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- Title
Impact of deep convection in the tropical tropopause layer in West Africa: in-situ observations and mesoscale modelling.
- Authors
Fierli, F.; Orlandi, E.; Law, K. S.; Cagnazzo, C.; Cairo, F.; Schiller, C.; Borrmann, S.; Didonfrancesco, G.; Ravegnani, F.; Volk, M.
- Abstract
We present the analysis of the impact of convection on the composition of the tropical tropopause layer region (TTL) in West-Africa during the AMMA-SCOUT campaign. Geophysica M55 aircraft observations of water vapor, ozone, aerosol and CO2 show perturbed values at altitudes ranging from 14 km to 17 km (above the main convective outflow) and satellite data indicates that air detrainment is likely originated from convective cloud east of the flight. Simulations of the BOLAM mesoscale model, nudged with infrared radiance temperatures, are used to estimate the convective impact in the upper troposphere and to assess the fraction of air processed by convection. The analysis shows that BOLAM correctly reproduces the location and the vertical structure of convective outflow. Model-aided analysis indicates that in the outflow of a large convective system, deep convection can largely modify chemical composition and aerosol distribution up to the tropical tropopause. Model analysis also shows that, on average, deep convection occurring in the entire Sahelian transect (up to 2000 kmE of the measurement area) has a non negligible role in determining TTL composition.
- Subjects
WEST Africa; CONVECTION (Meteorology); TROPOPAUSE; CONVECTIVE clouds; AEROSOLS &; the environment; ATMOSPHERIC effects of infrared radiation
- Publication
Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics Discussions, 2010, Vol 10, Issue 2, p4927
- ISSN
1680-7367
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5194/acpd-10-4927-2010