Collaborative Research: Studies of Waves and Circulation Features in the Antarctic Stratosphere Using Super-Pressure Balloon Data

合作研究：利用超压气球数据研究南极平流层的波浪和环流特征

• 批准号: 1245137
• 负责人: Richard Walterscheid
• 金额: $ 18万
• 依托单位: Aerospace Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-01 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1245137&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Studies; Waves; Circulation

This project conducts research on the circulation of the Antarctic stratospheric polar vortex based on data from super pressure balloons (SPBs). SPBs have a semi-rigid envelope which, under pressure from the gas inside, maintains constant volume and hence constant effective density regardless of heating and cooling, so that they move with the wind along a nearly horizontal surface of constant density. Data for this project comes from two field campaigns,VORCORE (27 SPBs in 2005) and CONCORDIASI (18 SPBs in 2010), both of which launched balloons from Antarctica which rose to levels between 70 and 50mb and circulated within the polar vortex for several months. Instruments carried by the SPBs included miniaturized dropsondes, GPS receivers for occultation soundings, ozone sensors, and cloud ice particle counters. Research conducted under this award studies inertia-gravity waves and large-scale transport across and within the polar vortex, with four specific objectives: 1) The accurate statistical descriptions of the inertial and gravity wave fields over the Antarctic in the spatial and spectral domains, 2) The formulation of constraints for gravity wave parameterizations based on calculation of gravity wave momentum flux, 3) The influence of gravity waves on the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs, which play an important role in ozone depletion), and 4) The fundamental dynamical process at work in air exchanges and transports in relation to the polar vortex, with an emphasis on the role of Rossby wave breaking. The work uses a combination of observational analysis and modeling, and uses novel methods motivated by dynamical systems theory to address air exchange and transport across and within the polar vortex.The problems addressed in the proposal are of societal as well as scientific interest for two reasons. First, the processes examined here are all relevant to the formation of the ozone hole, as ozone depletion depends on transport and mixing of stratospheric air across and within the polar vortex, and gravity wave motions may play a role in the formation of PSCs. Second, gravity wave momentum fluxes are thought to play an important role in determining the strength of atmospheric circulation, and the effects of gravity waves are paremeterized in weather and climate models. Thus, observational analysis of gravity wave properties may be beneficial for weather and climate modeling and prediction. In addition, the work will support and train a graduate student, thereby providing for the next generation of scientists in this field.

本项目利用超压气球观测资料对南极平流层极涡环流进行研究。spb有一个半刚性的外壳，在内部气体的压力下，无论加热或冷却，都能保持恒定的体积和恒定的有效密度，因此它们可以沿着密度恒定的几乎水平的表面随风移动。这个项目的数据来自两个野外活动，VORCORE（2005年27个spb）和CONCORDIASI(2010年18个spb)，这两个项目都从南极洲发射了气球，气球上升到70到50mb之间，并在极地涡旋中循环了几个月。spb携带的仪器包括小型落差探空仪、用于掩星探测的GPS接收器、臭氧传感器和云冰粒子计数器。在该奖项下进行的研究研究了惯性重力波和穿越极地涡旋和极地涡旋内部的大规模输送，有四个具体目标：1)在空间和光谱域对南极上空惯性和重力波场的精确统计描述；2)基于重力波动量通量计算的重力波参数化约束的制定；3)重力波对极地平流层云形成的影响，对臭氧消耗起重要作用。4)与极地涡旋有关的空气交换和输送的基本动力学过程，重点讨论了罗斯比波破碎的作用。这项工作结合了观测分析和建模，并采用动力系统理论驱动的新方法来解决极地涡旋之间和内部的空气交换和运输问题。提案中讨论的问题不仅具有科学意义，而且具有社会意义，原因有二。首先，这里研究的过程都与臭氧空洞的形成有关，因为臭氧消耗取决于平流层空气在极地涡旋上和极地涡旋内的运输和混合，重力波运动可能在极地涡旋的形成中发挥作用。其次，重力波动量通量被认为在确定大气环流强度方面起着重要作用，并且在天气和气候模式中对重力波的影响进行了参数化。因此，重力波特性的观测分析可能有利于天气和气候的模式和预测。此外，这项工作将支持和培养一名研究生，从而为该领域的下一代科学家提供支持。