Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements
We have developed a new technique for estimating ozone mixing ratio inside deep convective clouds. The technique uses the concept of an optical centroid cloud pressure that is indicative of the photon path inside clouds. Radiative transfer calculations based on realistic cloud vertical structure as...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/573/2009/acp-9-573-2009.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818144728985632768 |
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| author | J. R. Ziemke J. Joiner S. Chandra P. K. Bhartia A. Vasilkov D. P. Haffner K. Yang M. R. Schoeberl L. Froidevaux P. F. Levelt |
| author_facet | J. R. Ziemke J. Joiner S. Chandra P. K. Bhartia A. Vasilkov D. P. Haffner K. Yang M. R. Schoeberl L. Froidevaux P. F. Levelt |
| author_sort | J. R. Ziemke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We have developed a new technique for estimating ozone mixing ratio inside deep convective clouds. The technique uses the concept of an optical centroid cloud pressure that is indicative of the photon path inside clouds. Radiative transfer calculations based on realistic cloud vertical structure as provided by CloudSat radar data show that because deep convective clouds are optically thin near the top, photons can penetrate significantly inside the cloud. This photon penetration coupled with in-cloud scattering produces optical centroid pressures that are hundreds of hPa inside the cloud. We combine measured column ozone and the optical centroid cloud pressure derived using the effects of rotational-Raman scattering to estimate O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratio in the upper regions of deep convective clouds. The data are obtained from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA's Aura satellite. Our results show that low O<sub>3</sub> concentrations in these clouds are a common occurrence throughout much of the tropical Pacific. Ozonesonde measurements in the tropics following convective activity also show very low concentrations of O<sub>3</sub> in the upper troposphere. These low amounts are attributed to vertical injection of ozone poor oceanic boundary layer air during convection into the upper troposphere followed by convective outflow. Over South America and Africa, O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratios inside deep convective clouds often exceed 50 ppbv which are comparable to mean background (cloud-free) amounts and are consistent with higher concentrations of injected boundary layer/lower tropospheric O<sub>3</sub> relative to the remote Pacific. The Atlantic region in general also consists of higher amounts of O<sub>3</sub> precursors due to both biomass burning and lightning. Assuming that O<sub>3</sub> is well mixed (i.e., constant mixing ratio with height) up to the tropopause, we can estimate the stratospheric column O<sub>3</sub> over clouds. Stratospheric column ozone derived in this manner agrees well with that retrieved independently with the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument and thus provides a consistency check of our method. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:52:11Z |
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| id | doaj.art-7f36d05bf78049fdbdce7aef6fac0773 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:52:11Z |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
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| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f36d05bf78049fdbdce7aef6fac07732022-12-22T01:08:20ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242009-01-0192573583Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurementsJ. R. ZiemkeJ. JoinerS. ChandraP. K. BhartiaA. VasilkovD. P. HaffnerK. YangM. R. SchoeberlL. FroidevauxP. F. LeveltWe have developed a new technique for estimating ozone mixing ratio inside deep convective clouds. The technique uses the concept of an optical centroid cloud pressure that is indicative of the photon path inside clouds. Radiative transfer calculations based on realistic cloud vertical structure as provided by CloudSat radar data show that because deep convective clouds are optically thin near the top, photons can penetrate significantly inside the cloud. This photon penetration coupled with in-cloud scattering produces optical centroid pressures that are hundreds of hPa inside the cloud. We combine measured column ozone and the optical centroid cloud pressure derived using the effects of rotational-Raman scattering to estimate O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratio in the upper regions of deep convective clouds. The data are obtained from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA's Aura satellite. Our results show that low O<sub>3</sub> concentrations in these clouds are a common occurrence throughout much of the tropical Pacific. Ozonesonde measurements in the tropics following convective activity also show very low concentrations of O<sub>3</sub> in the upper troposphere. These low amounts are attributed to vertical injection of ozone poor oceanic boundary layer air during convection into the upper troposphere followed by convective outflow. Over South America and Africa, O<sub>3</sub> mixing ratios inside deep convective clouds often exceed 50 ppbv which are comparable to mean background (cloud-free) amounts and are consistent with higher concentrations of injected boundary layer/lower tropospheric O<sub>3</sub> relative to the remote Pacific. The Atlantic region in general also consists of higher amounts of O<sub>3</sub> precursors due to both biomass burning and lightning. Assuming that O<sub>3</sub> is well mixed (i.e., constant mixing ratio with height) up to the tropopause, we can estimate the stratospheric column O<sub>3</sub> over clouds. Stratospheric column ozone derived in this manner agrees well with that retrieved independently with the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument and thus provides a consistency check of our method.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/573/2009/acp-9-573-2009.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. R. Ziemke J. Joiner S. Chandra P. K. Bhartia A. Vasilkov D. P. Haffner K. Yang M. R. Schoeberl L. Froidevaux P. F. Levelt Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements |
| title_full | Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements |
| title_fullStr | Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements |
| title_short | Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements |
| title_sort | ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from omi satellite measurements |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/573/2009/acp-9-573-2009.pdf |
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