). The synchronous response of western European vegetation/climate and eastern North Atlantic SSTs to D-O cycles was not a pervasive feature throughout the Quaternary. During periods of ice growth such as MIS 5a/4, MIS 11c/b and MIS 19c/b, repeated millennial-scale cold-air/warm-sea decoupling events occurred on the European margin superimposed to a long-term air-sea decoupling trend. Strong air-sea thermal contrasts promoted the production of water vapor that was then transported northward by the westerlies and fed ice sheets. This interaction between long-term and shorter time-scale climatic variability may have amplified insolation decreases and thus explain the Ice Ages. This hypothesis should be tested by the integration of stochastic processes in Earth models of intermediate complexity. PMID:29434616

Pollen from the Deep-Sea: A Breakthrough in the Mystery of the Ice Ages.

PubMed

Sánchez Goñi, María F; Desprat, Stéphanie; Fletcher, William J; Morales-Molino, César; Naughton, Filipa; Oliveira, Dulce; Urrego, Dunia H; Zorzi, Coralie

2018-01-01

Pollen from deep-sea sedimentary sequences provides an integrated regional reconstruction of vegetation and climate (temperature, precipitation, and seasonality) on the adjacent continent. More importantly, the direct correlation of pollen, marine and ice indicators allows comparison of the atmospheric climatic changes that have affected the continent with the response of the Earth's other reservoirs, i.e., the oceans and cryosphere, without any chronological uncertainty. The study of long continuous pollen records from the European margin has revealed a changing and complex interplay between European climate, North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs), ice growth and decay, and high- and low-latitude forcing at orbital and millennial timescales. These records have shown that the amplitude of the last five terrestrial interglacials was similar above 40°N, while below 40°N their magnitude differed due to precession-modulated changes in seasonality and, particularly, winter precipitation. These records also showed that vegetation response was in dynamic equilibrium with rapid climate changes such as the Dangaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles and Heinrich events, similar in magnitude and velocity to the ongoing global warming. However, the magnitude of the millennial-scale warming events of the last glacial period was regionally-specific. Precession seems to have imprinted regions below 40°N while obliquity, which controls average annual temperature, probably mediated the impact of D-O warming events above 40°N. A decoupling between high- and low-latitude climate was also observed within last glacial warm (Greenland interstadials) and cold phases (Greenland stadials). The synchronous response of western European vegetation/climate and eastern North Atlantic SSTs to D-O cycles was not a pervasive feature throughout the Quaternary. During periods of ice growth such as MIS 5a/4, MIS 11c/b and MIS 19c/b, repeated millennial-scale cold-air/warm-sea decoupling events occurred on the European margin superimposed to a long-term air-sea decoupling trend. Strong air-sea thermal contrasts promoted the production of water vapor that was then transported northward by the westerlies and fed ice sheets. This interaction between long-term and shorter time-scale climatic variability may have amplified insolation decreases and thus explain the Ice Ages. This hypothesis should be tested by the integration of stochastic processes in Earth models of intermediate complexity.

Seasonal variability of the Red Sea, from GRACE time-variable gravity and altimeter sea surface height measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahr, John; Smeed, David; Leuliette, Eric; Swenson, Sean

2014-05-01

Seasonal variability of sea surface height and mass within the Red Sea, occurs mostly through the exchange of heat with the atmosphere and wind-driven inflow and outflow of water through the strait of Bab el Mandab that opens into the Gulf of Aden to the south. The seasonal effects of precipitation and evaporation, of water exchange through the Suez Canal to the north, and of runoff from the adjacent land, are all small. The flow through the Bab el Mandab involves a net mass transfer into the Red Sea during the winter and a net transfer out during the summer. But that flow has a multi-layer pattern, so that in the summer there is actually an influx of cool water at intermediate (~100 m) depths. Thus, summer water in the southern Red Sea is warmer near the surface due to higher air temperatures, but cooler at intermediate depths (especially in the far south). Summer water in the northern Red Sea experiences warming by air-sea exchange only. The temperature profile affects the water density, which impacts the sea surface height but has no effect on vertically integrated mass. Here, we study this seasonal cycle by combining GRACE time-variable mass estimates, altimeter (Jason-1, Jason-2, and Envisat) measurements of sea surface height, and steric sea surface height contributions derived from depth-dependent, climatological values of temperature and salinity obtained from the World Ocean Atlas. We find good consistency, particularly in the northern Red Sea, between these three data types. Among the general characteristics of our results are: (1) the mass contributions to seasonal SSHT variations are much larger than the steric contributions; (2) the mass signal is largest in winter, consistent with winds pushing water into the Red Sea through the Strait of Bab el Mandab in winter, and out during the summer; and (3) the steric signal is largest in summer, consistent with summer sea surface warming.

Climate Extreme Events over Northern Eurasia in Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulygina, O.; Korshunova, N. N.; Razuvaev, V. N.; Groisman, P. Y.

2014-12-01

During the period of widespread instrumental observations in Northern Eurasia, the annual surface air temperature has increased by 1.5°C. Close to the north in the Arctic Ocean, the late summer sea ice extent has decreased by 40% providing a near-infinite source of water vapor for the dry Arctic atmosphere in the early cold season months. The contemporary sea ice changes are especially visible in the Eastern Hemisphere All these factors affect the change extreme events. Daily and sub-daily data of 940 stations to analyze variations in the space time distribution of extreme temperatures, precipitation, and wind over Russia were used. Changing in number of days with thaw over Russia was described. The total seasonal numbers of days, when daily surface air temperatures (wind, precipitation) were found to be above (below) selected thresholds, were used as indices of climate extremes. Changing in difference between maximum and minimum temperature (DTR) may produce a variety of effects on biological systems. All values falling within the intervals ranged from the lowest percentile to the 5th percentile and from the 95th percentile to the highest percentile for the time period of interest were considered as daily extremes. The number of days, N, when daily temperatures (wind, precipitation, DTR) were within the above mentioned intervals, was determined for the seasons of each year. Linear trends in the number of days were calculated for each station and for quasi-homogeneous climatic regions. Regional analysis of extreme events was carried out using quasi-homogeneous climatic regions. Maps (climatology, trends) are presented mostly for visualization purposes. Differences in regional characteristics of extreme events are accounted for over a large extent of the Russian territory and variety of its physical and geographical conditions. The number of days with maximum temperatures higher than the 95% percentile has increased in most of Russia and decreased in Siberia in spring and autumn. Reducing the number of days with extremely low air temperatures dominated in all seasons. At the same time, the number of days with abnormally low air temperatures has increased in Middle Volga region and south of Western Siberia. In most parts of European Russia observed increase in the number of days with heavy snowfalls.

Southern Ocean air-sea heat flux, SST spatial anomalies, and implications for multi-decadal upper ocean heat content trends.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamsitt, V. M.; Talley, L. D.; Mazloff, M. R.

2014-12-01

The Southern Ocean displays a zonal dipole (wavenumber one) pattern in sea surface temperature (SST), with a cool zonal anomaly in the Atlantic and Indian sectors and a warm zonal anomaly in the Pacific sector, associated with the large northward excursion of the Malvinas and southeastward flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). To the north of the cool Indian sector is the warm, narrow Agulhas Return Current (ARC). Air-sea heat flux is largely the inverse of this SST pattern, with ocean heat gain in the Atlantic/Indian, cooling in the southeastward-flowing ARC, and cooling in the Pacific, based on adjusted fluxes from the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE), a ⅙° eddy permitting model constrained to all available in situ data. This heat flux pattern is dominated by turbulent heat loss from the ocean (latent and sensible), proportional to perturbations in the difference between SST and surface air temperature, which are maintained by ocean advection. Locally in the Indian sector, intense heat loss along the ARC is contrasted by ocean heat gain of 0.11 PW south of the ARC. The IPCC AR5 50 year depth-averaged 0-700 m temperature trend shows surprising similarities in its spatial pattern, with upper ocean warming in the ARC contrasted by cooling to the south. Using diagnosed heat budget terms from the most recent (June 2014) 6-year run of the SOSE we find that surface cooling in the ARC is balanced by heating from south-eastward advection by the current whereas heat gain in the ACC is balanced by cooling due to northward Ekman transport driven by strong westerly winds. These results suggest that spatial patterns in multi-decadal upper ocean temperature trends depend on regional variations in upper ocean dynamics.

Impact of Land-Sea Thermal Contrast on Inland Penetration of Sea Fog over The Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H. Y.; Chang, E. C.

2017-12-01

Sea fog can be classified into a cold sea fog that occurs when sea surface temperature (SST) is colder than sea air temperature (SAT) and a warm sea fog that occurs when the SST is warmer than the SAT. We simulated two sea fog events over the Yellow Sea which is surrounded by Korean Peninsula and mainland China using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Our first aim is to understand contributions of major factors for the sea fog formation. First, the two sea fog events are designated as cold and warm types, and cooling rates as well as moistening rates are calculated employing bulk aerodynamic methods. Both cases show cooling and moistening by turbulent fluxes play an important role in condensation either favorably or unfavorably. However, longwave radiative cooling is as or even stronger than turbulent cooling, suggesting it is the most decisive factor in formation of sea fogs regardless of their type. Our second purpose of the study is to understand inland penetration of sea fog in terms of thermal contrast (TC) and it was conducted through sensitivity tests of SST and land skin temperature (LST). In the SST sensitivity tests, increase of SSTs lead to that of upward turbulent heat fluxes so that SATs rise which are responsible for evaporation of cloud waters and it is common response of the two events. In addition, change of the SST induce that of the TC and may affect the inland penetration of sea fog. However, when the cloud waters over the sea evaporate, it is hard to fully determine the inland penetration. As a remedy for this limitation, LST is now modified instead of SST to minimize the evaporation effect, maintaining the equivalent TC. In the case of cold sea fog, land air temperature (LAT) is warmer than SAT. Here, decrease of the LAT leads to weakening of the TC and favors the inland penetration. On the other hand, LAT is colder than the SAT in the warm sea fog event. When the LAT decreases, the TC is intensified resulting in blocking of the penetration. Although our study mainly focused on the TC, the results can offer new perspective which would be helpful for forecasting the visibility in the coastal area.

MP3 - A Meteorology and Physical Properties Package for Titan Air-Sea Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, R. D.; Stofan, E.; Lunine, J. I.; Zarnecki, J. C.; Harri, A.-M.; Karkoschka, E.; Newman, C. E.; Bierhaus, E. B.; Clark, B. C.; Yelland, M.; Leese, M. R.; Boldt, J.; Darlington, E.; Neish, C. D.; Sotzen, K.; Arvelo, J.; Rasbach, C.; Kretsch, W.; Strohbehn, K.; Grey, M.; Mann, J.; Zimmerman, H.; Reed, C.

2012-10-01

MP3 is a sensor suite for the proposed Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) Discovery mission to Ligeia Mare. MP3 will measure temperatures, and wind velocity, methane humidity, and pressure, as well as sea turbidity, dielectric properties, and depth via sonar.

Late summer sea ice segmentation with multi-polarisation SAR features in C- and X-band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fors, A. S.; Brekke, C.; Doulgeris, A. P.; Eltoft, T.; Renner, A. H. H.; Gerland, S.

2015-09-01

In this study we investigate the potential of sea ice segmentation by C- and X-band multi-polarisation synthetic aperture radar (SAR) features during late summer. Five high-resolution satellite SAR scenes were recorded in the Fram Strait covering iceberg-fast first-year and old sea ice during a week with air temperatures varying around zero degrees Celsius. In situ data consisting of sea ice thickness, surface roughness and aerial photographs were collected during a helicopter flight at the site. Six polarimetric SAR features were extracted for each of the scenes. The ability of the individual SAR features to discriminate between sea ice types and their temporally consistency were examined. All SAR features were found to add value to sea ice type discrimination. Relative kurtosis, geometric brightness, cross-polarisation ratio and co-polarisation correlation angle were found to be temporally consistent in the investigated period, while co-polarisation ratio and co-polarisation correlation magnitude were found to be temporally inconsistent. An automatic feature-based segmentation algorithm was tested both for a full SAR feature set, and for a reduced SAR feature set limited to temporally consistent features. In general, the algorithm produces a good late summer sea ice segmentation. Excluding temporally inconsistent SAR features improved the segmentation at air temperatures above zero degrees Celcius.

Forecast of Antarctic Sea Ice and Meteorological Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreira, S.; Orquera, F.

2017-12-01

Since 2001, we have been forecasting the climatic fields of the Antarctic sea ice (SI) and surface air temperature, surface pressure and precipitation anomalies for the Southern Hemisphere at the Meteorological Department of the Argentine Naval Hydrographic Service with different techniques that have evolved with the years. Forecast is based on the results of Principal Components Analysis applied to SI series (S-Mode) that gives patterns of temporal series with validity areas (these series are important to determine which areas in Antarctica will have positive or negative SI anomalies based on what happen in the atmosphere) and, on the other hand, to SI fields (T-Mode) that give us the form of the SI fields anomalies based on a classification of 16 patterns. Each T-Mode pattern has unique atmospheric fields associated to them. Therefore, it is possible to forecast whichever atmosphere variable we decide for the Southern Hemisphere. When the forecast is obtained, each pattern has a probability of occurrence and sometimes it is necessary to compose more than one of them to obtain the final result. S-Mode and T-Mode are monthly updated with new data, for that reason the forecasts improved with the increase of cases since 2001. We used the Monthly Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations database derived from satellite information generated by NASA Team algorithm provided monthly by the National Snow and Ice Data Center of USA that begins in November 1978. Recently, we have been experimenting with multilayer Perceptron (neuronal network) with supervised learning and a back-propagation algorithm to improve the forecast. The Perceptron is the most common Artificial Neural Network topology dedicated to image pattern recognition. It was implemented through the use of temperature and pressure anomalies field images that were associated with a the different sea ice anomaly patterns. The variables analyzed included only composites of surface air temperature and pressure anomalies to simplify the density of input data and avoid a non-converging solution. Sea ice and atmospheric variables forecast can be checked every month at our web page http://www.hidro.gob.ar/smara/sb/sb.asp and at World Meteorological web page (Global Cryosphere Watch) http://globalcryospherewatch.org/state_of_cryo/seaice/.

Response of Arctic Snow and Sea Ice Extents to Melt Season Atmospheric Forcing Across the Land-Ocean Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bliss, A. C.; Anderson, M. R.

2011-12-01

Little research has gone into studying the concurrent variations in the annual loss of continental snow cover and sea ice extent across the land-ocean boundary, however, the analysis of these data averaged spatially over three study regions located in North America and Eastern and Western Russia, reveals a distinct difference in the response of anomalous snow and sea ice conditions to the atmospheric forcing. This study compares the monthly continental snow cover and sea ice extent loss in the Arctic, during the melt season months (May-August) for the period 1979-2007, with regional atmospheric conditions known to influence summer melt including: mean sea level pressures, 925 hPa air temperatures, and mean 2 m U and V wind vectors from NCEP/DOE Reanalysis 2. The monthly hemispheric snow cover extent data used are from the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab and sea ice extents for this study are derived from the monthly passive microwave satellite Bootstrap algorithm sea ice concentrations available from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Three case study years (1985, 1996, and 2007) are used to compare the direct response of monthly anomalous sea ice and snow cover areal extents to monthly mean atmospheric forcing averaged spatially over the extent of each study region. This comparison is then expanded for all summer months over the 29 year study period where the monthly persistence of sea ice and snow cover extent anomalies and changes in the sea ice and snow conditions under differing atmospheric conditions are explored further. The monthly anomalous atmospheric conditions are classified into four categories including: warmer temperatures with higher pressures, warmer temperatures with lower pressures, cooler temperatures with higher pressures, and cooler temperatures with lower pressures. Analysis of the atmospheric conditions surrounding anomalous loss of snow and ice cover over the independent study regions indicates that conditions of warmer temperatures advected via southerly winds are effective at forcing melt, while conditions of anomalously cool temperatures with persistent, strong northeasterly winds in the later melt season months are also effective at removing anomalous extents of sea ice cover, likely through ice divergence. Normalized sea ice extent anomalies, regardless of the snow cover, tend to persist in the same positive or negative directions (or remain near normal) from month to month over the summer season in 73.6% of cases from June to July, in 69% of cases from July to August, and in 54% of cases for the entire season (June-August) for the 29 year study period. However, when shifts in the sea ice extent anomaly directions from the conditions present in the early melt season occur, it is generally associated with a shift in the atmospheric conditions forcing the change in sea ice extent loss for the region.

Marine Fog over the Western Pacific Marginal Seas Based Upon Ship Observations for 1950 - 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, C. E.; Koracin, D. R.

2016-12-01

An analysis is presented of the marine fog distribution over the western Pacific marginal seas based upon the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) ship observations taken during 1950-2007. Fog occurrence is reported in routine weather reports that are encoded in an ICOADS ship observation. This includes the marginal seas of Okhotsk Sea, Japan Sea, Yellow Sea and South China Sea which have significant fog occurrences with values much greater than in the surrounding ocean with distinct seasonal trends but different generation mechanisms. The greatest occurrence is 55 % in Jun-Jul-Aug over the Okhotsk Sea followed by 28 % over the Japan Sea. This is seasonally controlled by the sea level pressure gradient moving air over a negative sea surface temperature gradient. During Dec-Jan-Feb, the SLP gradient reverses, moving cold, dry continental air over the Okhotsk and Japan Seas, eliminating any fog. The maximum fog over the Okhotsk Sea is over isolated locations with shallow water. In the Japan Sea, the most frequent fog occurs along the north side of the sea over a narrow shelf with the lowest SST of the entire Sea. In the Yellow Sea, the fog frequency peak is from Dec through May. In Mar-Apr-May the highest value is 18 % which is centered at 33 N 122 W while elevated values extend along the China coast to Taiwan. In Jun-Jul-Aug, highest values are mostly confined to the Yellow Sea. In Dec-Jan-Feb, decreased but significant fog occurrences extend along the entire China coast when the highest value in the Yellow Sea is 5 % and in South China Sea it is 6 %. The only other world marine fog occurrence analysis discovered by us is a US Department of Agriculture Jun-Jul-Aug marine fog frequency chart published in 1938 that does not show any fog in the Okhotsk Sea and misses most of the fog occurrence reported by ships in the Yellow Sea.

Seasonal Oxygen Supersaturation and Air-Sea Fluxes from Profiling Floats in the Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bushinsky, S. M.; Emerson, S. R.

2016-02-01

The Pacific Ocean is a heterogeneous basin that includes regions of strong CO2 fluxes to and from the atmosphere. The Kuroshio Extension (KE) is a current associated with the largest CO2 flux into the Pacific Ocean, which extends across the Pacific basin between the subarctic and subtropical regions. The relative importance of the biological and physical processes controlling this sink is uncertain. The stoichiometric relationship between O2 and dissolved inorganic carbon during photosynthesis and respiration may allow in situ O2 measurements to help determine the processes driving this large CO2 flux. In this study, we used Argo profiling floats with modified oxygen sensors to estimate O2 fluxes in several areas of the Pacific. In situ air calibrations of these sensors allowed us to accurately measure air-sea O2 differences, which largely control the flux of O2 to and from the atmosphere. In this way, we determine air-sea O2 fluxes from profiling floats, which previously did not measure O2 accurately enough to make these calculations. To characterize different areas within the KE, we separated O2 measurements from floats into 3 regions based on geographical position and temperature-salinity relationships: North KE, Central KE, and South KE. We then used these regions and floats in the Alaska Gyre and subtropical South Pacific gyre to develop seasonal climatologies of ΔO2 and air-sea flux. Mean annual air-sea oxygen fluxes (positive fluxes represent addition of O2 to the ocean) were calculated for the Alaska Gyre of -0.3 mol m-2 yr-1 (2012-2015), for the northern KE, central KE, and southern KE (2013-2015) of 6.8, 10.5, and 0.5 mol m-2 yr-1, respectively, and for the south subtropical Pacific (2014-2015) of 0.6 mol m-2 yr-1. The air-sea flux due to bubbles was greater than 50% of the total flux for winter months and essential for determining the magnitude and, in some cases, direction of the cumulative mean annual flux. Increases in solubility due to wintertime cooling coupled with a deepening mixed layer were responsible for 50% of the mean annual O2 flux in the KE. We can use the seasonal cycles in regional fluxes to determine the relative importance of summertime biological production, advection, and water mass formation in the KE and annual net community production in the Alaska Gyre, south KE, and south subtropical Pacific.

Projecting Future Sea Level Rise for Water Resources Planning in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J.; Kao, K.; Chung, F.

2008-12-01

Sea level rise is one of the major concerns for the management of California's water resources. Higher water levels and salinity intrusion into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could affect water supplies, water quality, levee stability, and aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna species and their habitat. Over the 20th century, sea levels near San Francisco Bay increased by over 0.6ft. Some tidal gauge and satellite data indicate that rates of sea level rise are accelerating. Sea levels are expected to continue to rise due to increasing air temperatures causing thermal expansion of the ocean and melting of land-based ice such as ice on Greenland and in southeastern Alaska. For water planners, two related questions are raised on the uncertainty of future sea levels. First, what is the expected sea level at a specific point in time in the future, e.g., what is the expected sea level in 2050? Second, what is the expected point of time in the future when sea levels will exceed a certain height, e.g., what is the expected range of time when the sea level rises by one foot? To address these two types of questions, two factors are considered: (1) long term sea level rise trend, and (2) local extreme sea level fluctuations. A two-step approach will be used to develop sea level rise projection guidelines for decision making that takes both of these factors into account. The first step is developing global sea level rise probability distributions for the long term trends. The second step will extend the approach to take into account the effects of local astronomical tides, changes in atmospheric pressure, wind stress, floods, and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. In this paper, the development of the first step approach is presented. To project the long term sea level rise trend, one option is to extend the current rate of sea level rise into the future. However, since recent data indicate rates of sea level rise are accelerating, methods for estimating sea level rise that account for this acceleration are needed. One such method is an empirical relationship between air temperatures and global sea levels. The air temperature-sea level rise relationship was applied to the 12 climate change projections selected by the California Climate Action Team to estimate future sea levels. The 95% confidence level developed from the historical data was extrapolated to estimate the uncertainties in the future projections. To create sea level rise trend probability distributions, a lognormal probability distribution and a generalized extreme value probability distribution are used. Parameter estimations for these distributions are subjective and inevitably involve uncertainties, which will be improved as more research is conducted in this area.

Thermodynamic properties of sea air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feistel, R.; Wright, D. G.; Kretzschmar, H.-J.; Hagen, E.; Herrmann, S.; Span, R.

