Surface-Based Inversions over Antarctica from Concordiasi Driftsonde Data: Characteristics and Comparisons with ERA-Interim and Satellite Data

University Corporation For Atmospheric Res, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Surface based inversions (SBI), situations where atmospheric temperatures increase with height above a surface, are common in Antarctica. SBI play an important role in high latitude climate, influencing the vertical mixing of energy, moisture and chemical constituents and also climate feed back and sensitivity through changes in albedo for surfaces such as sea-ice. SBI occurrence, persistence and depth over the continental Antarctic is poorly known because so few vertical measurements, elsewhere obtained from routine sonde programs, are made there. During the CONCORDIASI (2010) campaign some 650 high quality (frequency, time) and vertical resolution NCAR driftsondes were released from within the polar vortex above the continent and surrounding ocean. This resulted in a unique data set which will be investigated for what it reveals of SBI properties over the continent. As well as having this unique dropsonde validation data set, satellite products (from the Advanced InfraRed Sounder - AIRS; and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer - IASI) will be combined with ERA-Interim reanalysis data products, to determine SBI depth and intensity. If the satellite and reanalysis operational products faithfully reflect observed SBI variability, the extrapolation of SBI to time periods beyond the CONCORDIASI observations will be made. In this way it is hoped that underobserved Antarctic boundary layer properties may further be revealed. International collaboration on the project will be coordinated with colleagues at Nanjing University.