Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry: A Field Experiment Planned for Summer 2009
Abstract
Convective transport is a major pathway of rapidly moving chemical constituents (including water) from the boundary layer to the upper troposphere (UT) and in some cases to the lower stratosphere (LS). Yet the global-scale impact of convective transport on the UTLS composition and chemistry has not been characterized. In addition, only a few studies have attempted to examine the detailed dynamics of deep convection and the concomitant redistribution, production, or removal of reactive constituents. The proposed Deep Convective Cloud and Chemistry (DC3) experiment will obtain measurements of enough chemical species to characterize the effects of convection on the transport and transformation of ozone and its precursors. For example, HOx species, its precursors, and NOx species in both inflow and outflow regions of deep convection will be measured along with microphysical properties, storm kinematics, and lightning discharges. These measurements are planned for over the Great Plains of the United States, where we hope to contrast regions of remote continental air to those more influenced by anthropogenic emissions. The primary goals of DC3 are 1) to quantify the impact of continental, midlatitude convective storm dynamics, multiphase chemistry, lightning, and cloud microphysics on the transport of chemical constituents to the upper troposphere, 2) to evaluate the anvil dynamics, microphysics, radiation, electrification, and multiphase chemistry that leads to the chemical composition observed in the convective outflow, 3) to determine the effects of convectively-perturbed air masses on ozone and its related chemistry in the midlatitude upper troposphere and lower stratosphere 12-48 hours after the near convection region is sampled, and 4) to contrast the influence of different boundary-layer chemical inputs on the composition of convective outflow. The strategy of reaching these goals as part of DC3 will be presented.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006AGUFMAE53A0292B
- Keywords:
-
- 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry;
- 3314 Convective processes;
- 3324 Lightning