2010-02-01

Very accurate thermodynamic potential functions are available for fluid water, ice, seawater and humid air covering wide ranges of temperature and pressure conditions. They permit the consistent computation of all equilibrium properties as, for example, required for coupled atmosphere-ocean models or the analysis of observational or experimental data. With the exception of humid air, these potential functions are already formulated as international standards released by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS), and have been adopted in 2009 for oceanography by IOC/UNESCO. In this paper, we derive a collection of formulas for important quantities expressed in terms of the thermodynamic potentials, valid for typical phase transitions and composite systems of humid air and water/ice/seawater. Particular attention is given to equilibria between seawater and humid air, referred to as "sea air" here. In a related initiative, these formulas will soon be implemented in a source-code library for easy practical use. The library is primarily aimed at oceanographic applications but will be relevant to air-sea interaction and meteorology as well. The formulas provided are valid for any consistent set of suitable thermodynamic potential functions. Here we adopt potential functions from previous publications in which they are constructed from theoretical laws and empirical data; they are briefly summarized in the appendix. The formulas make use of the full accuracy of these thermodynamic potentials, without additional approximations or empirical coefficients. They are expressed in the temperature scale ITS-90 and the 2008 Reference-Composition Salinity Scale.

Thermodynamic properties of sea air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feistel, R.; Kretzschmar, H.-J.; Span, R.; Hagen, E.; Wright, D. G.; Herrmann, S.

2009-10-01

Very accurate thermodynamic potential functions are available for fluid water, ice, seawater and humid air covering wide ranges of temperature and pressure conditions. They permit the consistent computation of all equilibrium properties as, for example, required for coupled atmosphere-ocean models or the analysis of observational or experimental data. With the exception of humid air, these potential functions are already formulated as international standards released by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS), and have been adopted in 2009 for oceanography by IOC/UNESCO. In this paper, we derive a collection of formulas for important quantities expressed in terms of the thermodynamic potentials, valid for typical phase transitions and composite systems of humid air and water/ice/seawater. Particular attention is given to equilibria between seawater and humid air, referred to as ''sea air'' here. In a related initiative, these formulas will soon be implemented in a source-code library for easy practical use. The library is primarily aimed at oceanographic applications but will be relevant to air-sea interaction and meteorology as well. The formulas provided are valid for any consistent set of suitable thermodynamic potential functions. Here we adopt potential functions from previous publications in which they are constructed from theoretical laws and empirical data; they are briefly summarized in the appendix. The formulas make use of the full accuracy of these thermodynamic potentials, without additional approximations or empirical coefficients. They are expressed in the temperature scale ITS-90 and the 2008 Reference-Composition Salinity Scale.

A Simple Technique for Creating Regional Composites of Sea Surface Temperature from MODIS for Use in Operational Mesoscale NWP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knievel, Jason C.; Rife, Daran L.; Grim, Joseph A.; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Hacker, Joshua P.; Ge, Ming; Fisher, Henry H.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a simple technique for creating regional, high-resolution, daytime and nighttime composites of sea surface temperature (SST) for use in operational numerical weather prediction (NWP). The composites are based on observations from NASA s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Aqua and Terra. The data used typically are available nearly in real time, are applicable anywhere on the globe, and are capable of roughly representing the diurnal cycle in SST. The composites resolution is much higher than that of many other standard SST products used for operational NWP, including the low- and high-resolution Real-Time Global (RTG) analyses. The difference in resolution is key because several studies have shown that highly resolved SSTs are important for driving the air sea interactions that shape patterns of static stability, vertical and horizontal wind shear, and divergence in the planetary boundary layer. The MODIS-based composites are compared to in situ observations from buoys and other platforms operated by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) off the coasts of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and Florida. Mean differences, mean absolute differences, and root-mean-square differences between the composites and the NDBC observations are all within tenths of a degree of those calculated between RTG analyses and the NDBC observations. This is true whether or not one accounts for the mean offset between the skin temperatures of the MODIS dataset and the bulk temperatures of the NDBC observations and RTG analyses. Near the coast, the MODIS-based composites tend to agree more with NDBC observations than do the RTG analyses. The opposite is true away from the coast. All of these differences in point-wise comparisons among the SST datasets are small compared to the 61.08C accuracy of the NDBC SST sensors. Because skin-temperature variations from land to water so strongly affect the development and life cycle of the sea breeze, this phenomenon was chosen for demonstrating the use of the MODIS-based composite in an NWP model. A simulated sea breeze in the vicinity of New York City and Long Island shows a small, net, but far from universal improvement when MODIS-based composites are used in place of RTG analyses. The timing of the sea breeze s arrival is more accurate at some stations, and the near-surface temperature, wind, and humidity within the breeze are more realistic.

The Role of Air-sea Coupling in the Response of Climate Extremes to Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahajan, S.

2017-12-01

Air-sea interactions dominate the climate of surrounding regions and thus also modulate the climate response to local and remote aerosol forcings. To clearly isolate the role of air-sea coupling in the climate response to aerosols, we conduct experiments with a full complexity atmosphere model that is coupled to a series of ocean models progressively increasing in complexity. The ocean models range from a data ocean model with prescribed SSTs, to a slab ocean model that only allows thermodynamic interactions, to a full dynamic ocean model. In a preliminary study, we have conducted single forcing experiments with black carbon aerosols in an atmosphere GCM coupled to a data ocean model and a slab ocean model. We find that while black carbon aerosols can intensify mean and extreme summer monsoonal precipitation over the Indian sub-continent, air-sea coupling can dramatically modulate this response. Black carbon aerosols in the vicinity of the Arabian Sea result in an increase of sea surface temperatures there in the slab ocean model, which intensify the low-level Somali Jet. The associated increase in moisture transport into Western India enhances the mean as well as extreme precipitation. In prescribed SST experiments, where SSTs are not allowed to respond BC aerosols, the response is muted. We will present results from a hierarchy of GCM simulations that investigate the role of air-sea coupling in the climate response to aerosols in more detail.

The role of Amundsen-Bellingshausen Sea anticyclonic circulation in forcing marine air intrusions into West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emanuelsson, B. Daniel; Bertler, Nancy A. N.; Neff, Peter D.; Renwick, James A.; Markle, Bradley R.; Baisden, W. Troy; Keller, Elizabeth D.

2018-01-01

Persistent positive 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies from the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis are used to quantify Amundsen-Bellingshausen Sea (ABS) anticyclonic event occurrences associated with precipitation in West Antarctica (WA). We demonstrate that multi-day (minimum 3-day duration) anticyclones play a key role in the ABS by dynamically inducing meridional transport, which is associated with heat and moisture advection into WA. This affects surface climate variability and trends, precipitation rates and thus WA ice sheet surface mass balance. We show that the snow accumulation record from the Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) ice core reflects interannual variability of blocking and geopotential height conditions in the ABS/Ross Sea region. Furthermore, our analysis shows that larger precipitation events are related to enhanced anticyclonic circulation and meridional winds, which cause pronounced dipole patterns in air temperature anomalies and sea ice concentrations between the eastern Ross Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea/Weddell Sea, as well as between the eastern and western Ross Sea.

Effects of air-sea coupling over the North Sea and the Baltic Sea on simulated summer precipitation over Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho-Hagemann, Ha Thi Minh; Gröger, Matthias; Rockel, Burkhardt; Zahn, Matthias; Geyer, Beate; Meier, H. E. Markus

2017-12-01

This study introduces a new approach to investigate the potential effects of air-sea coupling on simulated precipitation inland over Central Europe. We present an inter-comparison of two regional climate models (RCMs), namely, the COSMO-CLM (hereafter CCLM) and RCA4 models, which are configured for the EURO-CORDEX domain in the coupled and atmosphere-only modes. Two versions of the CCLM model, namely, 4.8 and 5.0, join the inter-comparison being almost two different models while providing pronouncedly different summer precipitation simulations because of many changes in the dynamics and physics of CCLM in version 5.0. The coupling effect on the prominent summer dry bias over Central Europe is analysed using seasonal (JJA) mean statistics for the 30-year period from 1979 to 2009, with a focus on extreme precipitation under specific weather regimes. The weather regimes are compared between the coupled and uncoupled simulations to better understand the mechanism of the coupling effects. The comparisons of the coupled systems with the atmosphere-only models show that coupling clearly reduces the dry bias over Central Europe for CCLM 4.8, which has a large dry summer bias, but not for CCLM 5.0 and RCA4, which have smaller dry biases. This result implies that if the atmosphere-only model already yields reasonable summer precipitation over Central Europe, not much room for improvement exists that can be caused by the air-sea coupling over the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. However, if the atmosphere-only model shows a pronounced summer dry bias because of a lack of moisture transport from the seas into the region, the considered coupling may create an improved simulation of summer precipitation over Central Europe, such as for CCLM 4.8. For the latter, the benefit of coupling varies over the considered timescales. The precipitation simulations that are generated by the coupled system COSTRICE 4.8 and the atmosphere-only CCLM 4.8 are mostly identical for the summer mean. However, the COSTRICE simulations are generally more accurate than the atmosphere-only CCLM simulations if extreme precipitation is considered, particularly under Northerly Circulation conditions, in which the airflow from the North Atlantic Ocean passes the North Sea in the coupling domain. The air-sea feedback (e.g., wind, evaporation and sea surface temperature) and land-sea interactions are better reproduced with the COSTRICE model system than the atmosphere-only CCLM and lead to an improved simulation of large-scale moisture convergence from the sea to land and, consequently, increased heavy precipitation over Central Europe.

The influence of air temperature inversions on snowmelt and glacier mass-balance simulations, Ammassalik island, SE Greenland

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mernild, Sebastian Haugard; Liston, Glen

2009-01-01

In many applications, a realistic description of air temperature inversions is essential for accurate snow and glacier ice melt, and glacier mass-balance simulations. A physically based snow-evolution modeling system (SnowModel) was used to simulate eight years (1998/99 to 2005/06) of snow accumulation and snow and glacier ice ablation from numerous small coastal marginal glaciers on the SW-part of Ammassalik Island in SE Greenland. These glaciers are regularly influenced by inversions and sea breezes associated with the adjacent relatively low temperature and frequently ice-choked fjords and ocean. To account for the influence of these inversions on the spatiotemporal variation of airmore » temperature and snow and glacier melt rates, temperature inversion routines were added to MircoMet, the meteorological distribution sub-model used in SnowModel. The inversions were observed and modeled to occur during 84% of the simulation period. Modeled inversions were defined not to occur during days with strong winds and high precipitation rates due to the potential of inversion break-up. Field observations showed inversions to extend from sea level to approximately 300 m a.s.l., and this inversion level was prescribed in the model simulations. Simulations with and without the inversion routines were compared. The inversion model produced air temperature distributions with warmer lower elevation areas and cooler higher elevation areas than without inversion routines due to the use of cold sea-breeze base temperature data from underneath the inversion. This yielded an up to 2 weeks earlier snowmelt in the lower areas and up to 1 to 3 weeks later snowmelt in the higher elevation areas of the simulation domain. Averaged mean annual modeled surface mass-balance for all glaciers (mainly located above the inversion layer) was -720 {+-} 620 mm w.eq. y{sup -1} for inversion simulations, and -880 {+-} 620 mm w.eq. y{sup -1} without the inversion routines, a difference of 160 mm w.eq. y{sup -1}. The annual glacier loss for the two simulations was 50.7 x 10{sup 6} m{sup 3} y{sup -1} and 64.4 x 10{sup 6} m{sup 3} y{sup -1} for all glaciers - a difference of {approx}21%. The average equilibrium line altitude (ELA) for all glaciers in the simulation domain was located at 875 m a.s.l. and at 900 m a.s.l. for simulations with or without inversion routines, respectively.« less

Analysis of Surface Albedo to Improve Upper-Ocean Heat Budget Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogikyan, A.; Zhang, D.; Cronin, M. F.

2016-12-01

Over 90% of the Earth's energy imbalance is stored in the oceans, so it is important to understand the ocean-atmosphere heat transfer. The Ocean Climate Stations group (OCS) at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory maintains two moored surface buoys in the North Pacific (PAPA and KEO) as air-sea flux reference sites. The goal of the reference sites is to validate global air-sea flux products from atmospheric reanalyses and satellite products, that are critical to understand and model the variability and trend of the earth climate. As other air-sea flux reference buoys in the world ocean, PAPA and KEO only measure downward shortwave radiation (SWdown), but utilize the albedo and the directly measured SWdown to calculate the SWup. Since the open ocean albedo is small, the errors associated with this practice are thought to be comparable or smaller than the instrumentation errors in the air-sea flux measurements. In addition, it is generally accepted that ocean surface albedos can be derived with reasonable confidence from surface radiative fluxes in satellite products such as the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). This project developed a CERES-based albedo product for derivation of SWnet at PAPA and KEO, and assessed the impact of CERES-based albedo on the net surface heat fluxes relative to the currently used ISCCP-based albedo in the OCS air-sea flux data (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/ocs/data/fluxdisdel/). The high-resolution surface fluxes from CERES are more frequently updated, and consider more physical factors in the approximation, than those from ISCCP. There was a greater change between ISCCP and CERES albedo during wintertime than during summer. There was a greater change at Station PAPA in the northeastern sub-Arctic Pacific, than at Station KEO in the northwestern subtropical Pacific. The rate of temperature change of the mixed-layer is shown to increase based on the new source of albedo data, .08 and .5 °C/year at KEO and PAPA, respectively. The differences in the net surface heat flux due to different albedos used in this study suggest that more comprehensive investigations of the albedo in different products and radiative models, and their impacts on oceanic and atmospheric processes are needed.

Wind stress and heat fluxes over a Brazilian Coastal Upwelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dourado, Marcelo; Candella, Rogério

2017-04-01

Coastal upwelling zones have been intensively studied in the last decades especially due to their importance to the biological cycle. The coastal upwelling system of the Cabo Frio region (east coast of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil) keeps the surface water cold during most part of the year, what induces a stable atmospheric boundary layer associated to northeast winds. The main goal of this study is to investigate the wind stress and heat fluxes exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere in that area. For this purpose, a set of hourly data meteorological and oceanographic data collected by a Wavescan metocean buoy anchored at 23o59S; 42oW, were used, as well as solar radiation and relative humidity from a terrestrial meteorological station from the Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (InMet). COARE 3.0 algorithm was used to calculate the latent and sensible heat fluxes. In this discussion, positive values represent fluxes towards the ocean. The average net heat flux over our study period is 88 W m-2. The reduction of the net heat flux is due to the increase of the ocean latent heat loss, although a reduction in incoming shortwave radiation and an increase in ocean long wave cooling also contributes. The latent heat is 20 times larger than the sensible heat flux, but the mean value of the latent heat flux, 62 W m-2, is half the typical value found in open ocean. The temporal variability of both sensible and latent heat fluxes reflects their dependence on wind speed and air-sea temperature differences. When upwelling events, here periods when diurnal SST is lower than 18oC, are compared with undisturbed (without upwelling) events, it can be noted the sensible heat fluxes are positives and 10 times greater in magnitude. This is related to an increment, during these upwelling events, of the air-sea temperature difference and an increasing of the wind speed. The cold waters of the upwelling increase the air-sea temperature gradient and, also, the horizontal land-sea gradient. This could intensifies the sea breeze. At the same time, the latent heat flux to the atmosphere is reduced. As expected, cold waters from the upwelling imply in the reduction of the evaporation, and so the latent heat fluxes also reduce significantly. As upwelling events in this region are associated to the presence of the South Atlantic high pressure, NE winds, during these periods of cold water the net heat flux toward the ocean surface is intensified.

Quantifying the ice-albedo feedback through decoupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kravitz, B.; Rasch, P. J.

2017-12-01

The ice-albedo feedback involves numerous individual components, whereby warming induces sea ice melt, inducing reduced surface albedo, inducing increased surface shortwave absorption, causing further warming. Here we attempt to quantify the sea ice albedo feedback using an analogue of the "partial radiative perturbation" method, but where the governing mechanisms are directly decoupled in a climate model. As an example, we can isolate the insulating effects of sea ice on surface energy and moisture fluxes by allowing sea ice thickness to change but fixing Arctic surface albedo, or vice versa. Here we present results from such idealized simulations using the Community Earth System Model in which individual components are successively fixed, effectively decoupling the ice-albedo feedback loop. We isolate the different components of this feedback, including temperature change, sea ice extent/thickness, and air-sea exchange of heat and moisture. We explore the interactions between these different components, as well as the strengths of the total feedback in the decoupled feedback loop, to quantify contributions from individual pieces. We also quantify the non-additivity of the effects of the components as a means of investigating the dominant sources of nonlinearity in the ice-albedo feedback.

The effect of warm air-blowing on the microtensile bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesives to root canal dentin.

PubMed

Taguchi, Keita; Hosaka, Keiichi; Ikeda, Masaomi; Kishikawa, Ryuzo; Foxton, Richard; Nakajima, Masatoshi; Tagami, Junji

2018-02-01

The use of warm air-blowing to evaporate solvents of one-step self-etch adhesive systems (1-SEAs) has been reported to be a useful method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of warm air-blowing on root canal dentin. Four 1-SEAs (Clearfil Bond SE ONE, Unifil Core EM self-etch bond, Estelink, BeautiDualbond EX) were used. Each 1-SEA was applied to root canal dentin according to the manufacturers' instructions. After the adhesives were applied, solvent was evaporated using either normal air (23±1°C) or warm air (80±1°C) for 20s, and resin composite was placed in the post spaces. The air from the dryer, which could be used in normal- or hot-air-mode, was applied at a distance of 5cm above the root canal cavity in the direction of tooth axis. The temperature of the stream of air from the dryer in the hot-air-mode was 80±1°C, and in the normal mode, 23±1°C. After water storage of the specimens for 24h, the μTBS were evaluated at the coronal and apical regions. The μTBSs were statistically analyzed using three-way ANOVA and Student's t-test with Bonferroni correction (α=0.05). The warm air-blowing significantly increased the μTBS of all 1-SEAs at the apical regions, and also significantly increased the μTBS of two adhesives (Estelink and BeautiDualBond EX) at coronal regions. The μTBS of 1-SEAs to root canal dentin was improved by using warm air-blowing. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Errors of five-day mean surface wind and temperature conditions due to inadequate sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Legler, David M.

1991-01-01

Surface meteorological reports of wind components, wind speed, air temperature, and sea-surface temperature from buoys located in equatorial and midlatitude regions are used in a simulation of random sampling to determine errors of the calculated means due to inadequate sampling. Subsampling the data with several different sample sizes leads to estimates of the accuracy of the subsampled means. The number N of random observations needed to compute mean winds with chosen accuracies of 0.5 (N sub 0.5) and 1.0 (N sub 1,0) m/s and mean air and sea surface temperatures with chosen accuracies of 0.1 (N sub 0.1) and 0.2 (N sub 0.2) C were calculated for each 5-day and 30-day period in the buoy datasets. Mean values of N for the various accuracies and datasets are given. A second-order polynomial relation is established between N and the variability of the data record. This relationship demonstrates that for the same accuracy, N increases as the variability of the data record increases. The relationship is also independent of the data source. Volunteer-observing ship data do not satisfy the recommended minimum number of observations for obtaining 0.5 m/s and 0.2 C accuracy for most locations. The effect of having remotely sensed data is discussed.

Abnormal Winter Melting of the Arctic Sea Ice Cap Observed by the Spaceborne Passive Microwave Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seongsuk; Yi, Yu

2016-12-01

The spatial size and variation of Arctic sea ice play an important role in Earth’s climate system. These are affected by conditions in the polar atmosphere and Arctic sea temperatures. The Arctic sea ice concentration is calculated from brightness temperature data derived from the Defense Meteorological Satellite program (DMSP) F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSMI) and the DMSP F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) sensors. Many previous studies point to significant reductions in sea ice and their causes. We investigated the variability of Arctic sea ice using the daily sea ice concentration data from passive microwave observations to identify the sea ice melting regions near the Arctic polar ice cap. We discovered the abnormal melting of the Arctic sea ice near the North Pole during the summer and the winter. This phenomenon is hard to explain only surface air temperature or solar heating as suggested by recent studies. We propose a hypothesis explaining this phenomenon. The heat from the deep sea in Arctic Ocean ridges and/ or the hydrothermal vents might be contributing to the melting of Arctic sea ice. This hypothesis could be verified by the observation of warm water column structure below the melting or thinning arctic sea ice through the project such as Coriolis dataset for reanalysis (CORA).

Global Surface Temperature Change and Uncertainties Since 1861

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Samuel S. P.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The objective of this talk is to analyze the warming trend and its uncertainties of the global and hemi-spheric surface temperatures. By the method of statistical optimal averaging scheme, the land surface air temperature and sea surface temperature observational data are used to compute the spatial average annual mean surface air temperature. The optimal averaging method is derived from the minimization of the mean square error between the true and estimated averages and uses the empirical orthogonal functions. The method can accurately estimate the errors of the spatial average due to observational gaps and random measurement errors. In addition, quantified are three independent uncertainty factors: urbanization, change of the in situ observational practices and sea surface temperature data corrections. Based on these uncertainties, the best linear fit to annual global surface temperature gives an increase of 0.61 +/- 0.16 C between 1861 and 2000. This lecture will also touch the topics on the impact of global change on nature and environment. as well as the latest assessment methods for the attributions of global change.

Estimating the recharge properties of the deep ocean using noble gases and helium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loose, Brice; Jenkins, William J.; Moriarty, Roisin; Brown, Peter; Jullion, Loic; Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.; Torres Valdes, Sinhue; Hoppema, Mario; Ballentine, Chris; Meredith, Michael P.

2016-08-01

The distribution of noble gases and helium isotopes in the dense shelf waters of Antarctica reflects the boundary conditions near the ocean surface: air-sea exchange, sea ice formation, and subsurface ice melt. We use a nonlinear least squares solution to determine the value of the recharge temperature and salinity, as well as the excess air injection and glacial meltwater content throughout the water column and in the precursor to Antarctic Bottom Water. The noble gas-derived recharge temperature and salinity in the Weddell Gyre are -1.95°C and 34.95 psu near 5500 m; these cold, salty recharge values are a result of surface cooling as well as brine rejection during sea ice formation in Antarctic polynyas. In comparison, the global value for deep water recharge temperature is -0.44°C at 5500 m, which is 1.5°C warmer than the southern hemisphere deep water recharge temperature, reflecting a distinct contribution from the north Atlantic. The contrast between northern and southern hemisphere recharge properties highlights the impact of sea ice formation on setting the gas properties in southern sourced deep water. Below 1000 m, glacial meltwater averages 3.5‰ by volume and represents greater than 50% of the excess neon and argon found in the water column. These results indicate glacial melt has a nonnegligible impact on the atmospheric gas content of Antarctic Bottom Water.

The Greenland Ice Sheet's surface mass balance in a seasonally sea ice-free Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, J. J.; Bamber, J. L.; Valdes, P. J.

2013-09-01

General circulation models predict a rapid decrease in sea ice extent with concurrent increases in near-surface air temperature and precipitation in the Arctic over the 21st century. This has led to suggestions that some Arctic land ice masses may experience an increase in accumulation due to enhanced evaporation from a seasonally sea ice-free Arctic Ocean. To investigate the impact of this phenomenon on Greenland Ice Sheet climate and surface mass balance (SMB), a regional climate model, HadRM3, was used to force an insolation-temperature melt SMB model. A set of experiments designed to investigate the role of sea ice independently from sea surface temperature (SST) forcing are described. In the warmer and wetter SI + SST simulation, Greenland experiences a 23% increase in winter SMB but 65% reduced summer SMB, resulting in a net decrease in the annual value. This study shows that sea ice decline contributes to the increased winter balance, causing 25% of the increase in winter accumulation; this is largest in eastern Greenland as the result of increased evaporation in the Greenland Sea. These results indicate that the seasonal cycle of Greenland's SMB will increase dramatically as global temperatures increase, with the largest changes in temperature and precipitation occurring in winter. This demonstrates that the accurate prediction of changes in sea ice cover is important for predicting Greenland SMB and ice sheet evolution.

The interannual variation in monthly temperature over Northeast China during summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Lu, Riyu

2014-05-01

The interannual variations of summer surface air temperature over Northeast China (NEC) were investigated through a month-to-month analysis from May to August. The results suggested that the warmer temperature over NEC is related to a local positive 500-hPa geopotential height anomaly for all four months. However, the teleconnection patterns of atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the monthly surface air temperature over NEC behave as a distinguished subseasonal variation, although the local positive height anomaly is common from month to month. In May and June, the teleconnection pattern is characterized by a wave train in the upper and middle troposphere from the Indian Peninsula to NEC. This wave train is stronger in June than in May, possibly due to the positive feedback between the wave train and the South Asian rainfall anomaly in June, when the South Asian summer monsoon has been established. In July and August, however, the teleconnection pattern associated with the NEC temperature anomalies is characterized by an East Asia/Pacific (EAP) or Pacific/Japan (PJ) pattern, with the existence of precipitation anomalies over the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. This pattern is much clearer in July corresponding to the stronger convection over the Philippine Sea compared to that in August.

Global sea level trend in the past century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gornitz, V.; Lebedeff, S.; Hansen, J.

1982-01-01

Data derived from tide-gauge stations throughout the world indicate that the mean sea level rose by about 12 centimeters in the past century. The sea level change has a high correlation with the trend of global surface air temperature. A large part of the sea level rise can be accounted for in terms of the thermal expansion of the upper layers of the ocean. The results also represent weak indirect evidence for a net melting of the continental ice sheets.

Is the Climate of Bering Sea Warming and Affecting the Ecosystem?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, James E.; Stabeno, Phyllis J.

2004-08-01

Observations from the Bering Sea are good indicators of decadal shifts in climate, as the Bering is a transition region between the cold, dry Arctic air mass to the north, and the moist, relatively warm maritime air mass to the south. The Bering Sea is also a transition region between Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems; this boundary can be loosely identified with the extent of winter sea-ice cover. Like a similar transition zone in the eastern North Atlantic, the Bering Sea is experiencing a northward biogeographical shift in response to changing temperature and atmospheric forcing. If this shift continues over the next decade, it will have major impacts on commercial and subsistence harvests as Arctic species are displaced by sub-Arctic species. The stakes are enormous, as this rich and diverse ecosystem currently provides 47% of the U.S. fishery production by weight, and is home to 80% of the U.S. sea bird population, 95% of northern fur seals, and major populations of Steller sea lions, walrus, and whales.

Effects of lead structure in Bering Sea pack ice on the flight costs of wintering spectacled eiders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bump, Joseph K.; Lovvorn, James R.

2004-10-01

In polar regions, sea ice is critical habitat for many marine birds and mammals. The quality of pack ice habitat depends on the duration and spacing of leads (openings in the ice), which determine access to water and air for diving endotherms, and how often and how far they must move as leads open and close. Recent warming trends have caused major changes in the extent and nature of sea ice at large scales used in climate models. However, no studies have analyzed lead structure in terms of habitat for ice-dependent endotherms, or effects of climate on ice habitat at scales relevant to their daily movements. Based on observations from an icebreaker and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, we developed methods to describe the dynamics and thermodynamics of lead structure relative to use by spectacled eiders ( Somateria fischeri) wintering in pack ice of the Bering Sea. By correlating lead structure with weather variables, we then used these methods to estimate changes in lead dynamics from 1945 to 2002, and effects of such changes on flight costs of the eiders. For 1991-1992, when images were available about every 3 days throughout winter, SAR images were divided among five weather regimes defined by wind speed, wind direction, and air temperature. Based on 12.5-m pixels, lead shape, compass orientation, and fetch across leads did not differ among the weather regimes. However, the five regimes differed in total area of open water, leads per unit area, and distance between leads. Lead duration was modeled based on air temperature, wind, and fetch. Estimates of mean daily flight time for eiders, based on lead duration and distance between neighboring leads, differed among regimes by 0 to 15 min. Resulting flight costs varied from 0 to 158 kJ day -1, or from 0% to 11% of estimated field metabolic rate. Over 57 winters (1945-2002), variation among years in mean daily flight time was most influenced by the north-south wind component, which determined pack divergence (lead opening) during northerly winds or pack convergence (lead closing) during southerly winds. Mean daily flight time and flight cost during winter did not differ among proposed periods of decadal-scale climate shifts in the North Pacific Ocean. Although leads in mobile pack ice constantly open and close with variations in wind, under most conditions in the Bering Sea there appeared to be a shifting-mosaic steady-state of lead availability. Long-term trends in the extent and timing of Bering Sea pack ice may have affected spectacled eiders more by altering foodweb processes than by changing flight costs relative to lead structure.

Understanding the science of climate change: Talking points - Impacts to the Gulf Coast

Treesearch

Rachel Loehman; Greer Anderson

2010-01-01

Predicted climate changes in the Gulf Coast bioregion include increased air and sea surface temperatures, altered fire regimes and rainfall patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, increased hurricane intensity, and potential destruction of coastal wetlands and the species that reside within them. Prolonged drought conditions, storm...

Winter warming as an important co-driver for Betula nana growth in western Greenland during the past century

PubMed Central

Hollesen, Jørgen; Buchwal, Agata; Rachlewicz, Grzegorz; Hansen, Birger U; Hansen, Marc O; Stecher, Ole; Elberling, Bo

2015-01-01

Growing season conditions are widely recognized as the main driver for tundra shrub radial growth, but the effects of winter warming and snow remain an open question. Here, we present a more than 100 years long Betula nana ring-width chronology from Disko Island in western Greenland that demonstrates a highly significant and positive growth response to both summer and winter air temperatures during the past century. The importance of winter temperatures for Betula nana growth is especially pronounced during the periods from 1910–1930 to 1990–2011 that were dominated by significant winter warming. To explain the strong winter importance on growth, we assessed the importance of different environmental factors using site-specific measurements from 1991 to 2011 of soil temperatures, sea ice coverage, precipitation and snow depths. The results show a strong positive growth response to the amount of thawing and growing degree-days as well as to winter and spring soil temperatures. In addition to these direct effects, a strong negative growth response to sea ice extent was identified, indicating a possible link between local sea ice conditions, local climate variations and Betula nana growth rates. Data also reveal a clear shift within the last 20 years from a period with thick snow depths (1991–1996) and a positive effect on Betula nana radial growth, to a period (1997–2011) with generally very shallow snow depths and no significant growth response towards snow. During this period, winter and spring soil temperatures have increased significantly suggesting that the most recent increase in Betula nana radial growth is primarily triggered by warmer winter and spring air temperatures causing earlier snowmelt that allows the soils to drain and warm quicker. The presented results may help to explain the recently observed ‘greening of the Arctic’ which may further accelerate in future years due to both direct and indirect effects of winter warming. PMID:25788025

Winter warming as an important co-driver for Betula nana growth in western Greenland during the past century.

PubMed

Hollesen, Jørgen; Buchwal, Agata; Rachlewicz, Grzegorz; Hansen, Birger U; Hansen, Marc O; Stecher, Ole; Elberling, Bo

2015-06-01

Growing season conditions are widely recognized as the main driver for tundra shrub radial growth, but the effects of winter warming and snow remain an open question. Here, we present a more than 100 years long Betula nana ring-width chronology from Disko Island in western Greenland that demonstrates a highly significant and positive growth response to both summer and winter air temperatures during the past century. The importance of winter temperatures for Betula nana growth is especially pronounced during the periods from 1910-1930 to 1990-2011 that were dominated by significant winter warming. To explain the strong winter importance on growth, we assessed the importance of different environmental factors using site-specific measurements from 1991 to 2011 of soil temperatures, sea ice coverage, precipitation and snow depths. The results show a strong positive growth response to the amount of thawing and growing degree-days as well as to winter and spring soil temperatures. In addition to these direct effects, a strong negative growth response to sea ice extent was identified, indicating a possible link between local sea ice conditions, local climate variations and Betula nana growth rates. Data also reveal a clear shift within the last 20 years from a period with thick snow depths (1991-1996) and a positive effect on Betula nana radial growth, to a period (1997-2011) with generally very shallow snow depths and no significant growth response towards snow. During this period, winter and spring soil temperatures have increased significantly suggesting that the most recent increase in Betula nana radial growth is primarily triggered by warmer winter and spring air temperatures causing earlier snowmelt that allows the soils to drain and warm quicker. The presented results may help to explain the recently observed 'greening of the Arctic' which may further accelerate in future years due to both direct and indirect effects of winter warming. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thermal evolutions of two kinds of melt pond with different salinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Joo-Hong; Wilkinson, Jeremy; Moon, Woosok; Hwang, Byongjun; Granskog, Mats

2016-04-01

Melt ponds are water pools on sea ice. Their formation reduces ice surface albedo and alter surface energy balance, by which the ice melting and freezing processes are regulated. Thus, better understanding of their radiative characteristics has been vital to improve the simulation of melting/freezing of sea ice in numerical models. A melt pond would preserve nearly fresh water if it formed on multi-year ice and no flooding of sea water occurred, whereas a melt pond would contain more salty water if it formed on thinner and porous first-year ice, if there were an inflow of sea water by streams or cracks. One would expect that the fluid dynamic/thermodynamic properties (e.g., turbulence, stability, etc.) of pond water are influenced by the salinity, so that the response of pond water to any heat input (e.g., shortwave radiation) would be different. Therefore, better understanding of the salinity-dependent thermal evolution also has significant potential to improve the numerical simulation of the sea ice melting/freezing response to radiative thermal forcing. To observe and understand the salinity-dependent thermal evolution, two ice mass balance buoys (IMBs) were deployed in two kinds (fresh and salty) of melt pond on a same ice floe on 13 August 2015 during Araon Arctic cruise. The thermistor chain, extending from the air through the pond and ice into the sea water, was deployed through a drilled borehole inside the pond. Besides, the IMBs were also accompanied with three broadband solar radiation sensors (two (up and down) in the air over melt pond and one upward-looking under sea ice) to measure the net shortwave radiation at the pond surface and the penetrating solar radiation through ice. Also, the web camera was installed to observe any updates in the conditions of equipment and surrounding environment (e.g., weather, surface state, etc.). On the date of deployment, the fresh pond had salinity of 2.3 psu, light blue color, lots of slush ice particles which increased opacity, and under-pond ice thickness of 219 cm, whereas the salty pond had salinity of 20 psu, dark blue color, only transparent water, and under-pond ice thickness of 100 cm. Temporal evolutions of mean water temperature of the two ponds are contrasted and showed that the fresh pond had about 1degC warmer temperature than the salty pond. The existence of slush ice particles in the pond seems to be responsible for this temperature difference. Multiple scattering by slush ice particles could lead to more absorption of shortwave radiation. A comparison of vertical profiles of water temperature shows that there existed an internal maximum heating layer in the fresh pond. Possibly, this profile might indicate the the below layer unstable, which might have efficient thermal propagation to the ice surface. On the other hand, the vertical temperature profile of the salty pond had internal thermocline near the pond bottom, but so that the upper heating may not efficiently propagate downward to the ice surface.

Statistics of surface divergence and their relation to air-water gas transfer velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asher, William E.; Liang, Hanzhuang; Zappa, Christopher J.; Loewen, Mark R.; Mukto, Moniz A.; Litchendorf, Trina M.; Jessup, Andrew T.

2012-05-01

Air-sea gas fluxes are generally defined in terms of the air/water concentration difference of the gas and the gas transfer velocity,kL. Because it is difficult to measure kLin the ocean, it is often parameterized using more easily measured physical properties. Surface divergence theory suggests that infrared (IR) images of the water surface, which contain information concerning the movement of water very near the air-water interface, might be used to estimatekL. Therefore, a series of experiments testing whether IR imagery could provide a convenient means for estimating the surface divergence applicable to air-sea exchange were conducted in a synthetic jet array tank embedded in a wind tunnel. Gas transfer velocities were measured as a function of wind stress and mechanically generated turbulence; laser-induced fluorescence was used to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the top 300 μm of the water surface; IR imagery was used to measure the spatial and temporal distribution of the aqueous skin temperature; and particle image velocimetry was used to measure turbulence at a depth of 1 cm below the air-water interface. It is shown that an estimate of the surface divergence for both wind-shear driven turbulence and mechanically generated turbulence can be derived from the surface skin temperature. The estimates derived from the IR images are compared to velocity field divergences measured by the PIV and to independent estimates of the divergence made using the laser-induced fluorescence data. Divergence is shown to scale withkLvalues measured using gaseous tracers as predicted by conceptual models for both wind-driven and mechanically generated turbulence.

Time constants for the evolution of sea spray droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreas, Edgar L.

1990-11-01

Sea spray droplets start with the same temperature as the ocean surface from which they form. In high-latitude, polar-low conditions, they therefore cool and evaporate in a relatively cold wind and may alter the air sea exchange of heat and moisture. This paper presents equations that model the thermal and size (moisture) evolution of a spray droplet from the time it forms until it reaches equilibrium with its environment. The model does well when tested against some of the scanty data available on the evolution of saline droplets. We parameterize the thermal and size evolution of spray droplets with the time constants τT and τr, which are, respectively, the times required for a droplet to come to within e1 of its equilibrium temperature and within e1 of its equilibrium radius. τr is always about three orders of magnitude larger than τT; the thermal exchange is thus complete before the moisture exchange even starts. Consequently, the ambient humidity has little effect on the thermal exchange rate, and the initial droplet temperature has negligible effect on the moisture exchange rate. We also parameterize the gravitational settling of droplets and their potential for turbulent suspension with the time scales τf and τw, respectively. Comparing the four time scales, we see that spray droplets with initial radii less than 10μm reach both thermal and size equilibrium with the ambient air. Droplets with initial radii greater than 300μm, on the other hand, fall back into the sea before exchanging appreciable heat or moisture; they thus have little impact on air sea exchange. In the mid-range, droplets with initial radii between 10 and 300μm, the physics is more complex. Even after comparing τT and τr with τf and τw, we still cannot say unequivocally which process is fastest because of the rudimentary nature of the τw estimates. Future work must thus focus on the generation and turbulent transport of droplets of this size if we are to understand how sea spray affects air sea exchange.

Atmospheric model development in support of SEASAT. Volume 2: Analysis models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langland, R. A.

1977-01-01

As part of the SEASAT program of NASA, two sets of analysis programs were developed for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. One set of programs produce 63 x 63 horizontal mesh analyses on a polar stereographic grid. The other set produces 187 x 187 third mesh analyses. The parameters analyzed include sea surface temperature, sea level pressure and twelve levels of upper air temperature, height and wind analyses. The analysis output is used to initialize the primitive equation forecast models.

Accounting for observation uncertainties in an evaluation metric of low latitude turbulent air-sea fluxes: application to the comparison of a suite of IPSL model versions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servonnat, Jérôme; Găinuşă-Bogdan, Alina; Braconnot, Pascale

2017-09-01

Turbulent momentum and heat (sensible heat and latent heat) fluxes at the air-sea interface are key components of the whole energetic of the Earth's climate. The evaluation of these fluxes in the climate models is still difficult because of the large uncertainties associated with the reference products. In this paper we present an objective metric accounting for reference uncertainties to evaluate the annual cycle of the low latitude turbulent fluxes of a suite of IPSL climate models. This metric consists in a Hotelling T 2 test between the simulated and observed field in a reduce space characterized by the dominant modes of variability that are common to both the model and the reference, taking into account the observational uncertainty. The test is thus more severe when uncertainties are small as it is the case for sea surface temperature (SST). The results of the test show that for almost all variables and all model versions the model-reference differences are not zero. It is not possible to distinguish between model versions for sensible heat and meridional wind stress, certainly due to the large observational uncertainties. All model versions share similar biases for the different variables. There is no improvement between the reference versions of the IPSL model used for CMIP3 and CMIP5. The test also reveals that the higher horizontal resolution fails to improve the representation of the turbulent surface fluxes compared to the other versions. The representation of the fluxes is further degraded in a version with improved atmospheric physics with an amplification of some of the biases in the Indian Ocean and in the intertropical convergence zone. The ranking of the model versions for the turbulent fluxes is not correlated with the ranking found for SST. This highlights that despite the fact that SST gradients are important for the large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, other factors such as wind speed, and air-sea temperature contrast play an important role in the representation of turbulent fluxes.

Wind-sea surface temperature-sea ice relationship in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas during autumn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jing; Stegall, Steve T.; Zhang, Xiangdong

2018-03-01

Dramatic climate changes, especially the largest sea ice retreat during September and October, in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas could be a consequence of, and further enhance, complex air-ice-sea interactions. To detect these interaction signals, statistical relationships between surface wind speed, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea ice concentration (SIC) were analyzed. The results show a negative correlation between wind speed and SIC. The relationships between wind speed and SST are complicated by the presence of sea ice, with a negative correlation over open water but a positive correlation in sea ice dominated areas. The examination of spatial structures indicates that wind speed tends to increase when approaching the ice edge from open water and the area fully covered by sea ice. The anomalous downward radiation and thermal advection, as well as their regional distribution, play important roles in shaping these relationships, though wind-driven sub-grid scale boundary layer processes may also have contributions. Considering the feedback loop involved in the wind-SST-SIC relationships, climate model experiments would be required to further untangle the underlying complex physical processes.

A morning transition case between the land and the sea breeze regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Maria A.; Simó, Gemma; Wrenger, Burkhard; Telisman-Prtenjak, Maja; Guijarro, Jose A.; Cuxart, Joan

2015-04-01

To better understand the diurnal cycle of the Sea-Breeze (SB) in the island of Mallorca, during September 2013 the Mallorca Sea Breeze experimental field campaign (MSB13) took place in the Campos basin (located in the south side of the island). Measurements in the lower boundary layer (captive balloon and multicopter) and close to the surface were taken in a site close to the coast (500m inland). In this work an observed morning transition of the SB is further analysed through the observations and a high-resolution mesoscale simulation of this selected case. With the combined inspection of model results and observations, it is found that during the night-time the air flows out of the island: a land-breeze is found near the coast and downslope winds at the mountain slopes. After sunrise and during the previous phase (0600-0800 UTC) the temperature difference between land and sea is reduced meanwhile the wind has the land-breeze direction. During the preparatory phase (0800-1000 UTC) the land surface temperature is warmer than the sea and the wind weakens and veers towards the SB direction. Finally, during the development phase (1000-1200 UTC) the SB front propagates through the center of the Campos basin to the end of the basin, enhanced by the mountain upslope winds. Therefore, the radiative warming stops. The temperature, momentum and TKE budgets are used to understand the most relevant physical processes involved in each of the phases.

Coastal and Submesoscale Process Studies for ASIRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-30

of upper ocean processes and air- sea interaction in the Bay of Bengal. This, in the long run , would contribute toward improving the intra-seasonal...and air- sea interaction in the Bay of Bengal. This, in the long run, would contribute toward improving the intra-seasonal Monsoonal forecast in...different times of year, and to understand its relationship with air- sea fluxes of heat and moisture in the Bay of Bengal. 2. To determine what

The Impact of Air-Sea Interactions on the Representation of Tropical Precipitation Extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirons, L. C.; Klingaman, N. P.; Woolnough, S. J.

2018-02-01

The impacts of air-sea interactions on the representation of tropical precipitation extremes are investigated using an atmosphere-ocean-mixed-layer coupled model. The coupled model is compared to two atmosphere-only simulations driven by the coupled-model sea-surface temperatures (SSTs): one with 31 day running means (31 d), the other with a repeating mean annual cycle. This allows separation of the effects of interannual SST variability from those of coupled feedbacks on shorter timescales. Crucially, all simulations have a consistent mean state with very small SST biases against present-day climatology. 31d overestimates the frequency, intensity, and persistence of extreme tropical precipitation relative to the coupled model, likely due to excessive SST-forced precipitation variability. This implies that atmosphere-only attribution and time-slice experiments may overestimate the strength and duration of precipitation extremes. In the coupled model, air-sea feedbacks damp extreme precipitation, through negative local thermodynamic feedbacks between convection, surface fluxes, and SST.

The melting sea ice of Arctic polar cap in the summer solstice month and the role of ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Yi, Y.

2014-12-01

The Arctic sea ice is becoming smaller and thinner than climatological standard normal and more fragmented in the early summer. We investigated the widely changing Arctic sea ice using the daily sea ice concentration data. Sea ice data is generated from brightness temperature data derived from the sensors: Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)-F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSM/Is), the DMSP-F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) instrument on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite. We tried to figure out appearance of arctic sea ice melting region of polar cap from the data of passive microwave sensors. It is hard to explain polar sea ice melting only by atmosphere effects like surface air temperature or wind. Thus, our hypothesis explaining this phenomenon is that the heat from deep undersea in Arctic Ocean ridges and the hydrothermal vents might be contributing to the melting of Arctic sea ice.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of biogeochemical processes and air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Western English Channel based on two years of FerryBox deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrec, P.; Cariou, T.; Latimier, M.; Macé, E.; Morin, P.; Vernet, M.; Bozec, Y.

2014-12-01

From January 2011 to January 2013, a FerryBox system was installed on a Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS), which crossed the Western English Channel (WEC) between Roscoff (France) and Plymouth (UK) up to 3 times a day. The FerryBox continuously measured sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), fluorescence and partial pressure of CO2 (from April 2012) along the ferry track. Sensors were calibrated based on 714 bimonthly surface samplings with precisions of 0.016 for SSS, 3.3 μM for DO, 0.40 μg L- 1 for Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) (based on fluorescence measurements) and 5.2 μatm for pCO2. Over the 2 years of deployment (900 crossings), we reported 9% of data lost due to technical issues and quality checked data was obtained to allow investigation of the dynamics of biogeochemical processes related to air-sea CO2 fluxes in the WEC. Based on this unprecedented high-frequency dataset, the physical structure of the WEC was assessed using SST anomalies and the presence of a thermal front was observed around the latitude 49.5°N, which divided the WEC in two main provinces: the seasonally stratified northern WEC (nWEC) and the all-year well-mixed southern WEC (sWEC). These hydrographical properties strongly influenced the spatial and inter-annual distributions of phytoplankton blooms, which were mainly limited by nutrients and light availability in the nWEC and the sWEC, respectively. Air-sea CO2 fluxes were also highly related to hydrographical properties of the WEC between late April and early September 2012, with the sWEC a weak source of CO2 to the atmosphere of 0.9 mmol m- 2 d- 1, whereas the nWEC acted as a sink for atmospheric CO2 of 6.9 mmol m- 2 d- 1. The study of short time-scale dynamics of air-sea CO2 fluxes revealed that an intense and short (less than 10 days) summer bloom in the nWEC contributed to 29% of the CO2 sink during the productive period, highlighting the necessity for high frequency observations in coastal ecosystems. During the same period in the sWEC, the tidal cycle was the main driver of air-sea CO2 fluxes with a mean difference in pCO2 values between spring and neap tides of + 50 μatm. An extraction of day/night data at 49.90°N showed that the mean day-night differences accounted for 16% of the mean CO2 sink during the 5 months of the study period implying that the diel biological cycle was also significant for air-sea CO2 flux computations. The 2 years of deployment of our FerryBox allowed an excellent survey of the variability of biogeochemical parameters from inter-annual to diurnal time scales and provided new insights into the dynamics of air-sea CO2 fluxes in the contrasted ecosystems of the WEC.

Analysis of the surface heat balance over the world ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esbensen, S. K.

1981-01-01

It is possible to estimate long term monthly mean latent and sensible heat fluxes over the ocean to within or approximately 20% relative accuracy of the bulk aerodynamic formulas, by using observations of the monthly mean surface wind speed and the monthly mean sea air temperature and humidity differences. It is possible to make an estimate of the fluxes on a month to month basis from monthly averaged surface data.

Impact of winter cooling on the northern part of the Black Sea.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savchenko, Anatolii

2016-07-01

Climate change in the future may have a negative impact on many countries due to the increasing surface temperature and sea level rise. Probably, unprecedented largest positive trend of surface temperature, which observed since the mid XX century, has associated with increasing human activities around the world. Moreover, this warming will continue in this century, and at the end of the XXI century will be 2 - 5 ºC. Thus, investigation and monitoring of current climate are very important and necessary tasks. Regional model data (downscaling) and satellite data are used, because of underdeveloped network of meteorological stations in the northern part of the Black Sea region. Experiment of downscaling was carried out for the Black Sea region with a high spatial resolution of 0.22° x 0.22° for 1958 - 2007(daily values). For the Black Sea were also used satellite data of sea surface temperature(SST) from MyOcean-2 Project, which CNR(Rome) has reprocessed Pathfinder V5.2 (PFV52) AVHRR data over period 1981 - 2012 with daily gap-free maps (L4) at the original PFV52 resolution at 0.04° x 0.04°. Correlation between satellite SST and surface temperature from regional model climate are amounted 0,99. Thus, surface temperature of model and satellite data for the Black Sea is much correlated between yourself. The following integral characteristics of the Black Sea are referred to the area of sea limited by the 44 - 47º N and 28 - 34º E. Maximum cooling of the north-western part of the Black Sea in winter is occurs after invasion of cold air across the northern border of the basin. In addition, this water area is also interesting in the presence of her huge oil and gas reserves, as well as the construction of liquefied gas (crude oil) terminals. The maximum values of total heat flux (sensible + latent heat fluxes= Q) corresponding to the minimum values of SST are observed during the periods of the negative phase of the NAO. Besides, fluxes with extreme days P (Q) = 95% (the number of which is 5% of the total number of winter days) contribute ≈ 16 - 18% of the total heat flux during the winter, and with P (Q) = 90% - approximately 30%. Typical synoptic situation of extreme winter cooling P (Q) = 95% is presence of anticyclone in the district of Carpathian Mountains. North-easterly flow of cold air at high velocities near-surface wind leads to extreme total heat flux and decreasing SST. Satellite images of clouds well illustrate such cases as, for example, cold air invasion to the Black Sea area on January 23, 2006 (Satellite TERRA). Because of increase of risk associated with climate change, this topic is particularly relevant for the marine area, which is subjected to strong weathering during extreme events in winter. The monitoring of this area will allow reducing the damage from extreme natural events in the future.

Changes in the frequency of extreme air pollution events over the Eastern United States and Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, H. E.; Fiore, A. M.; Fang, Y.; Staehelin, J.

2011-12-01

Over the past few decades, thresholds for national air quality standards, intended to protect public health and welfare, have been lowered repeatedly. At the same time observations, over Europe and the Eastern U.S., demonstrate that extreme air pollution events (high O3 and PM2.5) are typically associated with stagnation events. Recent work showed that in a changing climate high air pollution events are likely to increase in frequency and duration. Within this work we examine meteorological and surface ozone observations from CASTNet over the U.S. and EMEP over Europe and "idealized" simulations with the GFDL AM3 chemistry-climate model, which isolate the role of climate change on air quality. Specifically, we examine an "idealized 1990s" simulation, forced with 20-year mean monthly climatologies for sea surface temperatures and sea ice from observations for 1981-2000, and an "idealized 2090s" simulation forced by the observed climatologies plus the multi-model mean changes in sea surface temperature and sea ice simulated by 19 IPCC AR-4 models under the A1B scenario for 2081-2100. With innovative statistical tools (empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and statistics of extremes (EVT)), we analyze the frequency distribution of past, present and future extreme air pollution events over the Eastern United States and Europe. The upper tail of observed values at individual stations (e.g., within the CASTNet), i.e., the extremes (maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O3>60ppb) are poorly described by a Gaussian distribution. However, further analysis showed that applying Peak-Over-Threshold-models, better capture the extremes and allows us to estimate return levels of pollution events above certain threshold values of interest. We next apply EOF analysis to identify regions that vary coherently within the ground-based monitoring networks. Over the United States, the first EOF obtained from the model in both the 1990s and 2090s idealized simulations identifies the Northeast as a region that varies coherently. Correlation analysis reveals that this EOF pattern is most strongly expressed in association with high surface temperature and high surface pressure conditions, consistent with previous work showing that observed O3 episodes over this area reflect the combined impacts of stagnation and increased chemical production. Next steps include the extension of this analysis applying EVT tools to the principal component time series associated with this EOF. The combination of EOF and EVT tools applied to the GFDL AM3 1990s vs. 2090s idealized simulations will enable us to quantify changes in the return levels of air pollution extremes. Therefore the combination of observational data and numerical and statistical models should allow us to identify key driving forces between high air pollution events and to estimate changes in the frequency of such events under different climate change scenarios.

Contrasting responses of the extended Gulf Stream to severe winter forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Z.; Grist, J. P.; Marsh, R.; Josey, S. A.; Sinha, B.

2015-12-01

Changes in the path and strength of the extended Gulf Stream, downstream of Cape Hatteras, and the North Atlantic Current (GSNAC), are associated with strong wintertime air-sea interactions that can further influence the atmospheric storm track. The GSNAC response to anomalous air-sea heat fluxes in particular is dependent on the location of excess heat loss, in turn related to meteorological circumstances. Outbreaks of cold continental air may lead to excess cooling over the Sargasso Sea, as in 1976-77. Under these circumstances, the Gulf Stream may intensify through a steepening of cross-stream density gradients. An alternative scenario prevailed during the cold outbreak of 2013-14 where excess cooling occurred over the central subpolar gyre and may have influenced the extreme storminess experienced in western Europe. An objectively-analysed temperature and salinity product (EN4) is used to investigate the variability of the GSNAC. Temperature and salinity profiles are used to obtain geostrophic transport at selected GSNAC transects, confirming strong horizontal temperature gradients and a positive geostrophic velocity anomaly at 70oW in spring 1977, the strongest spring transport seen in the 1970s at this location. In addition to observations, an eddy-resolving model hindcast spanning 1970-2013, is used to further characterise GSNAC transport variability, allowing a fuller assessment of the relationship between the winter surface heat flux, end-of-winter mixed layer depth, subtropical mode water volume and GSNAC transports. Preliminary results reveal a significant negative correlation between the winter surface heat flux over the Sargasso Sea and the GSNAC transport in the following spring.

Midlatitude atmosphere-ocean interaction during El Nino. Part I. The north Pacific ocean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexander, M.A.

Atmosphere-ocean modeling experiments are used to investigate the formation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Pacific Ocean during fall and winter of the El Nino year. Experiments in which the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM) surface fields are used to force a mixed-layer ocean model in the North Pacific (no air-sea feedback) are compared to simulations in which the CCM and North Pacific Ocean model are coupled. Anomalies in the atmosphere and the North Pacific Ocean during El Nino are obtained from the difference between simulations with and without prescribed warm SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific.more » In both the forced and coupled experiments, the anomaly pattern resembles a composite of the actual SST anomaly field during El Nino: warm SSTs develop along the coast of North America and cold SSTs form in the central Pacific. In the coupled simulations, air-sea interaction results in a 25% to 50% reduction in the magnitude of the SST and mixed-layer depth anomalies, resulting in more realistic SST fields. Coupling also decreases the SST anomaly variance; as a result, the anomaly centers remain statistically significant even though the magnitude of the anomalies is reduced. Three additional sensitivity studies indicate that air-sea feedback and entrainment act to damp SST anomalies while Ekman pumping has a negligible effect on mixed-layer depth and SST anomalies in midatitudes.« less

Lidar observations of the planetary boundary layer during FASINEX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melfi, S. H.; Boers, R.; Palm, S. P.

1988-01-01

Data are presented on the planetary boundary layer (PBL) over the ocean acquired with an airborne downward-looking lidar during the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) with the purpose of studying the impact of an ocean front on air-sea interactions. No changes in the PBL structure were detected by lidar. Lidar data were then used along with other readily available remotely-sensed data and a one-dimensional boundary-layer-growth model to infer the mean PBL moisture and temperature structure and to estimate the surface fluxes of heat and moisture.

Updating Sea Spray Aerosol Emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gantt, B.; Bash, J. O.; Kelly, J.

2014-12-01

Sea spray aerosols (SSA) impact the particle mass concentration and gas-particle partitioning in coastal environments, with implications for human and ecosystem health. In this study, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is updated to enhance fine mode SSA emissions, include sea surface temperature (SST) dependency, and revise surf zone emissions. Based on evaluation with several regional and national observational datasets in the continental U.S., the updated emissions generally improve surface concentrations predictions of primary aerosols composed of sea-salt and secondary aerosols affected by sea-salt chemistry in coastal and near-coastal sites. Specifically, the updated emissions lead to better predictions of the magnitude and coastal-to-inland gradient of sodium, chloride, and nitrate concentrations at Bay Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (BRACE) sites near Tampa, FL. Including SST-dependency to the SSA emission parameterization leads to increased sodium concentrations in the southeast U.S. and decreased concentrations along the Pacific coast and northeastern U.S., bringing predictions into closer agreement with observations at most Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) and Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) sites. Model comparison with California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) observations will also be discussed, with particular focus on the South Coast Air Basin where clean marine air mixes with anthropogenic pollution in a complex environment. These SSA emission updates enable more realistic simulation of chemical processes in coastal environments, both in clean marine air masses and mixtures of clean marine and polluted conditions.

Sea Surface Scanner: An advanced catamaran to study the sea surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurl, O.; Mustaffa, N. I. H.; Ribas Ribas, M.

2016-02-01

The Sea Surface Scanner is a remote-controlled catamaran with the capability to sample the sea-surface microlayer in high resolution. The catamaran is equipped with a suite of sensors to scan the sea surface on chemical, biological and physical parameters. Parameters include UV absorption, fluorescence spectra, chlorophyll-a, photosynthetic efficiency, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and salinity. A further feature is a capability to collect remotely discrete water samples for detailed lab analysis. We present the first high-resolution (< 30 sec) data on the sea surface microlayer. We discuss the variability of biochemical properties of the sea surface and its implication on air-sea interaction.

Air breathing in the Arctic: influence of temperature, hypoxia, activity and restricted air access on respiratory physiology of the Alaska blackfish Dallia pectoralis

PubMed Central

Lefevre, Sjannie; Damsgaard, Christian; Pascale, Desirae R.; Nilsson, Göran E.; Stecyk, Jonathan A. W.

2014-01-01

The Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) is an air-breathing fish native to Alaska and the Bering Sea islands, where it inhabits lakes that are ice-covered in the winter, but enters warm and hypoxic waters in the summer to forage and reproduce. To understand the respiratory physiology of this species under these conditions and the selective pressures that maintain the ability to breathe air, we acclimated fish to 5°C and 15°C and used respirometry to measure: standard oxygen uptake () in normoxia (19.8 kPa PO2) and hypoxia (2.5 kPa), with and without access to air; partitioning of standard in normoxia and hypoxia; maximum and partitioning after exercise; and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit). Additionally, the effects of temperature acclimation on haematocrit, haemoglobin oxygen affinity and gill morphology were assessed. Standard was higher, but air breathing was not increased, at 15°C or after exercise at both temperatures. Fish acclimated to 5°C or 15°C increased air breathing to compensate and fully maintain standard in hypoxia. Fish were able to maintain through aquatic respiration when air was denied in normoxia, but when air was denied in hypoxia, standard was reduced by ∼30–50%. Pcrit was relatively high (5 kPa) and there were no differences in Pcrit, gill morphology, haematocrit or haemoglobin oxygen affinity at the two temperatures. Therefore, Alaska blackfish depends on air breathing in hypoxia and additional mechanisms must thus be utilised to survive hypoxic submergence during the winter, such as hypoxia-induced enhancement in the capacities for carrying and binding blood oxygen, behavioural avoidance of hypoxia and suppression of metabolic rate. PMID:25394628

Evaluation of Oceanic Surface Observation for Reproducing the Upper Ocean Structure in ECHAM5/MPI-OM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hao; Zheng, Fei; Zhu, Jiang

2017-12-01

Better constraints of initial conditions from data assimilation are necessary for climate simulations and predictions, and they are particularly important for the ocean due to its long climate memory; as such, ocean data assimilation (ODA) is regarded as an effective tool for seasonal to decadal predictions. In this work, an ODA system is established for a coupled climate model (ECHAM5/MPI-OM), which can assimilate all available oceanic observations using an ensemble optimal interpolation approach. To validate and isolate the performance of different surface observations in reproducing air-sea climate variations in the model, a set of observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) was performed over 150 model years. Generally, assimilating sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, and sea surface height (SSH) can reasonably reproduce the climate variability and vertical structure of the upper ocean, and assimilating SSH achieves the best results compared to the true states. For the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), assimilating different surface observations captures true aspects of ENSO well, but assimilating SSH can further enhance the accuracy of ENSO-related feedback processes in the coupled model, leading to a more reasonable ENSO evolution and air-sea interaction over the tropical Pacific. For ocean heat content, there are still limitations in reproducing the long time-scale variability in the North Atlantic, even if SSH has been taken into consideration. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of assimilating surface observations in capturing the interannual signal and, to some extent, the decadal signal but still highlight the necessity of assimilating profile data to reproduce specific decadal variability.

Migration of air bubbles in ice under a temperature gradient, with application to “Snowball Earth”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadic, Ruzica; Light, Bonnie; Warren, Stephen G.

2010-09-01

To help characterize the albedo of "sea glaciers" on Snowball Earth, a study of the migration rates of air bubbles in freshwater ice under a temperature gradient was carried out in the laboratory. The migration rates of air bubbles in both natural glacier ice and laboratory-grown ice were measured for temperatures between -36°C and -4°C and for bubble diameters of 23-2000 μm. The glacier ice was sampled from a depth near close-off (74 m) in the JEMS2 ice core from Summit, Greenland. Migration rates were measured by positioning thick sections of ice on a temperature gradient stage mounted on a microscope inside a freezer laboratory. The maximum and minimum migration rates were 5.45 μm h-1 (K cm-1)-1 at -4°C and 0.03 μm h-1 (K cm-1)-1 at -36°C. Besides a strong dependence on temperature, migration rates were found to be proportional to bubble size. We think that this is due to the internal air pressure within the bubbles, which may correlate with time since close-off and therefore with bubble size. Migration rates show no significant dependence on bubble shape. Estimates of migration rates computed as a function of bubble depth within sea glaciers indicate that the rates would be low relative to the predicted sublimation rates, such that the ice surface would not lose its air bubbles to net downward migration. It is therefore unlikely that air bubble migration could outrun the advancing sublimation front, transforming glacial ice to a nearly bubble-free ice type, analogous to low-albedo marine ice.

Mixed Layer Heat and Fresh Water Balance in North Bay of Bengal (18N, 90E) Using a Seaglider and Mooring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangaprakash, V. P.; Girishkumar, M. S.; S, S.; Chaudhuri, D.; Sureshkumar, N.; Ravichandran, M.; Sengupta, D.; Weller, R. A.

2016-02-01

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) receives the large quantity of freshwater by excess precipitation over evaporation and runoff. This large freshwater flux into the BoB leads to strong haline stratification in the near surface layer, which have significant impact on the evolution of near thermo-haline structure and air-sea interactions process in those areas. However, lack of systematic measurements of observations, the factors that are modulating near mixed layer salinity and temperature in these freshwater pool in the northern BoB is not yet understood clearly. Under OMM - ASIRI (Ocean mixing and monsoon - Air sea interaction regional initiatives in the Northern Indian Ocean) programme, 3 month repeated hydrographic survey using seaglider in a butterfly (or bowtie) track centered around a mooring in the North Bay of Bengal (18N, 89E) equipped with near surface ASIMET sensors and subsurface temperature and salinity measurements, which provides unprecedental data source to quantify the relative contribution of different process on the evolution of near surface thermo-haline field through mixed layer heat and salt budget. The results of the analysis will be presented.

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns over East Asia and Their Connection with Summer Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature in Eastern China during 1961-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuping; Hou, Wei; Feng, Guolin

2018-04-01

Based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and Chinese observational data during 1961-2013, atmospheric circulation patterns over East Asia in summer and their connection with precipitation and surface air temperature in eastern China as well as associated external forcing are investigated. Three patterns of the atmospheric circulation are identified, all with quasi-barotropic structures: (1) the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern, (2) the Baikal Lake/Okhotsk Sea (BLOS) pattern, and (3) the eastern China/northern Okhotsk Sea (ECNOS) pattern. The positive EAP pattern significantly increases precipitation over the Yangtze River valley and favors cooling north of the Yangtze River and warming south of the Yangtze River in summer. The warm sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean suppress convection over the northwestern subtropical Pacific through the Ekman divergence induced by a Kelvin wave and excite the EAP pattern. The positive BLOS pattern is associated with below-average precipitation south of the Yangtze River and robust cooling over northeastern China. This pattern is triggered by anomalous spring sea ice concentration in the northern Barents Sea. The anomalous sea ice concentration contributes to a Rossby wave activity flux originating from the Greenland Sea, which propagates eastward to North Pacific. The positive ECNOS pattern leads to below-average precipitation and significant warming over northeastern China in summer. The reduced soil moisture associated with the earlier spring snowmelt enhances surface warming over Mongolia and northeastern China and the later spring snowmelt leads to surface cooling over Far East in summer, both of which are responsible for the formation of the ECNOS pattern.

Environmental Data Collection Using Autonomous Wave Gliders

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Observing System IMU Inertial Measurement Unit LRI Liquid Robotics, Inc. MASFlux Marine-Air-Sea-Flux METOC meteorological and oceanographic...position, velocity, heading, pitch, roll , and six-axis acceleration rates (Figure 11). A separate temperature probe also provides sea surface...Position, Velocity, and Magnetic declination True North Revolution Technologies GS Gyro Stabilized Electronic Compass Heading, Pitch, and Roll

Marginal Ice Zone Processes Observed from Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zappa, C. J.

2015-12-01

Recent years have seen extreme changes in the Arctic. Marginal ice zones (MIZ), or areas where the "ice-albedo feedback" driven by solar warming is highest and ice melt is extensive, may provide insights into the extent of these changes. Furthermore, MIZ play a central role in setting the air-sea CO2 balance making them a critical component of the global carbon cycle. Incomplete understanding of how the sea-ice modulates gas fluxes renders it difficult to estimate the carbon budget in MIZ. Here, we investigate the turbulent mechanisms driving mixing and gas exchange in leads, polynyas and in the presence of ice floes using both field and laboratory measurements. Measurements from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the marginal ice zone were made during 2 experiments: 1) North of Oliktok Point AK in the Beaufort Sea were made during the Marginal Ice Zone Ocean and Ice Observations and Processes EXperiment (MIZOPEX) in July-August 2013 and 2) Fram Strait and Greenland Sea northwest of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway during the Air-Sea-Ice Physics and Biogeochemistry Experiment (ASIPBEX) April - May 2015. We developed a number of new payloads that include: i) hyperspectral imaging spectrometers to measure VNIR (400-1000 nm) and NIR (900-1700 nm) spectral radiance; ii) net longwave and net shortwave radiation for ice-ocean albedo studies; iii) air-sea-ice turbulent fluxes as well as wave height, ice freeboard, and surface roughness with a LIDAR; and iv) drone-deployed micro-drifters (DDµD) deployed from the UAS that telemeter temperature, pressure, and RH as it descends through the atmosphere and temperature and salinity of the upper meter of the ocean once it lands on the ocean's surface. Visible and IR imagery of melting ice floes clearly defines the scale of the ice floes. The IR imagery show distinct cooling of the skin sea surface temperature (SST) as well as an intricate circulation and mixing pattern that depends on the surface current, wind speed, and near-surface vertical temperature/salinity structure. Individual ice floes develop turbulent wakes as they drift and cause transient mixing of an influx of colder surface (fresh) melt water. We capture a melting and mixing event that explains the changing pattern observed in skin SST and is substantiated using laboratory experiments.

Influences of Ocean Thermohaline Stratification on Arctic Sea Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toole, J. M.; Timmermans, M.-L.; Perovich, D. K.; Krishfield, R. A.; Proshutinsky, A.; Richter-Menge, J. A.

2009-04-01

The Arctic Ocean's surface mixed layer constitutes the dynamical and thermodynamical link between the sea ice and the underlying waters. Wind stress, acting directly on the surface mixed layer or via wind-forced ice motion, produce surface currents that can in turn drive deep ocean flow. Mixed layer temperature is intimately related to basal sea ice growth and melting. Heat fluxes into or out of the surface mixed layer can occur at both its upper and lower interfaces: the former via air-sea exchange at leads and conduction through the ice, the latter via turbulent mixing and entrainment at the layer base. Variations in Arctic Ocean mixed layer properties are documented based on more than 16,000 temperature and salinity profiles acquired by Ice-Tethered Profilers since summer 2004 and analyzed in conjunction with sea ice observations from Ice Mass Balance Buoys and atmospheric heat flux estimates. Guidance interpreting the observations is provided by a one-dimensional ocean mixed layer model. The study focuses attention on the very strong density stratification about the mixed layer base in the Arctic that, in regions of sea ice melting, is increasing with time. The intense stratification greatly impedes mixed layer deepening by vertical convection and shear mixing, and thus limits the flux of deep ocean heat to the surface that could influence sea ice growth/decay. Consistent with previous work, this study demonstrates that the Arctic sea ice is most sensitive to changes in ocean mixed layer heat resulting from fluxes across its upper (air-sea and/or ice-water) interface.

