Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020

In this study, the temperature biases and the ability of the ERA-5 product to reproduce the LiDAR variability in the 30–80 km altitude range were evaluated for the period 2005–2020, both for the winter and the summer months. During winter, temperatures from the ERA-5 dataset were in good agreement w...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alexis Mariaccia, Philippe Keckhut, Alain Hauchecorne, Chantal Claud, Alexis Le Pichon, Mustapha Meftah, Sergey Khaykin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-01-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/242
_version_ 1797482796371935232
author Alexis Mariaccia
Philippe Keckhut
Alain Hauchecorne
Chantal Claud
Alexis Le Pichon
Mustapha Meftah
Sergey Khaykin
author_facet Alexis Mariaccia
Philippe Keckhut
Alain Hauchecorne
Chantal Claud
Alexis Le Pichon
Mustapha Meftah
Sergey Khaykin
author_sort Alexis Mariaccia
collection DOAJ
description In this study, the temperature biases and the ability of the ERA-5 product to reproduce the LiDAR variability in the 30–80 km altitude range were evaluated for the period 2005–2020, both for the winter and the summer months. During winter, temperatures from the ERA-5 dataset were in good agreement with LiDAR observations up to 45 km, while in the mesosphere, almost 70% of the ERA-5 profiles were cooler than those from LiDAR, except around 65 km. During summer, negative biases of −3 K were observed up to the stratopause, while significant positive biases of more than +10 K were found in the mesosphere. For the winter months, the variability observed by LiDAR, even during sudden stratospheric warming (SSWs) events, was reproduced accurately by the model in the upper stratosphere, but not in the mesosphere. Surprisingly, the LiDAR variability mainly due to propagating gravity waves in the summertime was also not reproduced by ERA-5 in the whole middle atmosphere. The model uncertainty associated with this variability, evaluated afterward with a new method, grew as expected with altitude and was more significant in winter than summer. A principal component analysis of the fluctuations of the temperature differences between the LiDAR and ERA-5 was performed to investigate the vertical coupling between 30 km and 70 km. The three first vertical modes illustrated 76% and 78% of the fluctuations of the temperature difference profiles in summer and winter, respectively, confirming the connection between the studied layers. The leading modes of the summer (49%) and winter (42%) possessed an anti-correlation between the upper stratosphere and the mesosphere, where fluctuations increased (at least ±5 K at 65 km) for both seasons due to the coarse vertical resolution in the model. The other modes showed an agreement between the LiDAR and ERA-5 fluctuations in the upper stratosphere and had a wave-like structure mainly located in the mesosphere, confirming that the model either overlooked or simulated imprecisely the gravity waves, leading to mesospheric inversions. Finally, SSWs impacted the ERA-5 temperature (deviation of ±3 K) some days before and after its trigger around the stratopause.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T22:38:34Z
format Article
id doaj.art-482d7dc10d7d42d9b3c85ea7001fdf30
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-4433
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T22:38:34Z
publishDate 2022-01-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Atmosphere
spelling doaj.art-482d7dc10d7d42d9b3c85ea7001fdf302023-11-23T18:44:28ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-01-0113224210.3390/atmos13020242Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020Alexis Mariaccia0Philippe Keckhut1Alain Hauchecorne2Chantal Claud3Alexis Le Pichon4Mustapha Meftah5Sergey Khaykin6Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, UMR 8190, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Université Versailles-Saint Quentin, Université Paris-Saclay, 78280 Guyancourt, FranceLaboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, UMR 8190, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Université Versailles-Saint Quentin, Université Paris-Saclay, 78280 Guyancourt, FranceLaboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, UMR 8190, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Université Versailles-Saint Quentin, Université Paris-Saclay, 78280 Guyancourt, FranceLaboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique/IPSL, CNRS, UMR 8539, École Polytechnique, 91120 Palaiseau, FranceCommissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Direction des Applications Militaires (DAM), Campus Île-de-France (DIF) Bruyères-le-Châtel, 91297 Arpajon, FranceLaboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, UMR 8190, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Université Versailles-Saint Quentin, Université Paris-Saclay, 78280 Guyancourt, FranceLaboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, UMR 8190, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Université Versailles-Saint Quentin, Université Paris-Saclay, 78280 Guyancourt, FranceIn this study, the temperature biases and the ability of the ERA-5 product to reproduce the LiDAR variability in the 30–80 km altitude range were evaluated for the period 2005–2020, both for the winter and the summer months. During winter, temperatures from the ERA-5 dataset were in good agreement with LiDAR observations up to 45 km, while in the mesosphere, almost 70% of the ERA-5 profiles were cooler than those from LiDAR, except around 65 km. During summer, negative biases of −3 K were observed up to the stratopause, while significant positive biases of more than +10 K were found in the mesosphere. For the winter months, the variability observed by LiDAR, even during sudden stratospheric warming (SSWs) events, was reproduced accurately by the model in the upper stratosphere, but not in the mesosphere. Surprisingly, the LiDAR variability mainly due to propagating gravity waves in the summertime was also not reproduced by ERA-5 in the whole middle atmosphere. The model uncertainty associated with this variability, evaluated afterward with a new method, grew as expected with altitude and was more significant in winter than summer. A principal component analysis of the fluctuations of the temperature differences between the LiDAR and ERA-5 was performed to investigate the vertical coupling between 30 km and 70 km. The three first vertical modes illustrated 76% and 78% of the fluctuations of the temperature difference profiles in summer and winter, respectively, confirming the connection between the studied layers. The leading modes of the summer (49%) and winter (42%) possessed an anti-correlation between the upper stratosphere and the mesosphere, where fluctuations increased (at least ±5 K at 65 km) for both seasons due to the coarse vertical resolution in the model. The other modes showed an agreement between the LiDAR and ERA-5 fluctuations in the upper stratosphere and had a wave-like structure mainly located in the mesosphere, confirming that the model either overlooked or simulated imprecisely the gravity waves, leading to mesospheric inversions. Finally, SSWs impacted the ERA-5 temperature (deviation of ±3 K) some days before and after its trigger around the stratopause.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/242middle atmospherewintersummertemperatureLiDARERA-5 reanalyses
spellingShingle Alexis Mariaccia
Philippe Keckhut
Alain Hauchecorne
Chantal Claud
Alexis Le Pichon
Mustapha Meftah
Sergey Khaykin
Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
Atmosphere
middle atmosphere
winter
summer
temperature
LiDAR
ERA-5 reanalyses
title Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
title_full Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
title_fullStr Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
title_short Assessment of ERA-5 Temperature Variability in the Middle Atmosphere Using Rayleigh LiDAR Measurements between 2005 and 2020
title_sort assessment of era 5 temperature variability in the middle atmosphere using rayleigh lidar measurements between 2005 and 2020
topic middle atmosphere
winter
summer
temperature
LiDAR
ERA-5 reanalyses
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/242
work_keys_str_mv AT alexismariaccia assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT philippekeckhut assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT alainhauchecorne assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT chantalclaud assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT alexislepichon assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT mustaphameftah assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020
AT sergeykhaykin assessmentofera5temperaturevariabilityinthemiddleatmosphereusingrayleighlidarmeasurementsbetween2005and2020