A51O-0295
Observations of Lower Stratospheric Water Vapor Injected by Overshooting Convection During SEAC4RS
Friday, 18 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Robert L Herman1, Eric A Ray2, Michael J Schwartz3, William G Read3, Robert F Troy3, Lance E Christensen3, Keith B Chin3, Robert Alan Stachnik3, Karen Hepler Rosenlof4, Kristopher M Bedka5 and Thaopaul V Bui6, (1)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, (2)University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (3)Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States, (4)NOAA ESRL CSD, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States, (6)NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, United States
Abstract:
Several NASA ER-2 aircraft flights during the 2013 NASA Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) field mission sampled the UTLS region heavily influenced by the North American Monsoon (NAM). Enhanced water vapor was measured in the lower stratosphere between 160 hPa and 80 hPa over the continental United States. Here we present in-situ water vapor measurements from the improved JPL Laser Hygrometer (JLH Mark2) to characterize the NAM water vapor field during August and September 2013. Overshooting cloud tops are identified from a SEAC4RS overshooting top (OT) detection product that is based on infrared satellite imagery. Back-trajectory analysis ties enhanced water to overshooting cloud tops 1 to 7 days prior to the intercept by the aircraft. Regional context is provided by water observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS).