Variability of the gaseous elemental mercury sea-air flux of the Baltic Sea.

PubMed

Kuss, Joachim; Schneider, Bernd

2007-12-01

The importance of the sea as a sink for atmospheric mercury has been established quantitatively through models based on wet and dry deposition data, but little is known about the release of mercury from sea areas. The concentration of elemental mercury (Hg0) in sea surface water and in the marine atmosphere of the Baltic Sea was measured at high spatial resolution in February, April, July, and November 2006. Wind-speed records and the gas-exchange transfer velocity were then used to calculate Hg0 sea-air fluxes on the basis of Hg0 sea-air concentration differences. Our results show that the spatial resolution of the surface water Hg0 data can be significantly improved by continuous measurements of Hg0 in air equilibrated with water instead of quantitative extraction of Hg0 from seawater samples. A spatial and highly seasonal variability of the Hg0 sea-air flux was thus determined. In winter, the flux was low and changed in direction. In summer, a strong emission flux of up to 150 ng m(-2) day(-1) in the central Baltic Sea was recorded. The total emission of Hg0 from the studied area (235000 km2) was 4300 +/- 1600 kg in 2006 and exceeded deposition estimates.

Resilience of a High Latitude Red Sea Frining Corals Exposed to Extreme Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustafa, M.; Moustafa, M. S.; Moustafa, S.; Moustafa, Z. D.

2013-05-01

Since 2004, multi-year study set out to establish linkages between fringing coral reefs in the northern Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, and local weather. Insight into local meteorological processes may provide a better understanding of the direct influence weather has on a fringing coral reef. To establish trends, seawater temperature and meteorological record were collected at a small fringing coral reef (Zaki's Reef), located near Ein Sokhna, Egypt (29.5oN & 32.4oE). Monitoring air and water temperature provides evidence of seasonality and interannual variability and may reveal correlations between reef health and climate conditions in this region. Prior to this study, there were no known long-term studies investigating coral reefs in this region. Approximately 35 coral taxa are known to survive the extreme temperature and salinity regime found here, yet only six corals compose 94% of coral cover on Zaki's Reef. Dominant corals include: Acropora humilis, A. microclados, A. hemprichii, Litophyton arboretum, Stylophora pistillata, Porites columna, and P. plantulata. Seawater temperatures were collected at 30 minutes intervals at 5 locations. Seawater temperature data indicate that corals experience 4-6.5oC daily temperature variations and seasonal variations that exceed 29oC. Air temperatures were collected just landward of the reef were compared to Hurghada and Ismailia 400 and 200 km south and north of the study site, respectively. Time series analysis results indicate that air temperature dominant frequencies are half-daily, daily, and yearly cycles, while water temperatures show yearly cycles. A comparison of air temperature with neighboring locations indicates that air temperatures at Ein Sokhna ranged between near 0o C to an excess of 55o C, yet, daily means for Ein Sokhna and Hurghada were very similar (24.2o C and. 25.2o C, respectively). Maximum daily air temperatures at the study site exceeded maximum air temperature at Hurghada (400 km south) by almost 7o C, while minimum daily means at Ein Sokhna were almost equal to those at Ismailia (200 km north). These trends were opposite to what was expected considering each stations geographical locations. The unexpected temperature trends, the daily/half daily dominant frequencies, and the short distance between the mountain range and Zaki's Reef vs. Hurghada (0.5 vs. 35 km), prompted us to hypothesize that a Foehn wind may be responsible for the high air temperatures observed at Ein Sokhna. We applied NOAA's HYSPLIT model to explore local circulation patterns, which suggest that the high mountain range blocks the year-round trade wind and forces it to climb up the western slope, where it loses moisture and reduces its temperature. As this cool, denser air reaches the mountain top, the air parcel starts rolling down the eastern slopes, which causes air temperature to rise and result in an increase in local air temperatures. These warmer than normal air temperatures measured here may aid in securing these northernmost reefs survival. Further scrutiny of the mechanisms by which area reefs are able to thrive extreme environmental conditions continues to be investigated.

A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the WRF model for air quality applications over the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borge, Rafael; Alexandrov, Vassil; José del Vas, Juan; Lumbreras, Julio; Rodríguez, Encarnacion

Meteorological inputs play a vital role on regional air quality modelling. An extensive sensitivity analysis of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was performed, in the framework of the Integrated Assessment Modelling System for the Iberian Peninsula (SIMCA) project. Up to 23 alternative model configurations, including Planetary Boundary Layer schemes, Microphysics, Land-surface models, Radiation schemes, Sea Surface Temperature and Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation were tested in a 3 km spatial resolution domain. Model results for the most significant meteorological variables, were assessed through a series of common statistics. The physics options identified to produce better results (Yonsei University Planetary Boundary Layer, WRF Single-Moment 6-class microphysics, Noah Land-surface model, Eta Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory longwave radiation and MM5 shortwave radiation schemes) along with other relevant user settings (time-varying Sea Surface Temperature and combined grid-observational nudging) where included in a "best case" configuration. This setup was tested and found to produce more accurate estimation of temperature, wind and humidity fields at surface level than any other configuration for the two episodes simulated. Planetary Boundary Layer height predictions showed a reasonable agreement with estimations derived from routine atmospheric soundings. Although some seasonal and geographical differences were observed, the model showed an acceptable behaviour overall. Despite being useful to define the most appropriate setup of the WRF model for air quality modelling over the Iberian Peninsula, this study provides a general overview of WRF sensitivity and can constitute a reference for future mesoscale meteorological modelling exercises.

An Experimental Real-Time Ocean Nowcast/Forecast System for Intra America Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, D. S.; Preller, R. H.; Martin, P. J.

2003-04-01

An experimental real-time Ocean Nowcast/Forecast System has been developed for the Intra America Seas (IASNFS). The area of coverage includes the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The system produces nowcast and up to 72 hours forecast the sea level variation, 3D ocean current, temperature and salinity fields. IASNFS consists an 1/24 degree (~5 km), 41-level sigma-z data-assimilating ocean model based on NCOM. For daily nowcast/forecast the model is restarted from previous nowcast. Once model is restarted it continuously assimilates the synthetic temperature/salinity profiles generated by a data analysis model called MODAS to produce nowcast. Real-time data come from satellite altimeter (GFO, TOPEX/Poseidon, ERS-2) sea surface height anomaly and AVHRR sea surface temperature. Three hourly surface heat fluxes, including solar radiation, wind stresses and sea level air pressure from NOGAPS/FNMOC are applied for surface forcing. Forecasts are produced with available NOGAPS forecasts. Once the nowcast/forecast are produced they are distributed through the Internet via the updated web pages. The open boundary conditions including sea surface elevation, transport, temperature, salinity and currents are provided by the NRL 1/8 degree Global NCOM which is operated daily. An one way coupling scheme is used to ingest those boundary conditions into the IAS model. There are 41 rivers with monthly discharges included in the IASNFS.

Surface temperatures and temperature gradient features of the US Gulf Coast waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huh, O. K.; Rouse, L. J., Jr.; Smith, G. W.

1977-01-01

Satellite thermal infrared data on the Gulf of Mexico show that a seasonal cycle exists in the horizontal surface temperature structure. In the fall, the surface temperatures of both coastal and deep waters are nearly uniform. With the onset of winter, atmospheric cold fronts, which are accompanied by dry, low temperature air and strong winds, draw heat from the sea. A band of cooler water forming on the inner shelf expands, until a thermal front develops seaward along the shelf break between the cold shelf waters and the warmer deep waters of the Gulf. Digital analysis of the satellite data was carried out in an interactive mode using a minicomputer and software. A time series of temperature profiles illustrates the temporal and spatial changes in the sea-surface temperature field.

The impact of lower sea-ice extent on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Christensen, Torben R.; Sørensen, Lise Lotte; Rysgaard, Søren; McGuire, A. David; Miller, Paul A.; Walker, Donald A.

2013-01-01

In September 2012, Arctic sea-ice extent plummeted to a new record low: two times lower than the 1979–2000 average. Often, record lows in sea-ice cover are hailed as an example of climate change impacts in the Arctic. Less apparent, however, are the implications of reduced sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean for marine–atmosphere CO2 exchange. Sea-ice decline has been connected to increasing air temperatures at high latitudes. Temperature is a key controlling factor in the terrestrial exchange of CO2 and methane, and therefore the greenhouse-gas balance of the Arctic. Despite the large potential for feedbacks, many studies do not connect the diminishing sea-ice extent with changes in the interaction of the marine and terrestrial Arctic with the atmosphere. In this Review, we assess how current understanding of the Arctic Ocean and high-latitude ecosystems can be used to predict the impact of a lower sea-ice cover on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange.

Global Changes In Relative Humidity: Moisture Recycling, Transport Processes And Implications For Drought Severity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicente-Serrano, S. M.; Gimeno, L.; Nieto, R. O.; Azorin-Molina, C.

2016-12-01

Climate models and observations suggest that atmospheric humidity is increasing as a consequence of warmer air temperatures according to the Classius-Clapeyron relationship. In addition, given unlimited water availability in oceans it is suggested that relative humidity (RH) would remain constant. Nevertheless, recent global and regional studies have pointed out that RH may be decreasing in large areas of the world, and there are different hypotheses that could explain the possible decrease in RH as related to changes in: (i) the atmospheric circulation and moisture transport processes; (ii) precipitation; (iii) air vapour saturation given different warming in lands and oceans; etc. These trends have strong implications for the atmospheric evaporative demand (AED) and drought severity. We analysed changes in RH observed at the global scale for 1979-2014. For this purpose we have used 3462 stations across the world from the HadISDH data set. RH data have been also calculated from daily records of specific humidity, air pressure and air temperature from the ERA-Interim Reanalysis data set. The comparison results between observations and ERA-Interim show a strong agreement in the spatio-temporal variability and magnitude of trends of RH. We have analysed the relationship between the variability and changes in RH, precipitation, air temperature and evaporation at the global scale, concluding that the observed spatial patterns of RH are not well explained by the observed changes in the variability of precipitation and temperature. To improve the knowledge of the possible drivers of the observed trends in RH, we have selected 15 representative areas that showed a different temporal behaviour and applied a Lagrangian model (Flexpart). This has served to identify the humidity sources corresponding to each region, and to know the behaviour showed by Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and the evolution of oceanic and continental evaporation processes on the RH variability and trends. The effect of observed RH trends on AED and drought severity has been evaluated by means of the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI).

Modeling Sea Ice Trajectories for Oil Spill Tracking.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

is compared with sea ice motions observed during the AIDJEX main field experiment in the Beaufort Sea from April 1975 to February 1976. The average ...more recently grown on leads formed as the floes fracture and divide. The large-scale average thickness of the pack ice is roughly 3 m. As an...opposite extreme, during the summer when air temperatures rise above freezing, melting and offshore winds combine to form an approximately 300-km-wide swath

Spatial distribution and seasonal variation of four current-use pesticides (CUPs) in air and surface water of the Bohai Sea, China.

PubMed

Liu, Lin; Tang, Jianhui; Zhong, Guangcai; Zhen, Xiaomei; Pan, Xiaohui; Tian, Chongguo

2018-04-15

Current-use pesticides (CUPs) are widely used in agriculture, and some are listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) due to their bioaccumulative and toxic properties. China is one of the largest producers and users of pesticides in the world. However, very limited data are available about the environmental fates of CUPs. Four CUPs (trifluralin, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, and dicofol) in surface seawater and low atmospheric samples taken during research cruises on the Bohai Sea in August and December 2016 and February 2017 were analyzed, we added the spring data sampled in May 2012 to the discussion of seasonal variation. In our study, chlorpyrifos was the most abundant CUPs in the gas phase with a mean abundance of 59.06±126.94pgm -3 , and dicofol had the highest concentration dissolved in seawater (mean: 115.94±123.16pgL -1 ). The concentrations of all target compounds were higher during May and August due to intensive use and relatively high temperatures in the spring and summer. Backward trajectories indicated that air masses passing through the eastern coast of the Bohai Sea contained high concentrations of pollutants, while the air masses from the Bohai and Yellow Seas were less polluted. The high concentration of pollutants in seawater was not only influenced by high yields from the source region of production or usage, but also by input from polluted rivers. Volatilization from surface water was found to be an important source of trifluralin and chlorpyrifos in the air. Air-sea gas exchange of chlorothalonil underwent strong net deposition (mean FRs: 51.67), which was driven by higher concentrations in air and indicates that the Bohai Sea acted as a sink for chlorothalonil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal Infrared Signatures and Heat Fluxes of Sea Foam

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-13

4 air flow 0.5 m 0.5 m MWIR LWIR FTIR Pitot tube and Temperature air diffuser 1 m EO foam IR H20 vapor analyzer Heat...verify this, we measured velocity profiles with a pitot tube over 5 water and foam surfaces spanning our range of tested wind speeds. The profiles (not

A Sensitivity Analysis of the Impact of Rain on Regional and Global Sea-Air Fluxes of CO2

PubMed Central

Shutler, J. D.; Land, P. E.; Woolf, D. K.; Quartly, G. D.

2016-01-01

The global oceans are considered a major sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Rain is known to alter the physical and chemical conditions at the sea surface, and thus influence the transfer of CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere. It can influence gas exchange through enhanced gas transfer velocity, the direct export of carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean, by altering the sea skin temperature, and through surface layer dilution. However, to date, very few studies quantifying these effects on global net sea-air fluxes exist. Here, we include terms for the enhanced gas transfer velocity and the direct export of carbon in calculations of the global net sea-air fluxes, using a 7-year time series of monthly global climate quality satellite remote sensing observations, model and in-situ data. The use of a non-linear relationship between the effects of rain and wind significantly reduces the estimated impact of rain-induced surface turbulence on the rate of sea-air gas transfer, when compared to a linear relationship. Nevertheless, globally, the rain enhanced gas transfer and rain induced direct export increase the estimated annual oceanic integrated net sink of CO2 by up to 6%. Regionally, the variations can be larger, with rain increasing the estimated annual net sink in the Pacific Ocean by up to 15% and altering monthly net flux by > ± 50%. Based on these analyses, the impacts of rain should be included in the uncertainty analysis of studies that estimate net sea-air fluxes of CO2 as the rain can have a considerable impact, dependent upon the region and timescale. PMID:27673683

Sea ice in the Greenland Sea

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

As the northern hemisphere experiences the heat of summer, ice moves and melts in the Arctic waters and the far northern lands surrounding it. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of sea ice off Greenland on July 16, 2015. Large chunks of melting sea ice can be seen in the sea ice off the coast, and to the south spirals of ice have been shaped by the winds and currents that move across the Greenland Sea. Along the Greenland coast, cold, fresh melt water from the glaciers flows out to the sea, as do newly calved icebergs. Frigid air from interior Greenland pushes the ice away from the shoreline, and the mixing of cold water and air allows some sea ice to be sustained even at the height of summer. According to observations from satellites, 2015 is on track to be another low year for arctic summer sea ice cover. The past ten years have included nine of the lowest ice extents on record. The annual minimum typically occurs in late August or early September. The amount of Arctic sea ice cover has been dropping as global temperatures rise. The Arctic is two to three times more sensitive to temperature changes as the Earth as a whole. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Field-calibrated model of melt, refreezing, and runoff for polar ice caps: Application to Devon Ice Cap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Richard M.; Mair, Douglas W. F.; Nienow, Peter W.; Bell, Christina; Burgess, David O.; Wright, Andrew P.

2014-09-01

Understanding the controls on the amount of surface meltwater that refreezes, rather than becoming runoff, over polar ice masses is necessary for modeling their surface mass balance and ultimately for predicting their future contributions to global sea level change. We present a modified version of a physically based model that includes an energy balance routine and explicit calculation of near-surface meltwater refreezing capacity, to simulate the evolution of near-surface density and temperature profiles across Devon Ice Cap in Arctic Canada. Uniquely, our model is initiated and calibrated using high spatial resolution measurements of snow and firn densities across almost the entire elevation range of the ice cap for the summer of 2004 and subsequently validated with the same type of measurements obtained during the very different meteorological conditions of summer 2006. The model captures the spatial variability across the transect in bulk snowpack properties although it slightly underestimates the flow of meltwater into the firn of previous years. The percentage of meltwater that becomes runoff is similar in both years; however, the spatial pattern of this melt-runoff relationship is different in the 2 years. The model is found to be insensitive to variation in the depth of impermeable layers within the firn but is very sensitive to variation in air temperature, since the refreezing capacity of firn decreases with increasing temperature. We highlight that the sensitivity of the ice cap's surface mass balance to air temperature is itself dependent on air temperature.

Diagnosing sea ice from the north american multi model ensemble and implications on mid-latitude winter climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elders, Akiko; Pegion, Kathy

2017-12-01

Arctic sea ice plays an important role in the climate system, moderating the exchange of energy and moisture between the ocean and the atmosphere. An emerging area of research investigates how changes, particularly declines, in sea ice extent (SIE) impact climate in regions local to and remote from the Arctic. Therefore, both observations and model estimates of sea ice become important. This study investigates the skill of sea ice predictions from models participating in the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) project. Three of the models in this project provide sea-ice predictions. The ensemble average of these models is used to determine seasonal climate impacts on surface air temperature (SAT) and sea level pressure (SLP) in remote regions such as the mid-latitudes. It is found that declines in fall SIE are associated with cold temperatures in the mid-latitudes and pressure patterns across the Arctic and mid-latitudes similar to the negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO). These findings are consistent with other studies that have investigated the relationship between declines in SIE and mid-latitude weather and climate. In an attempt to include additional NMME models for sea-ice predictions, a proxy for SIE is used to estimate ice extent in the remaining models, using sea surface temperature (SST). It is found that SST is a reasonable proxy for SIE estimation when compared to model SIE forecasts and observations. The proxy sea-ice estimates also show similar relationships to mid-latitude temperature and pressure as the actual sea-ice predictions.

Dynamical Core in Atmospheric Model Does Matter in the Simulation of Arctic Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun, Sang-Yoon; Choi, Suk-Jin; Kim, Baek-Min

2018-03-01

Climate models using different dynamical cores can simulate significantly different winter Arctic climates even if equipped with virtually the same physics schemes. Current climate simulated by the global climate model using cubed-sphere grid with spectral element method (SE core) exhibited significantly warmer Arctic surface air temperature compared to that using latitude-longitude grid with finite volume method core. Compared to the finite volume method core, SE core simulated additional adiabatic warming in the Arctic lower atmosphere, and this was consistent with the eddy-forced secondary circulation. Downward longwave radiation further enhanced Arctic near-surface warming with a higher surface air temperature of about 1.9 K. Furthermore, in the atmospheric response to the reduced sea ice conditions with the same physical settings, only the SE core showed a robust cooling response over North America. We emphasize that special attention is needed in selecting the dynamical core of climate models in the simulation of the Arctic climate and associated teleconnection patterns.

Research Applications of Data from Arctic Ocean Drifting Platforms: The Arctic Buoy Program and the Environmental Working Group CD's.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moritz, R. E.; Rigor, I.

2006-12-01

ABSTRACT: The Arctic Buoy Program was initiated in 1978 to measure surface air pressure, surface temperature and sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean, on the space and time scales of synoptic weather systems, and to make the data available for research, forecasting and operations. The program, subsequently renamed the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), has endured and expanded over the past 28 years. A hallmark of the IABP is the production, dissemination and archival of research-quality datasets and analyses. These datasets have been used by the authors of over 500 papers on meteorolgy, sea-ice physics, oceanography, air-sea interactions, climate, remote sensing and other topics. Elements of the IABP are described briefly, including measurements, analysis, data dissemination and data archival. Selected highlights of the research applications are reviewed, including ice dynamics, ocean-ice modeling, low-frequency variability of Arctic air-sea-ice circulation, and recent changes in the age, thickness and extent of Arctic Sea-ice. The extended temporal coverage of the data disseminated on the Environmental Working Group CD's is important for interpreting results in the context of climate.

Thermophysiological responses and work strain in fishermen on deep-sea fishing vessels.

PubMed

Høye, Erik Ulvolden; Sandsund, Mariann; Heidelberg, Cecilie Thon; Aasmoe, Lisbeth; Reinertsen, Randi Eidsmo

2016-01-01

Fishermen working on deep-sea vessels in the Barents and Norwegian Sea are exposed to low air temperatures, strong winds, high humidity, rain, snow and work at different intensities. Few studies have investigated the effect of environmental work factors on the physiology of this occupational group. The aim of the study was to investigate work strain and thermophysiological responses of fishermen on the trawl and factory decks of deep-sea vessels. Twenty-five professional male fishermen (age 39 ± 13 years) were recruited to the study which was performed on three trawlers in the Norwegian Sea in April, June and August 2014. During a six-hour shift, heart rate (HR), core (Tc) and mean skin (Ts) temperatures were recorded, and questions about subjective thermal sensation and comfort were answered. Short periods of hard (above 86% of HRmax) work raised Tc by 0.8°C to 37.8°C and decreased Ts by 2.3°C to 29.8°C during work on the trawl deck, and subjects reported being warm and sweaty. On the factory deck long periods of fairly light (between 52% and 66% HRmax) work, Tc of 37.4°C and Ts of 30.9°C were measured. Fishermen experience intermittent periods of heavy work on the trawl deck shown with elevated core temperature and HR. Work on the factory deck includes long periods of repetitive work with light to moderate work strain. A better understanding of work strain and environmental challenges during work on Norwegian deep-sea vessels will help identify exposure risks during work in the cold and heat.

Sources, variability and fate of freshwater in the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regan, Heather C.; Holland, Paul R.; Meredith, Michael P.; Pike, Jennifer

2018-03-01

During the second half of the twentieth century, the Antarctic Peninsula was subjected to a rapid increase in air temperatures. This was accompanied by a reduction in sea ice extent, increased precipitation and a dramatic retreat of glaciers associated with an increase in heat flux from deep ocean water masses. Isotopic tracers have been used previously to investigate the relative importance of the different freshwater sources to the adjacent Bellingshausen Sea (BS), but the data coverage is strongly biased toward summer. Here we use a regional model to investigate the ocean's response to the observed changes in its different freshwater inputs (sea ice melt/freeze, precipitation, evaporation, iceberg/glacier melt, and ice shelf melt). The model successfully recreates BS water masses and performs well against available freshwater data. By tracing the sources and pathways of the individual components of the freshwater budget, we find that sea ice dominates seasonal changes in the total freshwater content and flux, but all sources make a comparable contribution to the annual-mean. Interannual variability is dominated by sea ice and precipitation. Decadal trends in the salinity and stratification of the ocean are investigated, and a 20-year surface freshening from 1992 to 2011 is found to be predominantly driven by decreasing autumn sea ice growth. These findings will help to elucidate the role of freshwater in driving circulation and water column structure changes in this climatically-sensitive region.

The validation of AIRS retrievals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetzer, Eric J.; Olsen, Edward T.; Chen, Luke L.; Hagan, Denise E.; Fishbein, Evan; McMillin, Larry; Zhou, Jiang; McMillan, Wallace W.

2003-01-01

The initial validation of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (SIRS) experiment retrievals were completed in August 2003 as part of public release of version 3.0 data. The associated analyses are reported at http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/atmodyn/airs/, where data may be accessed. Here we describe some of those analyses, with an emphasis on cloud cleared radiances, atmospheric temperature profiles, sea surface temperature, total water vapor and atmospheric water vapor profiles. The results are applicable over ocean in the latitude band +/-40 degrees.

Contributions of internal climate variability to mitigation of projected future regional sea level rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, A.; Bates, S. C.

2017-12-01

Observations indicate that the global mean surface temperature is rising, so does the global mean sea level. Sea level rise (SLR) can impose significant impacts on island and coastal communities, especially when SLR is compounded with storm surges. Here, via analyzing results from two sets of ensemble simulations from the Community Earth System Model version 1, we investigate how the potential SLR benefits through mitigating the future emission scenarios from business as usual to a mild-mitigation over the 21st Century would be affected by internal climate variability. Results show that there is almost no SLR benefit in the near term due to the large SLR variability due to the internal ocean dynamics. However, toward the end of the 21st century, the SLR benefit can be as much as a 26±1% reduction of the global mean SLR due to seawater thermal expansion. Regionally, the benefits from this mitigation for both near and long terms are heterogeneous. They vary from just a 11±5% SLR reduction in Melbourne, Australia to a 35±6% reduction in London. The processes contributing to these regional differences are the coupling of the wind-driven ocean circulation with the decadal scale sea surface temperature mode in the Pacific and Southern Oceans, and the changes of the thermohaline circulation and the mid-latitude air-sea coupling in the Atlantic.

Early Student Support to Investigate the Role of Sea Ice Albedo Feedback in Sea Ice Predictions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

time periods: 1925-1960, 1970-2005, 2015-2050, and 2060 -2095. Model runs from the first two time periods had historical radiative forcing, whereas the...of the Arctic exhibits the relationship seen near the sea ice edge in the late 20th century. • Between 2015-2050 and 2060 -2095, there is a regime...1980). Ice-free summers are not found until 2060s . • From the linear regressions, air temperatures decrease in importance over time as good

The impact of land and sea surface variations on the Delaware sea breeze at local scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Christopher P.

The summertime climate of coastal Delaware is greatly influenced by the intensity, frequency, and location of the local sea breeze circulation. Sea breeze induced changes in temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation influence many aspects of Delaware's economy by affecting tourism, farming, air pollution density, energy usage, and the strength, and persistence of Delaware's wind resource. The sea breeze front can develop offshore or along the coastline and often creates a near surface thermal gradient in excess of 5°C. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the dynamics of the Delaware sea breeze with a focus on the immediate coastline using observed and modeled components, both at high resolutions (~200m). The Weather Research and Forecasting model (version 3.5) was employed over southern Delaware with 5 domains (4 levels of nesting), with resolutions ranging from 18km to 222m, for June 2013 to investigate the sensitivity of the sea breeze to land and sea surface variations. The land surface was modified in the model to improve the resolution, which led to the addition of land surface along the coastline and accounted for recent urban development. Nine-day composites of satellite sea surface temperatures were ingested into the model and an in-house SST forcing dataset was developed to account for spatial SST variation within the inland bays. Simulations, which include the modified land surface, introduce a distinct secondary atmospheric circulation across the coastline of Rehoboth Bay when synoptic offshore wind flow is weak. Model runs using high spatial- and temporal-resolution satellite sea surface temperatures over the ocean indicate that the sea breeze landfall time is sensitive to the SST when the circulation develops offshore. During the summer of 2013 a field campaign was conducted in the coastal locations of Rehoboth Beach, DE and Cape Henlopen, DE. At each location, a series of eleven small, autonomous thermo-sensors (i-buttons) were placed along 1-km transects oriented perpendicular to the coastline where each sensor recorded temperatures at five-minute intervals. This novel approach allows for detailed characterization of the sea breeze front development over the immediate coastline not seen in previous studies. These observations provide evidence of significant variability in frontal propagation (advancing, stalling, and retrograding) within the first kilometer of the coast. Results from this observational study indicate that the land surface has the largest effect on the frontal location when the synoptic winds have a strong offshore component, which forces the sea breeze front to move slowly through the region. When this happens, the frequency of occurrence and sea breeze frontal speed decreases consistently across the first 500 m of Rehoboth Beach, after which, the differences become insignificant. At Cape Henlopen the decrease in intensity across the transect is much less evident and the reduction in frequency does not occur until after the front is 500 m from the coast. Under these conditions at Rehoboth Beach, the near surface air behind the front warms due to the land surface which, along with the large surface friction component of the urbanized land surface, causes the front to slow as it traverses the region. Observation and modeling results suggest that the influence of variations in the land and sea surface on the sea breeze circulation is complex and highly dependent on the regional synoptic wind regime. This result inspired the development of a sea breeze prediction algorithm using a generalized linear regression model which, incorporated real-time synoptic conditions to forecast the likelihood of a sea breeze front passing through a coastal station. The forecast skill increases through the morning hours after sunrise. The inland synoptic wind direction is the most influential variable utilized by the algorithm. Such a model could be enhanced to forecast local temperature with coonfidence, which could be useful in an economic or energy usage model.

Climatological Modeling of Monthly Air Temperature and Precipitation in Egypt through GIS Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Kenawy, A.

2009-09-01

This paper describes a method for modeling and mapping four climatic variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature and total precipitation) in Egypt using a multiple regression approach implemented in a GIS environment. In this model, a set of variables including latitude, longitude, elevation within a distance of 5, 10 and 15 km, slope, aspect, distance to the Mediterranean Sea, distance to the Red Sea, distance to the Nile, ratio between land and water masses within a radius of 5, 10, 15 km, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), the Normalized Difference Temperature Index (NDTI) and reflectance are included as independent variables. These variables were integrated as raster layers in MiraMon software at a spatial resolution of 1 km. Climatic variables were considered as dependent variables and averaged from quality controlled and homogenized 39 series distributing across the entire country during the period of (1957-2006). For each climatic variable, digital and objective maps were finally obtained using the multiple regression coefficients at monthly, seasonal and annual timescale. The accuracy of these maps were assessed through cross-validation between predicted and observed values using a set of statistics including coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean bias Error (MBE) and D Willmott statistic. These maps are valuable in the sense of spatial resolution as well as the number of observatories involved in the current analysis.

40 CFR 1042.515 - Test procedures related to not-to-exceed standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... altitudes up to 1,100 feet above sea level. (2) Ambient air temperature must be between 13 and 35 °C (or... the engine). (3) Ambient water temperature must be between 5 and 27 °C. (4) Ambient humidity must be... operating temperatures. For example, this would include only engine operation after starting and after the...

The Role of Snow Thickness over Arctic Winter Sea Ice in the Survival and Dispersal of Brine-Derived Microbes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, J. W.; Ewert, M.; Bowman, J. S.

2013-12-01

The brines of polar winter sea ice are inhabited by significant densities of microbes (Bacteria and Archaea) that experience a range of extreme conditions depending on location in, and age of, the ice. Newly formed sea ice in winter expels microbes (and organic exudates) onto the surface of the ice, where they can be wicked into frost flowers or into freshly deposited snow, resulting in populations at the ice-air and air-snow interfaces characterized by even more extreme conditions. The influence of snow thickness over the ice on the fate of these microbes, and their potential for dispersal or mediation of exchanges with other components of the ice-snow system, is not well known. Examination of in situ temperature data from the Mass Balance Observatory (MBO) offshore of Barrow, Alaska, during the winter of 2011 allowed recognition of an hierarchy of fluctuation regimes in temperature and (by calculation) brine salinity, where the most stable conditions were encountered within the sea ice and the least stable highest in the snow cover, where temperature fluctuations were significantly more energetic as determined by an analysis of power spectral density. A prior analysis of snow thickness near the MBO had already revealed significant ablation events, potentially associated with bacterial mortality, that would have exposed the saline (microbe-rich) snow layer to wind-based dispersal. To better understand the survival of marine bacteria under these dynamic and extreme conditions, we conducted laboratory experiments with Arctic bacterial isolates, subjecting them to simulations of the freezing regimes documented at the MBS. The impact of the fluctuation regime was shown to be species-specific, with the organism of narrower temperature and salinity growth ranges suffering 30-50% mortality (which could be partially relieved by providing protection against salt-shock). This isolate, the psychrophilic marine bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H (temperature range of -12 to 18°C, salinity range of 20 to 50), was originally isolated from Arctic marine sediments. The other isolate, the psychrotolerant and extremely halophilic bacterium Psychrobacter sp. strain 7E (temperature range of -1 [possibly lower] to 25°C, salinity range of 32 to 125), not only survived the most extreme conditions but demonstrated a potentially effective dispersal strategy of cell fragmentation and miniaturization (resulting in higher cell numbers). This extremophile was isolated from upper winter sea-ice brine in the Beaufort Sea. Bacterial survival and dispersal from sea-ice brines in Arctic winter thus appears to depend on the nature of the organisms involved and on the thickness of snow cover, which determines how dynamic and extreme are the exposure conditions. The observed species-specific reactions to extreme and fluctuating conditions may help to explain the different structures of microbial communities inhabiting the range of environments defined by the ice-snow system and provide model organisms and research directions for future work to evaluate potential activity or exchanges with other components of the system.

Recent Rapid Decline of the Arctic Winter Sea Ice in the Barents-Kara Seas Owing to Combined Effects of the Ural Blocking and SST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Binhe; Yao, Yao

2018-04-01

This study investigates why the Arctic winter sea ice loss over the Barents-Kara Seas (BKS) is accelerated in the recent decade. We first divide 1979-2013 into two time periods: 1979-2000 (P1) and 2001-13 (P2), with a focus on P2 and the difference between P1 and P2. The results show that during P2, the rapid decline of the sea ice over the BKS is related not only to the high sea surface temperature (SST) over the BKS, but also to the increased frequency, duration, and quasi-stationarity of the Ural blocking (UB) events. Observational analysis reveals that during P2, the UB tends to become quasi stationary and its frequency tends to increase due to the weakening (strengthening) of zonal winds over the Eurasia (North Atlantic) when the surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly over the BKS is positive probably because of the high SST. Strong downward infrared (IR) radiation is seen to occur together with the quasi-stationary and persistent UB because of the accumulation of more water vapor over the BKS. Such downward IR favors the sea ice decline over the BKS, although the high SST over the BKS plays a major role. But for P1, the UB becomes westward traveling due to the opposite distribution of zonal winds relative to P2, resulting in weak downward IR over the BKS. This may lead to a weak decline of the sea ice over the BKS. Thus, it is likely that the rapid decline of the sea ice over the BKS during P2 is attributed to the joint effects of the high SST over the BKS and the quasi-stationary and long-lived UB events.

Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the oxygen content of green sea turtle nests during embryogenesis.

PubMed

Chen, Chiu-Lin; Wang, Chun-Chun; Cheng, I-Jiunn

2010-10-01

Several biotic and abiotic factors can influence nest oxygen content during embryogenesis. Several of these factors were determined during each developmental stage of green sea turtle embryos on Wan-an Island, Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan. We examined oxygen content in 7 nests in 2007 and 11 in 2008. Oxygen in the adjacent sand, total and viable clutch sizes, air, sand and nest temperatures, and sand characters of each nest were also determined. Oxygen content was lower in late stages than in the early and middle stages. It was also lower in the middle layer than in the upper and bottom layers. Nest temperature showed opposite trends, reaching its maximum value in late stages of development. Nest oxygen content was influenced by fraction of viable eggs, total clutch sizes, sand temperatures, maximum nest temperature and maximum change in the nest temperature during incubation. Clutch size during embryogenesis was the most influential factor overall. However, the major influential factors were different for different developmental stages. In the first half of the incubation, the development rate was low, and the change in the nest oxygen content was influenced mainly by the clutch size. During the second half, the rapid embryonic development rate became the dominant factor, and hatchling activities caused even greater oxygen consumption during the last stage of development.

An Integrated Approach to Estimate Instantaneous Near-Surface Air Temperature and Sensible Heat Flux Fields during the SEMAPHORE Experiment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourras, Denis; Eymard, Laurence; Liu, W. Timothy; Dupuis, Hélène

2002-03-01

A new technique was developed to retrieve near-surface instantaneous air temperatures and turbulent sensible heat fluxes using satellite data during the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphere, Proprietes des Heterogeneites Oceaniques: Recherche Experimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment, which was conducted in 1993 under mainly anticyclonic conditions. The method is based on a regional, horizontal atmospheric temperature advection model whose inputs are wind vectors, sea surface temperature fields, air temperatures around the region under study, and several constants derived from in situ measurements. The intrinsic rms error of the method is 0.7°C in terms of air temperature and 9 W m2 for the fluxes, both at 0.16° × 0.16° and 1.125° × 1.125° resolution. The retrieved air temperature and flux horizontal structures are in good agreement with fields from two operational general circulation models. The application to SEMAPHORE data involves the First European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) wind fields, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) SST fields, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) air temperature boundary conditions. The rms errors obtained by comparing the estimations with research vessel measurements are 0.3°C and 5 W m2.

Tracing the source of deep water in the Arctic Ocean with 17Oexcess of dissolved O2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smethie, W. M., Jr.; Luz, B.; Barkan, E.; Broecker, W. S.

2014-12-01

The 17Oexcess of dissolved O2 (17Δ) in the ocean is a unique property which is useful for telling apart O2 produced by marine photosynthesis (bio-O2) from atmospheric O2. Unlike O2 concentration, 17Δ is not affected by respiration and thus behaves conservatively in the deep sea. In general, 17Δ in the oceanic mixed layer is low due to the dominance of air-sea gas exchange. In contrast, in the Arctic mixed-layer 17Δ is higher because sufficient light penetrates through the sea-ice cover and drives photosynthesis, but air-sea gas exchange is retarded by sea ice cover. We have preliminary 17Δ data from depth profiles in the Eurasian and Makarov basins. In both, the fraction of bio-O2 is about 20 % in the surface mixed layer. However, the vertical distribution beneath the mixed layer at the two stations is substantially different. In the Makarov Basin there is a layer of Pacific Water centered at about 100 m, which enters the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait and is modified as it flows across the wide Chukchi and Siberian shelves. It has a strong maximum in 17Δ, equivalent to ~30% bio-O2. 17Δ then decreases through the underlying halocline to a minimum between 500 and 700 m, which lies within the Barents Sea Branch of Atlantic Water (BSBW) indicating ~15% bio-O2. At the Eurasian Basin station, 17Δ decreases from the mixed layer through the halocline reaching a minimum at the temperature maximum of Atlantic Water. This temperature maximum marks the core of the Fram Strait Branch of Atlantic Water (FSBW). 17Δ then increases to a maximum indicating ~20% bio-O2 between 500 and 700 m. The BSBW is produced as Atlantic Water flows through the shallow Barents Sea becoming denser than FSBW and enters the Eurasian Basin through the Santa Anna Trough beneath the FSBW. Our 17Δ measurements suggest that waters of Pacific and Atlantic origin that transit across the wide Arctic continental shelves acquire a high 17Δ signal indicative of photosynthesis in ice covered water.

Air-sea interaction and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsaros, Kristina B.; Ataktuerk, Serhad S.

1992-01-01

The first part of the proposed research was a joint effort between our group and the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), University of Washington. Our own research goal is to investigate the relation between the air-sea exchange processes and the sea state over the open ocean and to compare these findings with our previous results obtained over a small body of water namely, Lake Washington. The goals of the APL researchers are to study (1) the infrared sea surface temperature (SST) signature of breaking waves and surface slicks, and (2) microwave and acoustic scattering from water surface. The task of our group in this joint effort is to conduct measurements of surface fluxes (of momentum, sensible heat, and water vapor) and atmospheric radiation (longwave and shortwave) to achieve our research goal as well as to provide crucial complementary data for the APL studies. The progress of the project is summarized.

Equatorial Indian Ocean subsurface current variability in an Ocean General Circulation Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnanaseelan, C.; Deshpande, Aditi

2018-03-01

The variability of subsurface currents in the equatorial Indian Ocean is studied using high resolution Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) simulations during 1958-2009. February-March eastward equatorial subsurface current (ESC) shows weak variability whereas strong variability is observed in northern summer and fall ESC. An eastward subsurface current with maximum amplitude in the pycnocline is prominent right from summer to winter during strong Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) years when air-sea coupling is significant. On the other hand during weak IOD years, both the air-sea coupling and the ESC are weak. This strongly suggests the role of ESC on the strength of IOD. The extension of the ESC to the summer months during the strong IOD years strengthens the oceanic response and supports intensification and maintenance of IODs through modulation of air sea coupling. Although the ESC is triggered by equatorial winds, the coupled air-sea interaction associated with IODs strengthens the ESC to persist for several seasons thereby establishing a positive feedback cycle with the surface. This suggests that the ESC plays a significant role in the coupled processes associated with the evolution and intensification of IOD events by cooling the eastern basin and strengthening thermocline-SST (sea surface temperature) interaction. As the impact of IOD events on Indian summer monsoon is significant only during strong IOD years, understanding and monitoring the evolution of ESC during these years is important for summer monsoon forecasting purposes. There is a westward phase propagation of anomalous subsurface currents which persists for a year during strong IOD years, whereas such persistence or phase propagation is not seen during weak IOD years, supporting the close association between ESC and strength of air sea coupling during strong IOD years. In this study we report the processes which strengthen the IOD events and the air sea coupling associated with IOD. It also unravels the connection between equatorial Indian Ocean circulation and evolution and strengthening of IOD.

A model of air-sea gas exchange incorporating the physics of the turbulent boundary layer and the properties of the sea surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, Alexander; Schluessel, Peter

The model presented contains interfacial, bubble-mediated, ocean mixed layer, and remote sensing components. The interfacial (direct) gas transfer dominates under conditions of low and—for quite soluble gases like CO2—moderate wind speeds. Due to the similarity between the gas and heat transfer, the temperature difference, ΔT, across the thermal molecular boundary layer (cool skin of the ocean) and the interfacial gas transfer coefficient, Kint are presumably interrelated. A coupled parameterization for ΔT and Kint has been derived in the context of a surface renewal model [Soloviev and Schluessel, 1994]. In addition to the Schmidt, Sc, and Prandtl, Pr, numbers, the important parameters are the surface Richardson number, Rƒ0, and the Keulegan number, Ke. The more readily available cool skin data are used to determine the coefficients that enter into both parameterizations. At high wind speeds, the Ke-number dependence is further verified with the formula for transformation of the surface wind stress to form drag and white capping, which follows from the renewal model. A further extension of the renewal model includes effects of solar radiation and rainfall. The bubble-mediated component incorporates the Merlivat et al. [1993] parameterization with the empirical coefficients estimated by Asher and Wanninkhof [1998]. The oceanic mixed layer component accounts for stratification effects on the air-sea gas exchange. Based on the example of GasEx-98, we demonstrate how the results of parameterization and modeling of the air-sea gas exchange can be extended to the global scale, using remote sensing techniques.

Aircraft Surveys of the Beaufort Sea Seasonal Ice Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morison, J.

2016-02-01

The Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys (SIZRS) is a program of repeated ocean, ice, and atmospheric measurements across the Beaufort-Chukchi sea seasonal sea ice zone (SIZ) utilizing US Coast Guard Arctic Domain Awareness (ADA) flights of opportunity. The SIZ is the region between maximum winter sea ice extent and minimum summer sea ice extent. As such, it contains the full range of positions of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) where sea ice interacts with open water. The increasing size and changing air-ice-ocean properties of the SIZ are central to recent reductions in Arctic sea ice extent. The changes in the interplay among the atmosphere, ice, and ocean require a systematic SIZ observational effort of coordinated atmosphere, ice, and ocean observations covering up to interannual time-scales, Therefore, every year beginning in late Spring and continuing to early Fall, SIZRS makes monthly flights across the Beaufort Sea SIZ aboard Coast Guard C-130H aircraft from USCG Air Station Kodiak dropping Aircraft eXpendable CTDs (AXCTD) and Aircraft eXpendable Current Profilers (AXCP) for profiles of ocean temperature, salinity and shear, dropsondes for atmospheric temperature, humidity, and velocity profiles, and buoys for atmosphere and upper ocean time series. Enroute measurements include IR imaging, radiometer and lidar measurements of the sea surface and cloud tops. SIZRS also cooperates with the International Arctic Buoy Program for buoy deployments and with the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory atmospheric chemistry sampling program on board the aircraft. Since 2012, SIZRS has found that even as SIZ extent, ice character, and atmospheric forcing varies year-to-year, the pattern of ocean freshening and radiative warming south of the ice edge is consistent. The experimental approach, observations and extensions to other projects will be discussed.

A WRF sensitivity study for summer ozone and winter PM events in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Z.; Chen, J.; Mahmud, A.; Di, P.; Avise, J.; DaMassa, J.; Kaduwela, A. P.

2014-12-01

Elevated summer ozone and winter PM frequently occur in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) in California. Meteorological conditions, such as wind, temperature and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) play crucial roles in these air pollution events. Therefore, accurate representation of these fields from a meteorological model is necessary to successfully reproduce these air pollution events in subsequent air quality model simulations. California's complex terrain and land-sea interface can make it challenging for meteorological models to replicate the atmospheric conditions over the SJV and SCAB during extreme pollution events. In this study, the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) over these two regions for a summer month (July 2012) and a winter month (January 2013) is evaluated with different model configurations and forcing. Different land surface schemes (Pleim-Xiu vs. hybrid scheme), the application of observational and soil nudging, two SST datasets (the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) SST vs. the default SST from North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) reanalysis), and two land use datasets (the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) 2006 40-category vs. USGS 24-category land use data) have been tested. Model evaluation will focus on both surface and vertical profiles for wind, temperature, relative humidity, as well as PBLH. Sensitivity of the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) results to different WRF configurations will also be presented and discussed.

Synoptic aspects of Antarctic mesocyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carleton, Andrew M.; Fitch, Mark

1993-07-01

The characteristic regimes (formation and dissipation areas, tracks) and synoptic environments of cold air mesocyclones over Antarctic and Subantarctic latitudes are determined for the contrasting winters (June, July, and August) of 1988 and 1989. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) thermal infrared (IR) imagery is used in conjunction with southern hemisphere pressure/height analyses. Outbreaks of mesocyclones ("active periods") are frequent in the Ross Sea sector in 1988. They are associated most often with areas of maximum horizontal gradient of the 1000- to 500-mbar thickness. Over higher latitudes of the Southeast Pacific in 1989, mesocyclones develop in association with a "cold pool" that migrates equatorward. The between-winter differences in mesocyclone frequencies are examined for associations with sea ice conditions and the continental katabatic winds using correlation and "superposed epoch" analysis of temperature data from selected automatic weather stations (AWSs). The results support a katabatic wind-sea ice extent-mesocyclone link for key sectors of the Antarctic.

