Collaborative Research: Processes Determining the Climatology of Atmospheric Unstable Layers

合作研究：确定大气不稳定层气候学的过程

• 批准号: 2129221
• 负责人: Marvin Geller
• 金额: $ 15.64万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2129221&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Processes; Determining; Climatology

This research seeks to answer a number of questions that have arisen from recent observations of unstable layers at various altitudes in the atmosphere; that is, these layers are characterized with air temperature decreasing with height. Unstable layers have been identified by examining a fast meteorological sensor attached to meteorological balloons launched from stations operated by the United States (US) Weather Service. The fast meteorological sensor can take air temperature at every second, which is at every 5 meters as a balloon rises. Unstable layers are commonly associated with turbulence. Within each turbulent layer, air motions cascade from large eddies to small ones due to kinetic energy dissipation. Atmospheric turbulence is dangerous for aircraft operations and has impacts on remote sensing atmospheric phenomena. The researchers for the project will investigate what causes these unstable layers. Understanding of the origin of these unstable layers could improve safety of aircraft operations. Recently global observations using this type of fast meteorological balloon sensors become available. The investigators also plan to organize an international workshop to stimulate international research for using this dataset. The research team will answer two principal questions: 1) Why are there more unstable layers in the lower stratosphere at midnight Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the western contiguous US than at noon GMT, with the opposite being true in the eastern US? 2) Is the observed phenomenon of a great number of thick unstable layers and a relative paucity of thinner layers at near 12 km altitude at Koror (7.3 N, 134.5 E), which is also called “notch”, present at other near equatorial stations? In what way might this “notch” be related to the minimum in atmospheric stability that has been noted earlier by other authors in the same general atmospheric region? The research plan to address question 1 is to try to identify differences in the times and locations of atmospheric gravity buoyancy waves that lead to the lower stratospheric unstable layers. This is planned to be done using a ray-tracing methodology. The research plan to address question 2 is to compare the geographical and temporal variation of the “notch” feature to that of the stability minimum. The investigators also plan to identify the “notch” feature with in-cloud and cloud-outflow turbulence.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项研究试图回答来自最近在大气中各种高度的不稳定层的观察结果中出现的许多问题。也就是说，这些层的特征是空气温度随着高度降低。通过检查与美国（美国）气象服务处发射的气象气球相关的快速气象传感器，已经确定了不稳定的层。快速气象传感器每秒可以每5米处每5米处进行气温。不稳定的层通常与湍流有关。在每个湍流层中，由于动能耗散，空气运动从大涡流到小涡流。大气湍流对飞机操作是危险的，对遥感大气现象有影响。该项目的研究人员将研究导致这些不稳定层的原因。了解这些不稳定层的起源可以提高飞机操作的安全性。最近使用这种快速气象气球传感器进行了全球观察。研究人员还计划组织一个国际研讨会，以刺激使用此数据集的国际研究。研究团队将回答两个主要问题：1）为什么在西方连续美国的午夜格林威治平均平流层中的下层平流层中比中午格林尼治标准时间有更多的不稳定层，而在美国东部的情况下，相反的情况是真实的？ 2）观察到的现象是大量厚的不稳定层的现象和在Koror附近12 km高度（7.3 N，134.5 E）接近12 km的较薄层的相对稀少，也称为“缺口”，存在于其他靠近的公平站？这种“缺口”可能与同一一般大气区域的其他作者早期指出的大气稳定性最小有关？解决问题1的研究计划是尝试确定大气重力浮力波的时间和位置，从而导致平流层不稳定层。计划使用射线追踪方法来完成。解决问题2的研究计划是将“ Notch”特征的地理和临时变化与稳定性最小值的差异进行比较。调查人员还计划通过云端和云流出的湍流来确定“缺口”功能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，通过评估来诚实地获得支持。