RUI: Gravity Waves and the Stratospheric Polar Vortex

RUI：重力波和平流层极地涡旋

• 批准号: 0646672
• 负责人: Varavut Limpasuvan
• 金额: $ 22.54万
• 依托单位: Coastal Carolina University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-11-01 至 2010-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0646672&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Gravity; Waves; Stratospheric; Polar

Gravity waves provide important coupling between the lower atmosphere and the stratosphere. Intense wintertime synoptic disturbances that significantly enhance the jet stream curvature and promote suitable flow over topography can excite strong gravity waves that propagate into the stratosphere, where they can modify the strength of the polar vortex. Thermal perturbations induced by gravity waves can trigger the formation of polar stratospheric clouds in the lower stratosphere - such clouds participate in the catalytic destruction of ozone. This project will characterize the sources and properties of wintertime gravity waves in the polar regions and their propagation into the stratosphere and will assess the interactions between gravity waves and the polar circulation. Numerical simulations of gravity-wave events up to the stratopause will be performed using a high-resolution weather forecasting model that has been modified for this study. Simulated gravity waves will be compared with satellite observations will allow the characterization and improved understanding of wave properties, sources and propagation. Gravity-wave influences on the polar vortex will be estimated and the roles of gravity waves in the formation of polar stratospheric clouds will be explored.These studies will help constrain how gravity-wave effects can be incorporated into global climate models, thereby improving the effectiveness of these models for assessing climate evolution and ozone variability. Activities carried out under this Research at an Undergraduate Institution (RUI) project will enrich undergraduate education inside and outside the classroom. Newly obtained project results and model experiments will be incorporated into courses. Undergraduate researchers will work with collaborating scientists, conduct modeling experiments, analyze model output and observational data, and present research results. In so doing, they will participate in cutting-edge geophysical research that is generally unavailable at similar state-supported liberal arts institutions and that will be unique within the region.

重力波提供了低层大气和平流层之间的重要耦合。强烈的冬季天气扰动，显着提高急流曲率，并促进地形上的适当流动，可以激发强大的重力波传播到平流层，在那里他们可以修改极涡的强度。重力波引起的热扰动可触发平流层下部极地平流层云的形成-这种云参与臭氧的催化破坏。该项目将确定极地地区冬季重力波的来源和特性及其向平流层的传播，并将评估重力波与极地环流之间的相互作用。将使用为这项研究修改的高分辨率天气预报模型对平流层顶以下的重力波事件进行数值模拟。模拟重力波将与卫星观测结果进行比较，从而能够对波的特性、来源和传播进行表征，并加深对这些特性、来源和传播的了解。将估计重力波对极地涡旋的影响，并探讨重力波在极地平流层云形成中的作用，这些研究将有助于限制如何将重力波效应纳入全球气候模型，从而提高这些模型评估气候演变和臭氧变异性的有效性。在本科院校（RUI）项目下开展的这项研究活动将丰富课堂内外的本科教育。新获得的项目成果和模型实验将纳入课程。本科研究人员将与合作科学家合作，进行建模实验，分析模型输出和观测数据，并提出研究结果。在这样做的过程中，他们将参与尖端的地球物理研究，这在类似的国家支持的文科院校中通常是不可用的，在该地区将是独一无二的。