Altitudinal variation in parental energy expenditure by white-crowned sparrows.

PubMed

Weathers, Wesley W; Davidson, Charisse L; Olson, Christopher R; Morton, Martin L; Nur, Nadav; Famula, Thomas R

2002-09-01

We used the doubly labeled water technique to measure daily energy expenditure (DEE) during the incubation and feeding nestling stages in two populations of white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - one montane and migratory, the other coastal and sedentary - that differ in thermal environment and clutch size. We assessed the birds' thermal environment by continuously monitoring (among other variables) operative temperature and wind speed both in the open and within bushes and willow thickets occupied by sparrows. From these measurements, we derived several estimates of the birds' thermal environment, including standard operative temperature (T(es)). Shade air temperature and T(es) averaged 6.6 and 10.3 degrees C lower, respectively, at the montane study site during DEE measurements. The montane population's DEE averaged 24% higher than that of the sea-level population (103.6+/-12.2 versus 83.7+/-9.6 kJ day(-1); means +/- S.D., N=31 and 22, respectively), reflecting both its larger brood size (3.7 versus 2.9) and the colder environment. The DEE:BMR ratio was lowest in the sea-level population (2.1 versus 2.6), but neither population worked to their physiological capacity to produce young. DEE was significantly correlated with temperature across populations, with T(es) explaining 42% of the variation in DEE. Statistically removing the effect of temperature by adjusting DEE to a common temperature reduced the difference in DEE between populations by 34% to 87.7 and 100.8 kJ day(-1), respectively, for sea-level and montane populations. Basal and resting metabolic rates were similar in both populations, implying that greater activity in the montane population accounted for its higher temperature-adjusted DEE. Our results indicate that the thermal context within which behavior occurs can significantly affect interindividual variation in DEE. Attempts to assess reproductive effort by measuring DEE should therefore account explicitly for the effect of temperature.

Spread in the magnitude of climate model interdecadal global temperature variability traced to disagreements over high-latitude oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Patrick T.; Li, Wenhong; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Su, Hui

2016-12-01

Unforced variability in global mean surface air temperature can obscure or exaggerate global warming on interdecadal time scales; thus, understanding both the magnitude and generating mechanisms of such variability is of critical importance for both attribution studies as well as decadal climate prediction. Coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (climate models) simulate a wide range of magnitudes of unforced interdecadal variability in global mean surface air temperature (UITglobal), hampering efforts to quantify the influence of UITglobal on contemporary global temperature trends. Recently, a preliminary consensus has emerged that unforced interdecadal variability in local surface temperatures (UITlocal) over the tropical Pacific Ocean is particularly influential on UITglobal. Therefore, a reasonable hypothesis might be that the large spread in the magnitude of UITglobal across climate models can be explained by the spread in the magnitude of simulated tropical Pacific UITlocal. Here we show that this hypothesis is mostly false. Instead, the spread in the magnitude of UITglobal is linked much more strongly to the spread in the magnitude of UITlocal over high-latitude regions characterized by significant variability in oceanic convection, sea ice concentration, and energy flux at both the surface and the top of the atmosphere. Thus, efforts to constrain the climate model produced range of UITglobal magnitude would be best served by focusing on the simulation of air-sea interaction at high latitudes.

Coastal Permafrost Bluff Response to Summer Warming, Barter Island, NE Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, B. M.; Gibbs, A.; Johnson, C. D.; Swarzenski, P. W.; Oberle, F. J.; Tulaczyk, S. M.; Lorenson, T. D.

2016-12-01

Observations of warming air and sea temperatures in the Arctic are leading to longer periods of permafrost thaw and ice-free conditions during summer, which lead to increased exposure to coastal storm surge, wave impacts, and heightened erosion. Recently collected air and soil (bluff) temperatures, atmospheric pressure, water levels, time-lapse photography, aerial photography and satellite imagery, and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys were used to document coastal bluff morphological response to seasonal warming. Data collection instruments and time-lapse cameras installed overlooking a bluff face on the exposed open ocean coast and within an erosional gully were used to create an archive of hourly air temperature, pressure, bluff morphology, and sea-state conditions allowing for documentation of individual bluff failure events and coincident meteorology. Permafrost boreholes as deep as 6 m from the upper bluff tundra surface were fitted with thermistor arrays to record a high resolution temperature record that spanned an initial frozen state, a summer thaw cycle, and subsequent re-freezing. Late summer ERT surveys were used to link temperature observations to subsurface electrical resistivities and active-layer dynamics. Preliminary observations suggest surface warming and active layer growth are responsible for a significant amount of bluff face failures that are exacerbated in the shore perpendicular gullies and along the exposed ocean coast. Electrical resistivity surveys and geochemical data reveal concentrated brines at depth, which likely contribute to enhanced, localized erosion in weakened strata.

30 CFR 254.6 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... These include, but are not limited to: Fog, inhospitable water and air temperatures, wind, sea ice.... 9601) and which is subject to the provisions of that Act. It also does not include animal fats and oils...

How strong is the impact of the Indo-ocean dipole on the surface air temperature/sea level pressure anomalies in the Mediterranean region?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polonsky, Alexander B.; Basharin, Dmitry V.

2017-04-01

The aim of this paper is to study the interannual climate variability over the Mediterranean region related to the Indo-ocean dipole (IOD) using the data of re-analyses, archival data and specialized numerical experiments. It is shown that the IOD does not impact essentially the anomalies of surface air temperature (SAT) and sea level pressure (SLP) in the Mediterranean region. On average, the IOD-induced share of the SAT/SLP variance in the total variance of these fields in the Mediterranean region is smaller than 10% even in summer when it is at a maximum. However, the statistically significant IOD-induced SAT/SLP anomalies in the Mediterranean region are detectable. For definite IOD events the associated Mediterranean SAT anomalies can reach about 1 °C.

Intraseasonal Characteristics Of North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bojariu, R.; Gimeno, L..; de La Torre, L.; Nieto, R.

There is evidence of a temporal structure of regional response to the NAO variability in the cold season (e.g. NAO-related climate fluctuations reveal their strongest signal in January). To document the details of NAO intraseasonal characteristics we anal- ysed surface and upper air variables (air surface temperature, sea-ice concentration, sea surface temperature, and sea level pressure and geopotential heights at 700 hPa level) in individual months, from November to April. The data consist of 40 years of monthly reanalyses (1961-2000) extracted from the NCAR-NCEP data set. In ad- dition, snow cover data are used (monthly snow cover frequencies from the Climate Prediction Centre and number of days with snow cover from the Former Soviet Union Hydrological Snow Surveys available at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre). A NAO-related signal with predictive potential has been identified in November air surface temperature over Europe and SLP and geopotential heights over Eurasia. Neg- ative thermal anomalies over the Central Europe and positive geopotential anomalies at 700 hPa over a latitudinal belt from Arabic Peninsula to Pacific Ocean are associated with a high NAO index in the following winter. The November thermal anomalies that seem to be related to the NAO interannual persistence are also linked with the fluctu- ations of snow cover over Europe. Both tropical and high latitude influences may play a role in the onset of the November signal and in further NAO development.

Recent Global Warming As Depicted by AIRS, GISSTEMP, and MERRA-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susskind, J.; Iredell, L. F.; Lee, J. N.

2017-12-01

We observed anomalously warm global mean surface temperatures since 2015. The year 2016 represents the warmest annual mean surface skin and surface air temperatures in the AIRS observational period, September 2002 through August 2017. Additionally, AIRS monthly mean surface skin temperature, from January 2016 through September 2016, and November 2016, were the warmest observed for each month of the year. Continuing this trend, the AIRS global surface temperatures of 2017 February and April show the second greatest positive anomalies from average. This recent warming is particularly significant over the Arctic where the snow and sea ice melt is closely tied to the spring and summer surface temperatures. In this paper, we show the global distribution of surface temperature anomalies as observed by AIRS over the period September 2002 through August 2017 and compare them with those from the GISSTEMP and MERRA-2 surface temperatures. The spatial patterns of warm and cold anomalies for a given month show reasonably good agreement in all three data set. AIRS anomalies, which do not have the benefit of in-situ measurements, are in almost perfect agreement with those of MERRA-2, which does use in-situ surface measurements. GISSTEMP anomaly patterns for the most part look similar to those of AIRS and MERRA-2, but are more spread out spatially, and consequently are also weaker.

Pre-Monsoon Drought and Heat Waves in India

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-12

In June 2015, news organizations around the world reported on a deadly heat wave in India that killed more than 2,300 people. Prior to the arrival of the summer monsoon in India, weather conditions had been extremely hot and dry. Such conditions can lead to economic and agricultural disaster, human suffering and loss of life. NASA satellite sensors are allowing scientists to characterize pre-monsoon droughts and heat waves and postulate their scientific cause. This figure shows the longitude-time variations, averaged between 21 and 22 degrees North, across the middle of the India subcontinent from mid-April to mid-June. Longitude from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal is represented on the horizontal axis; while the vertical axis shows the timeframe. Rainfall is shown on the left, soil moisture is in the center, and surface air temperature is on the right. For both years (2012 and 2015), the summer monsoon begins in June, with sharp rises in rainfall and soil moisture, and a sharp drop in air temperature. The hottest and driest weeks occurred just before the summer monsoon onsets. Similar dry and hot periods, varying from one to a few weeks, were observed in 2013 and 2014. Soil moisture as an indication of drought as measured by NASA's Aquarius mission was first available in 2012. Rainfall data are from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), and surface air temperature is from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite. The TRMM and Aquarius missions ended in April 2015, before the drought and heat waves. Their data were replaced by those presently available from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP) and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) to show the drought and heatwave in 2015. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, have shown that during the summer monsoon season, moisture is transported into the India Subcontinent from the Arabian Sea and out to the Bay of Bengal. The difference between moisture input from the west and output to the east is deposited as rain over land. The pre-monsoon drought and heat waves coincide with the short period when moisture is advected out to the Bay of Bengal ahead of input from the Arabian Sea. The onset of southwest monsoon winds begins in the Bay of Bengal and sucks moisture out from the subcontinent earlier than the onset in the Arabian Sea. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19939

Reassessment of ice-age cooling of the tropical ocean and atmosphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hostetler, S.W.; Mix, A.C.

1999-01-01

The CLIMAP project's reconstruction of past sea surface temperature inferred limited ice-age cooling in the tropical oceans. This conclusion has been controversial, however, because of the greater cooling indicated by other terrestrial and ocean proxy data. A new faunal sea surface temperature reconstruction, calibrated using the variation of foraminiferal species through time, better represents ice-age faunal assemblages and so reveals greater cooling than CLIMAP in the equatorial current systems of the eastern Pacific and tropical Atlantic oceans. Here we explore the climatic implications of this revised sea surface temperature field for the Last Glacial Maximum using an atmospheric general circulation model. Relative to model results obtained using CLIMAP sea surface temperatures, the cooler equatorial oceans modify seasonal air temperatures by 1-2??C or more across parts of South America, Africa and southeast Asia and cause attendant changes in regional moisture patterns. In our simulation of the Last Glacial Maximum, the Amazon lowlands, for example, are cooler and drier, whereas the Andean highlands are cooler and wetter than the control simulation. Our results may help to resolve some of the apparent disagreements between oceanic and continental proxy climate data. Moreover, they suggest a wind-related mechanism for enhancing the export of water vapour from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific oceans, which may link variations in deep-water production and high-latitude climate changes to equatorial sea surface temperatures.

Spatial interpolation of monthly mean air temperature data for Latvia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aniskevich, Svetlana

2016-04-01

Temperature data with high spatial resolution are essential for appropriate and qualitative local characteristics analysis. Nowadays the surface observation station network in Latvia consists of 22 stations recording daily air temperature, thus in order to analyze very specific and local features in the spatial distribution of temperature values in the whole Latvia, a high quality spatial interpolation method is required. Until now inverse distance weighted interpolation was used for the interpolation of air temperature data at the meteorological and climatological service of the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, and no additional topographical information was taken into account. This method made it almost impossible to reasonably assess the actual temperature gradient and distribution between the observation points. During this project a new interpolation method was applied and tested, considering auxiliary explanatory parameters. In order to spatially interpolate monthly mean temperature values, kriging with external drift was used over a grid of 1 km resolution, which contains parameters such as 5 km mean elevation, continentality, distance from the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea, biggest lakes and rivers, population density. As the most appropriate of these parameters, based on a complex situation analysis, mean elevation and continentality was chosen. In order to validate interpolation results, several statistical indicators of the differences between predicted values and the values actually observed were used. Overall, the introduced model visually and statistically outperforms the previous interpolation method and provides a meteorologically reasonable result, taking into account factors that influence the spatial distribution of the monthly mean temperature.

Arctic PBL Cloud Height and Motion Retrievals from MISR and MINX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Dong L.

2012-01-01

How Arctic clouds respond and feedback to sea ice loss is key to understanding of the rapid climate change seen in the polar region. As more open water becomes available in the Arctic Ocean, cold air outbreaks (aka. off-ice flow from polar lows) produce a vast sheet of roll clouds in the planetary boundary layer (PBl). The cold air temperature and wind velocity are the critical parameters to determine and understand the PBl structure formed under these roll clouds. It has been challenging for nadir visible/IR sensors to detect Arctic clouds due to lack of contrast between clouds and snowy/icy surfaces. In addition) PBl temperature inversion creates a further problem for IR sensors to relate cloud top temperature to cloud top height. Here we explore a new method with the Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) instrument to measure cloud height and motion over the Arctic Ocean. Employing a stereoscopic-technique, MISR is able to measure cloud top height accurately and distinguish between clouds and snowy/icy surfaces with the measured height. We will use the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX) to quantify roll cloud dynamics during cold-air outbreak events and characterize PBl structures over water and over sea ice.

Historic Storminess Changes in North Atlantic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, A. G.; Elliott, L.; Noone, S.; Hickey, K.; Foster, I.; Wadhams, P.; Mayewski, P.

2001-05-01

Reconstructed patterns of historic storminess (1870-1990 AD) for North Atlantic region as indicated by measurements from selected stations in Iceland, Faeroes, Scotland and Ireland show clear links with the climate "seesaw" winters first described by Van Loon and Rogers. The stormiest winters appear to have occurred during periods when measured Greenland air temperatures at Jacobshavn and reconstructed air temperatures from the Summit ice core site have been exceptionally low and when air temperature across northern Europe have been well above average. Maxima and minima of recorded winter storms for the various stations are also in agreement with the Sodium chronology from GISP2 that points to increased sea salt precipitation on Greenland ice at Summit during Greenland "below" periods of the climate seesaw.

Vertical thermodynamic structure of the troposphere during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayser, Markus; Maturilli, Marion; Graham, Robert M.; Hudson, Stephen R.; Rinke, Annette; Cohen, Lana; Kim, Joo-Hong; Park, Sang-Jong; Moon, Woosok; Granskog, Mats A.

2017-10-01

The Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition was designed to investigate the atmosphere-snow-ice-ocean interactions in the young and thin sea ice regime north of Svalbard. Radiosondes were launched twice daily during the expedition from January to June 2015. Here we use these upper air measurements to study the multiple cyclonic events observed during N-ICE2015 with respect to changes in the vertical thermodynamic structure, moisture content, and boundary layer characteristics. We provide statistics of temperature inversion characteristics, static stability, and boundary layer extent. During winter, when radiative cooling is most effective, we find the strongest impact of synoptic cyclones. Changes to thermodynamic characteristics of the boundary layer are associated with transitions between the radiatively "clear" and "opaque" atmospheric states. In spring, radiative fluxes warm the surface leading to lifted temperature inversions and a statically unstable boundary layer. Further, we compare the N-ICE2015 static stability distributions to corresponding profiles from ERA-Interim reanalysis, from the closest land station in the Arctic North Atlantic sector, Ny-Ålesund, and to soundings from the SHEBA expedition (1997/1998). We find similar stability characteristics for N-ICE2015 and SHEBA throughout the troposphere, despite differences in location, sea ice thickness, and snow cover. For Ny-Ålesund, we observe similar characteristics above 1000 m, while the topography and ice-free fjord surrounding Ny-Ålesund generate great differences below. The long-term radiosonde record (1993-2014) from Ny-Ålesund indicates that during the N-ICE2015 spring period, temperatures were close to the climatological mean, while the lowest 3000 m were 1-3°C warmer than the climatology during winter.

A Study of Variations in Atmospheric Turbulence Kinetic Energy on a Sandy Beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koscinski, J. S.; MacMahan, J. H.; Wang, Q.; Thornton, E. B.

2016-12-01

A 6-m high, meteorological tower consisting six evenly spaced ultrasonic anemometers and temperature-relative humidity sensors was deployed at the high tide line on sandy, wave-dissipative, meso-tidal beach in southern Monterey Bay, CA in October 2015. The micro-meteorology study focus is to explore the momentum fluxes and turbulent kinetic energy influenced by the interaction between an intensive wave-breaking surf zone and a sandy beach associated with onshore & cross-shore winds, diurnal heating, and differences in ocean-air temperatures. The tower was deployed for approximately 1-month and experienced diurnal wind variations and synoptic storm events with winds measuring up to 10 m/s and an air temperature range of 5-28 oC. This beach environment was found to be primarily unstable in thermal stratification indicating that the air temperature is colder than underlying surface, either the ocean or the sandy beach. The drag coefficient was found to be dependent upon the atmospheric stability. Direct-estimates of atmospheric stability were obtained with the sonic anemometer. The direct estimates are a ratio of w*/u*, where the w*, vertically scaled buoyancy velocity, is greater than u*, horizontally scaled friction velocity. Hypotheses for the enhanced buoyancy are 1) diurnal heating of the sandy beach, 2) warmer ocean temperatures relative to air temperatures, and 3) the wave breaking within the surf zone. Further exploration into these hypotheses is conducted by using vertical tower sensor pairs for estimating the temporal variability of the mechanical shear production and buoyancy production terms in turbulent kinetic energy budget. These results are part of the Coastal Land Air Sea Interaction (CLASI) experiment.

Air-Sea Enthalpy and Momentum Exchange at Major Hurricane Wind Speeds

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

momentum fluxes. Hurricane simulations using the Navy Coupled Ocean / Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System are also sensitive to the surface flux and sea... Atmospheric Research NWP Numerical Weather Prediction NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PTH Pressure, Temperature, relative Humidity RE87... Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for organizing the CBLAST field program and collecting the data used for this study. xx THIS PAGE

Mixing to Monsoons: Air-Sea Interactions in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, A. J.; Shroyer, E. L.; Wijesekera, H. W.; Fernando, H. J. S.; D'Asaro, E.; Ravichandran, M.; Jinadasa, S. U. P.; MacKinnon, J. A.; Nash, J. D.; Sharma, R.; Centurioni, L.; Farrar, J. T.; Weller, R.; Pinkel, R.; Mahadevan, A.; Sengupta, D.; Tandon, A.

2014-07-01

More than 1 billion people depend on rainfall from the South Asian monsoon for their livelihoods. Summertime monsoonal precipitation is highly variable on intraseasonal time scales, with alternating "active" and "break" periods. These intraseasonal oscillations in large-scale atmospheric convection and winds are closely tied to 1°C-2°C variations of sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal.

Reconstructing palaeo-environmental conditions in the Baltic: A multi-proxy comparison from IODP Site M0059 (Little Belt)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotthoff, Ulrich; Andrén, Thomas; Bauersachs, Thorsten; Fanget, Anne-Sophie; Granoszewski, Wojciech; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Krupinski, Nadine; Peyron, Odile; Stepanova, Anna; Cotterill, Carol

2015-04-01

Some of the largest marine environmental impacts from ongoing global climate change are occurring in continental shelf seas and enclosed basins, including severe oxygen depletion, intensifying stratification, and increasing temperatures. In order to predict future changes in water mass conditions, it is essential to reconstruct how these conditions have changed in the past. The brackish Baltic Sea is one of the largest semi-enclosed basins worldwide, and hence provides a unique opportunity to analyse past changes. IODP Expedition 347 recovered a unique set of long sediment cores from the Baltic Sea Basin which allow new high-resolution reconstructions. The application of existing and development of new proxies in such a setting is complicated, as environmental changes often occur on much faster time scales with much larger variations. Therefore, we present a comparison of commonly used proxies to reconstruct palaeoecosystems, -temperatures, and -salinity from IODP Site M0059 in the Little Belt. The age model for Site M0059 is based on 14C dating and biostratigraphic correlation with neighbouring terrestrial pollen records. The aim of our study is to reconstruct the development of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the research area and the related environmental conditions, and to identify potential limitations for specific proxies. Pollen is used as proxy for vegetation development in the hinterland of the southern Baltic Sea and as land/air-temperature proxies. By comparison with dinoflagellate cysts and green algae remains from the same samples, a direct land-sea comparison is provided. The application of the modern analogues technique to pollen assemblages has previously yielded precise results for late Pleistocene and Holocene datasets including specific information on seasonality, but pollen-based reconstructions for Northern Europe may be hampered by plant migration effects. Chironomid remains are used where possible as indicators for surface water conditions during the warm season. Analyses of palynomorphs and chironomids are complemented with the analysis of lipid palaeothermometers, such as TEX86 and the long chain diol index (LDI), which both allow reconstructing variation in sea surface temperatures (SST) of the Baltic Sea. In addition, the MBT/CBT proxy is used to infer past changes in mean annual air temperatures (MAAT) and the diol index (DI) to determine variation in salinity of the Baltic Sea's surface waters over the investigated time period. The low salinity (25 psu) of the Little Belt is a potential limitation for several of the used proxies, which could lead to under-estimation of paleo-temperatures. To quantitatively and qualitatively estimate the impact of salinity, δ18O measurements (monospecific) and faunal assemblage analyses are performed on benthic foraminifera as well as ostracod faunal assemblages, which are especially sensitive to bottom water salinity changes. The results of this inter-comparison study will be useful for the reconstruction of gradients between different settings, e.g. how water column stratification developed, possibly if and how changes in seasonality occurred, and to identify the circumstances under which specific proxies may be affected by secondary impacts.

Quantifying the drivers of ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauderdale, Jonathan M.; Dutkiewicz, Stephanie; Williams, Richard G.; Follows, Michael J.

2016-07-01

A mechanistic framework for quantitatively mapping the regional drivers of air-sea CO2 fluxes at a global scale is developed. The framework evaluates the interplay between (1) surface heat and freshwater fluxes that influence the potential saturated carbon concentration, which depends on changes in sea surface temperature, salinity and alkalinity, (2) a residual, disequilibrium flux influenced by upwelling and entrainment of remineralized carbon- and nutrient-rich waters from the ocean interior, as well as rapid subduction of surface waters, (3) carbon uptake and export by biological activity as both soft tissue and carbonate, and (4) the effect on surface carbon concentrations due to freshwater precipitation or evaporation. In a steady state simulation of a coarse-resolution ocean circulation and biogeochemistry model, the sum of the individually determined components is close to the known total flux of the simulation. The leading order balance, identified in different dynamical regimes, is between the CO2 fluxes driven by surface heat fluxes and a combination of biologically driven carbon uptake and disequilibrium-driven carbon outgassing. The framework is still able to reconstruct simulated fluxes when evaluated using monthly averaged data and takes a form that can be applied consistently in models of different complexity and observations of the ocean. In this way, the framework may reveal differences in the balance of drivers acting across an ensemble of climate model simulations or be applied to an analysis and interpretation of the observed, real-world air-sea flux of CO2.

Concentration and Viability of Airborne Bacteria Over the Kuroshio Extension Region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean: Data From Three Cruises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wei; Murata, Kotaro; Fukuyama, Shinichiro; Kawai, Yoshimi; Oka, Eitarou; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Zhang, Daizhou

2017-12-01

Airborne bacteria have been shown to act as condensation and ice nuclei in mixed-phase clouds and are consequently hypothesized to have significant effects on atmospheric processes and even the global climate. However, few data are available regarding their concentration and variation in the air over the open ocean. Aerosol samples were collected during three cruises in the early summers of 2013, 2014, and 2016 over the Kuroshio Extension region of the northwest Pacific Ocean. The concentrations of viable and nonviable bacterial cells in the marine surface air were quantified using epifluorescence enumeration with the LIVE/DEAD BacLight stain. The concentrations of total bacteria varied between 1.0 × 104 and 2.5 × 105 cells m-3 and averaged 5.2 × 104, 1.0 × 105, and 7.5 × 104 cells m-3 in the three respective cruises. The viabilities, i.e., the ratios of the concentration of viable bacterial cells to that of total bacterial cells, ranged from 80% to 100% (average 93%), and the respective means were 93%, 89%, and 96% in the cruises. The total bacterial concentration had a close correlation with the wind speed near the sea surface, and the bacterial viability correlated negatively with the air temperature, sea surface temperature, and concentration of coarse particles (size > 1 μm). The deposition and sea spray fluxes of bacteria were roughly estimated as hundreds of cells m-2 s-1 on average. The limited data on bacterial concentration and viability from the three cruises indicate the rapid air-sea exchange of bacteria over the Kuroshio Extension region of the northwest Pacific Ocean.

Improvement of Meteorological Inputs for TexAQS-II Air Quality Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngan, F.; Byun, D.; Kim, H.; Cheng, F.; Kim, S.; Lee, D.

2008-12-01

An air quality forecasting system (UH-AQF) for Eastern Texas, which is in operation by the Institute for Multidimensional Air Quality Studies (IMAQS) at the University of Houston, uses the Fifth-Generation PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model MM5 model as the meteorological driver for modeling air quality with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. While the forecasting system was successfully used for the planning and implementation of various measurement activities, evaluations of the forecasting results revealed a few systematic problems in the numerical simulations. From comparison with observations, we observe some times over-prediction of northerly winds caused by inaccurate synoptic inputs and other times too strong southerly winds caused by local sea breeze development. Discrepancies in maximum and minimum temperature are also seen for certain days. Precipitation events, as well as clouds, are simulated at the incorrect locations and times occasionally. Model simulatednrealistic thunderstorms are simulated, causing sometimes cause unrealistically strong outflows. To understand physical and chemical processes influencing air quality measures, a proper description of real world meteorological conditions is essential. The objective of this study is to generate better meteorological inputs than the AQF results to support the chemistry modeling. We utilized existing objective analysis and nudging tools in the MM5 system to develop the MUltiscale Nest-down Data Assimilation System (MUNDAS), which incorporates extensive meteorological observations available in the simulated domain for the retrospective simulation of the TexAQS-II period. With the re-simulated meteorological input, we are able to better predict ozone events during TexAQS-II period. In addition, base datasets in MM5 such as land use/land cover, vegetation fraction, soil type and sea surface temperature are updated by satellite data to represent the surface features more accurately. They are key physical parameters inputs affecting transfer of heat, momentum and soil moisture in land-surface process in MM5. Using base the accurate input datasets, we are able to have improved see the differences of predictions of ground temperatures, winds and even thunderstorm activities within boundary layer.

Haze over eastern China

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-10-26

On October 17, 2015, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of a thick haze hanging over eastern China. In the north, the large city of Beijing is completely obscured from view, as is much of the landscape. The haze thins slightly over the Bohai Sea. Further south, sediment pours into the East China Sea near the city of Shanghai. Heavy haze is common in this region, and tends to worsen in October through January, when cold, heavy air traps pollutants near the surface of the Earth. It is likely that this scene was caused by such a temperature inversion. Normally, air is warmest near the surface of the Earth. But sometimes a mass of warm air will move the cooler air, so the atmosphere actually warms with the altitude. Cool air does not have energy to rise through the warm air, vertical circulation slows and air becomes trapped near the surface. Any pollution that is emitted into the cooler air will also get trapped, increasing low-level air pollution and haze. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

Determination of temperature dependent Henry's law constants of polychlorinated naphthalenes: Application to air-sea exchange in Izmir Bay, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odabasi, Mustafa; Adali, Mutlu

2016-12-01

The Henry's law constant (H) is a crucial variable to investigate the air-water exchange of persistent organic pollutants. H values for 32 polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN) congeners were measured using an inert gas-stripping technique at five temperatures ranging between 5 and 35 °C. H values in deionized water (at 25 °C) varied between 0.28 ± 0.08 Pa m3 mol-1 (PCN-73) and 18.01 ± 0.69 Pa m3 mol-1 (PCN-42). The agreement between the measured and estimated H values from the octanol-water and octanol-air partition coefficients was good (measured/estimated ratio = 1.00 ± 0.41, average ± SD). The calculated phase change enthalpies (ΔHH) were within the interval previously determined for other several semivolatile organic compounds (42.0-106.4 kJ mol-1). Measured H values, paired atmospheric and aqueous concentrations and meteorological variables were also used to reveal the level and direction of air-sea exchange fluxes of PCNs at the coast of Izmir Bay, Turkey. The net PCN air-sea exchange flux varied from -0.55 (volatilization, PCN-24/14) to 2.05 (deposition, PCN-23) ng m-2 day-1. PCN-19, PCN-24/14, PCN-42, and PCN-33/34/37 were mainly volatilized from seawater while the remaining congeners were mainly deposited. The overall number of the cases showing deposition was higher (67.9%) compared to volatilization (21.4%) and near equilibrium (10.7%).

Major cause of unprecedented Arctic warming in January 2016: Critical role of an Atlantic windstorm

PubMed Central

Kim, Baek-Min; Hong, Ja-Young; Jun, Sang-Yoon; Zhang, Xiangdong; Kwon, Hataek; Kim, Seong-Joong; Kim, Joo-Hong; Kim, Sang-Woo; Kim, Hyun-Kyung

2017-01-01

In January 2016, the Arctic experienced an extremely anomalous warming event after an extraordinary increase in air temperature at the end of 2015. During this event, a strong intrusion of warm and moist air and an increase in downward longwave radiation, as well as a loss of sea ice in the Barents and Kara seas, were observed. Observational analyses revealed that the abrupt warming was triggered by the entry of a strong Atlantic windstorm into the Arctic in late December 2015, which brought enormous moist and warm air masses to the Arctic. Although the storm terminated at the eastern coast of Greenland in late December, it was followed by a prolonged blocking period in early 2016 that sustained the extreme Arctic warming. Numerical experiments indicate that the warming effect of sea ice loss and associated upward turbulent heat fluxes are relatively minor in this event. This result suggests the importance of the synoptically driven warm and moist air intrusion into the Arctic as a primary contributing factor of this extreme Arctic warming event. PMID:28051170

The impact of half-a-degree Celsius upon the spatial pattern of future sea-level change.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Luke

2017-04-01

It has been shown that the global thermal expansion of sea level and ocean dynamics are linearly related to global temperature change. On this basis one can estimate the difference in local sea-level change between a 1.5°C and 2.0°C world. The mitigation scenario RCP 2.6 shows an end-of-century global temperature range of 0.9 to 2.3°C (median 1.6°C). Additional sea-level components, such as mass changes in ice sheets, glaciers and land-water storage have unique spatial patterns that contribute to sea-level change and will be indirectly affected by global temperature change. We project local sea-level change for RCP 2.6 using sub-sets of models in the CMIP5 archive that follow different global temperature pathways. The method used to calculate local sea-level change is probabilistic and combines the normalised spatial patterns of sea-level components with global average projections of individual sea-level components.

Comparing Geophysical Methods for Determining the Thickness of Arctic Sea Ice: Is There a Correlation Between Thickness and Surface Temperature?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, R.; Bowman, T.; Eagle, J. L.; Fisher, L.; Mankowski, K.; McGrady, N.; Schrecongost, N.; Voll, H.; Zulfiqar, A.; Herman, R. B.

2016-12-01

Several small geophysical surveys were conducted on the Chukchi Sea ice just offshore from the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory near Barrow, Alaska, in March, 2016. The goal was to investigate a possible correlation between the surface temperature and the thickness of the sea ice, as well as to test a potential new method for more accurately determining ice thickness. Surveys were conducted using a capacitively coupled resistivity array, a custom built thermal sensor array sled, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and an ice drill. The thermal sensor array was based on an Arduino microcontroller. It used an infrared (IR) sensor to determine surface temperature, and thermistor-based sensors to determine vertical air temperatures at 6 evenly spaced heights up to a maximum of 1.5 meters. Surface temperature (IR) data show possible correlations with ice drill, resistivity, and GPR data. The vertical air sensors showed almost no variation for any survey line which we postulate is due to the constant wind during each survey. Ice drill data show ice thickness along one 200 meter line varied from 79-95 cm, with an average of 87 cm. The thickness appears to be inversely correlated to surface temperatures. Resistivity and IR data both showed abrupt changes when crossing from the shore to the sea ice along a 400 meter line. GPR and IR data showed similar changes along a separate 900 meter line, suggesting that surface temperature and subsurface composition are related. Resistivity data were obtained in two locations by using the array in an expanding dipole-dipole configuration with 2.5 meter dipoles. The depth to the ice/water boundary was calculated using a "cumulative resistivity" plot and matched the depths obtained via the ice drill to within 2%. This has initiated work to develop a microcontroller-based resistivity array specialized for thickness measurements of thin ice.

Local feedback mechanisms of the shallow water region around the Maritime Continent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Pengfei; Eltahir, Elfatih A. B.; Malanotte-Rizzoli, Paola; Wei, Jun

2014-10-01

The focus of this study is the local-scale air-sea feedback mechanisms over the shallow shelf water region (water depth <200 m) of the Maritime Continent (MC). MC was selected as a pilot study site for its extensive shallow water coverage, geographic complexity, and importance in the global climate system. To identify the local-scale air-sea feedback processes, we ran numerical experiments with perturbed surface layer water temperature using a coupled ocean-atmosphere model and an uncoupled ocean model. By examining the responses of the coupled and uncoupled models to the water temperature perturbation, we identify that, at a local-scale, a negative feedback process through the coupled dynamics that tends to restore the SST from its perturbation could dominate the shallow water region of the MC at a short time scale of several days. The energy budget shows that 38% of initial perturbation-induced heat energy was adjusted through the air-sea feedback mechanisms within 2 weeks, of which 58% is directly transferred into the atmosphere by the adjustment of latent heat flux due to the evaporative cooling mechanism. The increased inputs of heat and moisture into the lower atmosphere then modifies its thermal structure and increases the formation of low-level clouds, which act as a shield preventing incoming solar radiation from reaching the sea surface, accounts for 38% of the total adjustment of surface heat fluxes, serving as the second mechanism for the negative feedback process. The adjustment of sensible heat flux and net longwave radiation play a secondary role. The response of the coupled system to the SST perturbation suggests a response time scale of the coupled feedback process of about 3-5 days. The two-way air-sea feedback tightly links the surface heat fluxes, clouds and SST, and can play an important role in regulating the short-term variability of the SST over the shallow shelf water regions.

Sea Ice Retreat and its Impact on the Intensity of Open-Ocean Convection in the Greenland and Iceland Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, K.; Våge, K.; Pickart, R. S.; Renfrew, I.

2016-12-01

The air-sea transfer of heat and freshwater plays a critical role in the global climate system. This is particularly true for the Greenland and Iceland Seas, where these fluxes drive ocean convection that contributes to Denmark Strait Overflow Water, the densest component of the lower limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This buoyancy transfer is most pronounced during the winter downstream of the ice edge, where the cold and dry Arctic air first comes in contact with the relatively warm ocean surface. Here we show that the wintertime retreat of sea ice in the region, combined with different rates of warming for the atmosphere and sea surface of the Greenland and Iceland Seas, has resulted in statistically significant reductions of approximately 20% in the magnitude of the winter air-sea heat fluxes since 1979. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that modes of climate variability other than the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are required to fully characterize the regional air-sea interaction in this region. Mixed-layer model simulations imply that a continued decrease in atmospheric forcing will exceed a threshold for the Greenland Sea whereby convection will become depth limited, reducing the ventilation of mid-depth waters in the Nordic Seas. In the Iceland Sea, further reductions have the potential to decrease the supply of the densest overflow waters to the AMOC.

The influence of climate regime shifts on the marine environment and ecosystems in the East Asian Marginal Seas and their mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kun Jung, Hae; Rahman, SM Mustafizur; Kang, Chang-Keun; Park, Se-Young; Heon Lee, Sang; Je Park, Hyun; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Il Lee, Chung

2017-09-01

Step changes to seawater temperature (SWT) in the East Asian marginal seas (EAMS) are associated with three recent climate regime shifts (CRS) occurring in the mid-1970s, late 1980s, and late 1990s, but the responses of the ocean conditions and marine ecosystems had regional differences. A step change in SWT in the East China Sea (ECS) was detected after the CRS of the 1970s as were step changes in the North Pacific Index (NPI), Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI), and East Asian Winter Monsoon Index (EAWMI). SWT in the ECS decreased with decreasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS and a strong monsoon, but step changes in SWT in other regions were not detected as clearly. After the CRS of the 1980s, SWT in all EAMS increased rapidly with step changes detected in all five climate indices examined. These changes were associated with a weak winter monsoon, increasing surface air temperature (SAT), and increasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS. However, after the CRS of the 1990s, a decrease in SWT around the EAMS was detected in the northern part of East China Sea (NECS), and the ECS with step changes also in the EAWMI and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI). In contrast, SWT in the East Sea/Sea of Japan (EJS) and the Yellow Sea (YS) continuously increased during this time. Long-term changes in zooplankton biomass were affected by regional differences in the responses of atmospheric and oceanic variability to CRSs. Specifically, long-term changes in the timing of peaks in zooplankton abundances exhibited differences. During warm periods (e.g. after the 1980s CRS) in the EJS, the amount of zooplankton biomass in October increased, while in February it decreased. On the contrary, in the YS and the NECS, the peaks of October and June in zooplankton biomass occurred during cold periods (after the 1970s and 1990s CRS). Major fisheries resources also responded to the three CRSs, although warm and cold water species responded differently to changes in oceanographic conditions in regional spawning grounds.

Earth system responses to cumulative carbon emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinacher, M.; Joos, F.

2015-07-01

Information on the relationship between cumulative fossil carbon emissions and multiple climate targets are essential to design emission mitigation and climate adaptation strategies. In this study, the transient responses in different climate variables are quantified for a large set of multi-forcing scenarios extended to year 2300 towards stabilization and in idealized experiments using the Bern3D-LPJ carbon-climate model. The model outcomes are constrained by 26 physical and biogeochemical observational data sets in a Bayesian, Monte-Carlo type framework. Cumulative fossil emissions of 1000 Gt C result in a global mean surface air temperature change of 1.88 °C (68 % confidence interval (c.i.): 1.28 to 2.69 °C), a decrease in surface ocean pH of 0.19 (0.18 to 0.22), and in steric sea level rise of 20 cm (13 to 27 cm until 2300). Linearity between cumulative emissions and transient response is high for pH and reasonably high for surface air and sea surface temperatures, but less pronounced for changes in Atlantic Meridional Overturning, Southern Ocean and tropical surface water saturation with respect to biogenic structures of calcium carbonate, and carbon stocks in soils. The slopes of the relationships change when CO2 is stabilized. The Transient Climate Response is constrained, primarily by long-term ocean heat observations, to 1.7 °C (68 % c.i.: 1.3 to 2.2 °C) and the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity to 2.9 °C (2.0 to 4.2 °C). This is consistent with results by CMIP5 models, but inconsistent with recent studies that relied on short-term air temperature data affected by natural climate variability.

Observed Seasonal Variations of the Upper Ocean Structure and Air-Sea Interactions in the Andaman Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanliang; Li, Kuiping; Ning, Chunlin; Yang, Yang; Wang, Haiyuan; Liu, Jianjun; Skhokiattiwong, Somkiat; Yu, Weidong

2018-02-01

The Andaman Sea (AS) is a poorly observed basin, where even the fundamental physical characteristics have not been fully documented. Here the seasonal variations of the upper ocean structure and the air-sea interactions in the central AS were studied using a moored surface buoy. The seasonal double-peak pattern of the sea surface temperature (SST) was identified with the corresponding mixed layer variations. Compared with the buoys in the Bay of Bengal (BOB), the thermal stratification in the central AS was much stronger in the winter to spring, when a shallower isothermal layer and a thinner barrier layer were sustained. The temperature inversion was strongest from June to July because of substantial surface heat loss and subsurface prewarming. The heat budget analysis of the mixed layer showed that the net surface heat fluxes dominated the seasonal SST cycle. Vertical entrainment was significant from April to July. It had a strong cooling effect from April to May and a striking warming effect from June to July. A sensitivity experiment highlighted the importance of salinity. The AS warmer surface water in the winter was associated with weak heat loss caused by weaker longwave radiation and latent heat losses. However, the AS latent heat loss was larger than the BOB in summer due to its lower relative humidity.

2012/13 abnormal cold winter in Japan associated with Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation and Local Sea Surface Temperature over the Sea of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, Y.; Ogi, M.; Tachibana, Y.

2013-12-01

On Japan, wintertime cold wave has social, economic, psychological and political impacts because of the lack of atomic power stations in the era of post Fukushima world. The colder winter is the more electricity is needed. Wintertime weather of Japan and its prediction has come under the world spotlight. The winter of 2012/13 in Japan was abnormally cold, and such a cold winter has persisted for 3 years. Wintertime climate of Japan is governed by some dominant modes of the large-scale atmospheric circulations. Yasunaka and Hanawa (2008) demonstrated that the two dominant modes - Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Western Pacific (WP) pattern - account for about 65% of the interannual variation of the wintertime mean surface air temperature of Japan. A negative AO brings about cold winter in Japan. In addition, a negative WP also brings about cold winter in Japan. Looking back to the winter of 2012/13, both the negative AO and negative WP continued from October through December. If the previous studies were correct, it would have been extremely very cold from October through December. In fact, in December, in accordance with previous studies, it was colder than normal. Contrary to the expectation, in October and November, it was, however, warmer than normal. This discrepancy signifies that an additional hidden circumstance that heats Japan overwhelms these large-scale atmospheric circulations that cool Japan. In this study, we therefore seek an additional cause of wintertime climate of Japan particularly focusing 2012 as well as the AO and WP. We found that anomalously warm oceanic temperature surrounding Japan overwhelmed influences of the AO or WP. Unlike the inland climate, the island climate can be strongly influenced by surrounding ocean temperature, suggesting that large-scale atmospheric patterns alone do not determine the climate of islands. (a) Time series of a 5-day running mean AO index (blue) as defined by Ogi et al., (2004), who called it the SVNAM index. For reference, the conventional AO index is shown by the gray line. (b) a 5-day running mean WP index, (c) area-averaged Surface Air Temperature anomalies in Japan, (d) Air Temperature anomalies, (e) heat flux anomalies, and (f) Sea Surface Temperature anomalies. The boxed area on the Sea of Japan indicates the area in which the (d)-(f) indexes were calculated.

In-Flight Validation of Mid and Thermal Infrared Remotely Sensed Data Using the Lake Tahoe and Salton Sea Automated Validation Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hook, Simon J.

2008-01-01

The presentation includes an introduction, Lake Tahoe site layout and measurements, Salton Sea site layout and measurements, field instrument calibration and cross-calculations, data reduction methodology and error budgets, and example results for MODIS. Summary and conclusions are: 1) Lake Tahoe CA/NV automated validation site was established in 1999 to assess radiometric accuracy of satellite and airborne mid and thermal infrared data and products. Water surface temperatures range from 4-25C.2) Salton Sea CA automated validation site was established in 2008 to broaden range of available water surface temperatures and atmospheric water vapor test cases. Water surface temperatures range from 15-35C. 3) Sites provide all information necessary for validation every 2 mins (bulk temperature, skin temperature, air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, net radiation, relative humidity). 4) Sites have been used to validate mid and thermal infrared data and products from: ASTER, AATSR, ATSR2, MODIS-Terra, MODIS-Aqua, Landsat 5, Landsat 7, MTI, TES, MASTER, MAS. 5) Approximately 10 years of data available to help validate AVHRR.

Air-sea interaction regimes in the sub-Antarctic Southern Ocean and Antarctic marginal ice zone revealed by icebreaker measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Lisan; Jin, Xiangze; Schulz, Eric W.; Josey, Simon A.

2017-08-01

This study analyzed shipboard air-sea measurements acquired by the icebreaker Aurora Australis during its off-winter operation in December 2010 to May 2012. Mean conditions over 7 months (October-April) were compiled from a total of 22 ship tracks. The icebreaker traversed the water between Hobart, Tasmania, and the Antarctic continent, providing valuable in situ insight into two dynamically important, yet poorly sampled, regimes: the sub-Antarctic Southern Ocean and the Antarctic marginal ice zone (MIZ) in the Indian Ocean sector. The transition from the open water to the ice-covered surface creates sharp changes in albedo, surface roughness, and air temperature, leading to consequential effects on air-sea variables and fluxes. Major effort was made to estimate the air-sea fluxes in the MIZ using the bulk flux algorithms that are tuned specifically for the sea-ice effects, while computing the fluxes over the sub-Antarctic section using the COARE3.0 algorithm. The study evidenced strong sea-ice modulations on winds, with the southerly airflow showing deceleration (convergence) in the MIZ and acceleration (divergence) when moving away from the MIZ. Marked seasonal variations in heat exchanges between the atmosphere and the ice margin were noted. The monotonic increase in turbulent latent and sensible heat fluxes after summer turned the MIZ quickly into a heat loss regime, while at the same time the sub-Antarctic surface water continued to receive heat from the atmosphere. The drastic increase in turbulent heat loss in the MIZ contrasted sharply to the nonsignificant and seasonally invariant turbulent heat loss over the sub-Antarctic open water.