Project Details
Mixing processes in the stratosphere from fine to global scales with a fast high precision QCL spectrometer for N2O and CO on HALO
Applicant
Professor Dr. Peter Hoor
Subject Area
Atmospheric Science
Term
from 2016 to 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316833890
Within this proposed work we will use novel highly resolved tracer measuremnents to study mixing processes at different scales to 1) investigate the effect of the TIL on mixing and exchange 2) to resolve the decay of monsoon affected air within the stratosphere 3) to quantify the large scale fraction of air which is transported from different source regions into the extratropical upper troposphere / lower stratosphere (ExUTLS). For this purpose we propose to apply a novel state-of-the-art instrument to the HALO payload. The instrument is a quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer capable of simultaneously measuring CO and N2O with a precision of 0.1 ppbv/Hz and a maximum time resolution of 3Hz. The high precision allows to study mixing processes with unprecedented detail and to identify mixing between different air masses within the stratosphere. We will investigte the processes which lead to a degradation of monsoon affected filaments and mixing as well as the large scale distribution of these tracers. Combining CLaMS trajectory analysis with a CO based budget approach allows to quantify the fraction and origin of air masses which determine the composition of the ExUTLS during the monsoon season. We will extend the analysis also to data from the HALO project POLSTRACC, which took place in winter and spring to calculate a seasonaly contrasting air mass budget.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes