Collaborative Research: Exploring the Chemical Reach of the Madden-Julian Oscillation: Satellite/In-Situ Data Analysis and Chemistry/Transport Modeling

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The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the dominant form of atmospheric intraseasonal variability in the climate system. It interacts with and influences a wide range of physical weather and climate phenomena (e.g., monsoon onsets and breaks, El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and hurricanes). However, the impacts of the MJO on the chemical component of the climate system are not understood nor even well documented. This project studies the MJO's impacts on atmospheric ozone and aerosols, two important atmospheric constituents. First, the investigators will utilize a rich set of atmospheric ozone and aerosol data from a number of satellite sensors and in-situ observations to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of intraseasonal variability of atmospheric ozone and aerosols as well as the dynamical and hydrological (e.g., rainfall, winds, and water vapor) patterns associated with these variations. Second, they will compare the intraseasonal variations of atmospheric ozone and aerosols between satellite/in-situ observations and chemistry/transport model (CTM) (e.g., Community Atmosphere Model with chemistry) simulations in order to quantify the fidelity of the CTM's representation of intraseasonal variability of atmospheric ozone and aerosols. Where possible, they will use the model and observations together to more fully understand the dynamical and chemical processes behind the intraseasonal variations of atmospheric ozone and aerosols. This project will lead to better documentation and understanding of the intraseasonal variations of atmospheric ozone and aerosols and their connection to the MJO in both observations and models. It will contribute to a graduate student training at Cornell, a summer undergraduate training at Caltech and multidisciplinary interactions among various academic and laboratory institutions, including UCLA, Caltech, Cornell, Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Flight Center.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).