Collaborative Research: Isotopic Fractionation in Snow (IFRACS)

合作研究：雪中同位素分馏 (IFRACS)

• 批准号: 1260380
• 负责人: Zhiming Kuang
• 金额: $ 33.25万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-06-01 至 2016-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1260380&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Isotopic; Fractionation; Snow

This collaborative project seeks to improve understanding of precipitation processes in mixed phase orographic clouds and the variation in the isotopic signature of snowfall that is associated with aerosol effects on cloud microphysics. The study will use measurements and modeling of the isotopic content of water vapor, cloud water, and snow at the Desert Research Institute's (DRI's) Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL, altitude 3210 m) to test the hypotheses that: 1) variations in the isotopic composition of snow associated with riming and riming inhibition are significant; and 2) the isotopic composition and chemistry of cloud droplets near cloud base and falling snow are sufficient to resolve the relative roles of vapor deposition and riming in snow growth. Model simulations with a new isotope-enabled version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model will be used to test observation-based inferences on snow formation by riming and vapor deposition, the altitudes at which they occur, and the effects of variation of aerosol concentration on the isotopic composition of snowfall. The sensitivity of the isotopic composition of snowfall to aerosol-induced changes in the rimed mass fraction will be evaluated with model simulations over a range of aerosol concentration based on observational case studies representing a variety of meteorological and synoptic conditions during wintertime storms at SPL.Intellectual Merit: Riming of ice crystals in wintertime orographic clouds significantly enhances their water content and the amount of water deposited in snowfall. The isotopic composition of precipitation at a given location reflects local cloud processes as well as the history of upwind condensation, evaporation and mixing. In the work, the impact of aerosol-induced changes in mixed phase orographic clouds on the isotopic content of snowfall will be explored. Inhibition of snow growth by riming due to aerosol-induced reduction of cloud droplet size has been observed in wintertime storms at SPL. Broader Impact: The contribution of isotope-enabled microphysical models to the WRF community during this project will allow for broader application of these methodologies in studies of general circulation and the water cycle. The isotopic signal recorded in glacial ice has been used as a proxy record of past climates. Low-level riming over glacial ice may contribute to a component of the isotopic signal that is independent of global temperature. This project involves the participation and training of graduate students from DRI and Harvard in the field program and modeling studies. During the field experiment season, SPL will host atmospheric science field courses from the University of Wisconsin, North Carolina State University, and the University of Colorado for undergraduate and graduate students. As part of this work, a series of lectures will be presented to each of these classes on the use of isotopic signatures in environmental science. Reports on SPL research projects have appeared on CNN, NBC, National Public Radio, National Geographic Explorer, local television stations, in newspapers across the U.S., and the NCAR EOL Channel (http://tinyurl.com/ISPAscience). SPL is integrally involved in the Steamboat Weather Summit of meteorologists from television stations around the country. These activities will coincide with the winter field study at SPL and a talk on this work will be presented at the Weather Summit. The investigators will also present a community lecture in Steamboat Springs and an "open house" at SPL to share the scientific motivation of this research. Finally, a curriculum developed to provide middle school students with hand-on learning focused on meteorology and climate will continue with the project and have classes observe weather balloons launches during the field study.

该合作项目旨在增进对混合相地形云降水过程以及与气溶胶对云微物理影响相关的降雪同位素特征变化的理解。 该研究将在沙漠研究所 (DRI) 风暴峰实验室（SPL，海拔 3210 米）对水蒸气、云水和雪的同位素含量进行测量和建模，以测试以下假设：1) 同位素的变化与雾化和雾化抑制相关的雪成分是显着的； 2）云底附近的云滴和落雪的同位素组成和化学性质足以解析气相沉积和雾化在雪生长中的相对作用。使用新的同位素版本的天气研究和预报（WRF）模型进行的模型模拟将用于测试基于观测的推论，对起雾和气相沉积造成的降雪、它们发生的高度以及降雪变化的影响进行测试。气溶胶浓度对降雪同位素组成的影响。降雪同位素组成对气溶胶引起的边缘质量分数变化的敏感性将通过代表 SPL 冬季风暴期间各种气象和天气条件的观测案例研究，通过一系列气溶胶浓度的模型模拟进行评估。优点：冬季地形云中冰晶的上升显着提高了其含水量和降雪中沉积的水量。 给定地点降水的同位素组成反映了当地的云过程以及逆风凝结、蒸发和混合的历史。在这项工作中，将探讨气溶胶引起的混合相地形云变化对降雪同位素含量的影响。 在 SPL 的冬季风暴中观察到，由于气溶胶引起的云滴尺寸减小，雾凇抑制了雪的生长。 更广泛的影响：在该项目期间，同位素支持的微物理模型对 WRF 社区的贡献将使这些方法在大气循环和水循环的研究中得到更广泛的应用。 冰川中记录的同位素信号已被用作过去气候的代理记录。冰川上空的低层边缘可能会产生与全球温度无关的同位素信号成分。该项目涉及 DRI 和哈佛大学的研究生参与和培训实地项目和建模研究。 在现场实验季期间，SPL将为威斯康星大学、北卡罗来纳州立大学和科罗拉多大学的本科生和研究生举办大气科学现场课程。 作为这项工作的一部分，将为每个班级提供一系列关于同位素特征在环境科学中的使用的讲座。有关 SPL 研究项目的报道已出现在 CNN、NBC、国家公共广播电台、国家地理探索者、地方电视台、美国各地的报纸以及 NCAR EOL 频道 (http://tinyurl.com/ISPAscience) 上。 SPL 全面参与了全国各地电视台气象学家参加的汽船天气峰会。这些活动将与 SPL 的冬季实地研究同时进行，有关这项工作的演讲将在天气峰会上进行。研究人员还将在 Steamboat Springs 举办社区讲座，并在 SPL 举办“开放日”，分享这项研究的科学动机。最后，为中学生提供以气象和气候为重点的实践学习课程，该项目将继续进行，并让班级在实地研究期间观察气象气球的发射。