Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings
Humidity inversions have a high potential importance in the Arctic climate system, especially for cloud formation and maintenance, in wide spatial and temporal scales. Here we investigate the climatology and characteristics of humidity inversions in the Arctic, including their spatial and temporal v...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-02-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/1959/2014/acp-14-1959-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818153272910807040 |
|---|---|
| author | T. Nygård T. Valkonen T. Vihma |
| author_facet | T. Nygård T. Valkonen T. Vihma |
| author_sort | T. Nygård |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Humidity inversions have a high potential importance in the Arctic climate
system, especially for cloud formation and maintenance, in wide spatial and
temporal scales. Here we investigate the climatology and characteristics of
humidity inversions in the Arctic, including their spatial and temporal
variability, sensitivity to the methodology applied and differences from the
Antarctic humidity inversions. The study is based on data of the Integrated
Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) from 36 Arctic stations between the years
2000 and 2009. The results indicate that humidity inversions are present on
multiple levels nearly all the time in the Arctic atmosphere. Almost half
(48%) of the humidity inversions were found at least partly within the
same vertical layer with temperature inversions, whereas the existence of
the other half may, at least partly, be linked to uneven vertical
distribution of horizontal moisture transport. A high atmospheric surface
pressure was found to increase the humidity inversion occurrence, whereas
relationships between humidity inversion properties and cloud cover were
generally relatively weak, although for some inversion properties they were
systematic. For example, humidity inversions occurred slightly more often
and were deeper under clear sky than in overcast conditions for almost
all stations. The statistics of Arctic humidity inversion properties,
especially inversion strength, depth and base height, proved to be very
sensitive to the instruments and methodology applied. For example, the
median strength of the strongest inversion in a profile was twice as large
as the median of all Arctic inversions. The most striking difference between
the Arctic and Antarctic humidity inversions was the much larger range of
the seasonal cycle of inversion properties in the Arctic. Our results offer
a baseline for validation of weather prediction and climate models and also
encourage further studies on humidity inversions due to the vital, but so
far poorly understood, role of humidity inversions in Arctic cloud
processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:07:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a9f7541a4f441eca999162c47887858 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:07:59Z |
| publishDate | 2014-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a9f7541a4f441eca999162c478878582022-12-22T01:03:34ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242014-02-011441959197110.5194/acp-14-1959-2014Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundingsT. Nygård0T. Valkonen1T. Vihma2Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandHumidity inversions have a high potential importance in the Arctic climate system, especially for cloud formation and maintenance, in wide spatial and temporal scales. Here we investigate the climatology and characteristics of humidity inversions in the Arctic, including their spatial and temporal variability, sensitivity to the methodology applied and differences from the Antarctic humidity inversions. The study is based on data of the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) from 36 Arctic stations between the years 2000 and 2009. The results indicate that humidity inversions are present on multiple levels nearly all the time in the Arctic atmosphere. Almost half (48%) of the humidity inversions were found at least partly within the same vertical layer with temperature inversions, whereas the existence of the other half may, at least partly, be linked to uneven vertical distribution of horizontal moisture transport. A high atmospheric surface pressure was found to increase the humidity inversion occurrence, whereas relationships between humidity inversion properties and cloud cover were generally relatively weak, although for some inversion properties they were systematic. For example, humidity inversions occurred slightly more often and were deeper under clear sky than in overcast conditions for almost all stations. The statistics of Arctic humidity inversion properties, especially inversion strength, depth and base height, proved to be very sensitive to the instruments and methodology applied. For example, the median strength of the strongest inversion in a profile was twice as large as the median of all Arctic inversions. The most striking difference between the Arctic and Antarctic humidity inversions was the much larger range of the seasonal cycle of inversion properties in the Arctic. Our results offer a baseline for validation of weather prediction and climate models and also encourage further studies on humidity inversions due to the vital, but so far poorly understood, role of humidity inversions in Arctic cloud processes.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/1959/2014/acp-14-1959-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | T. Nygård T. Valkonen T. Vihma Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| title_full | Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| title_short | Characteristics of Arctic low-tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| title_sort | characteristics of arctic low tropospheric humidity inversions based on radio soundings |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/1959/2014/acp-14-1959-2014.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tnygard characteristicsofarcticlowtropospherichumidityinversionsbasedonradiosoundings AT tvalkonen characteristicsofarcticlowtropospherichumidityinversionsbasedonradiosoundings AT tvihma characteristicsofarcticlowtropospherichumidityinversionsbasedonradiosoundings |