| 1. |
- Emde, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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A polarized discrete ordinate scattering model for simulations of limb and nadir long-wave measurements in 1-D/3-D spherical atmospheres
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 109:24, s. 24207-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article describes one of the scattering algorithms of the three-dimensional polarized radiative transfer model ARTS (Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator) which has been implemented to study for example the influence of cirrus clouds on microwave limb sounding. The model uses the DOIT (Discrete Ordinate Iterative) method to solve the vector radiative transfer equation. The implementation of a discrete ordinate method is challenging due to the spherical geometry of the model atmosphere which is required for the simulation of limb radiances. The involved numerical issues, which are grid optimization and interpolation methods, are discussed in this paper. Scattering simulations are presented for limb- and down-looking geometries, for one-dimensional and three-dimensional spherical atmospheres. They show the impact of cloud particle size, shape, and orientation on the brightness temperatures and on the polarization of microwave radiation in the atmosphere. The cloud effect is much larger for limb radiances than for nadir radiances. Particle size is a very important parameter in all simulations. The polarization signal is negligible for simulations with completely randomly oriented particles, whereas for horizontally aligned particles with random azimuthal orientation the polarization signal is significant. Moreover, the effect of particle shape is only relevant for oriented cloud particles. The simulations show that it is essential to use a three-dimensional scattering model for inhomogeneous cloud layers.
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| 2. |
- Slapak, Rikard, et al.
(författare)
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Observations of oxygen ions in the dayside magnetosheath associated with southward IMF
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 117
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a case study of high energy oxygen ions (O+) observed in the dayside terrestrial magnetosheath, in the southern hemisphere. It is shown that the presence of O+ is strongly correlated to the IMF direction: O+ is observed only for Bz<0. Three satellites observe O$^+ immediately at both sides of the magnetopause and about 2 RE outside the magnetopause. These conditions indicate escape along open magnetic field lines. We show that if outflowing O+ is heated and accelerated sufficiently in the cusp, it takes 15-20 minutes for it to reach the magnetopause, allowing the ions to escape along newly opened field lines on the dayside. Earlier studies show evidence of strong heating and high velocities in the cusp and mantle at high altitudes, strengthening our interpretation. The observed magnetosheath O+ fluxes are of the same order as measured in the ionospheric upflow, which indicates that this loss mechanism is significant when it takes place.
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| 3. |
- Becerra, Marley, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of the space charge layer created by corona at ground level on the inception of upward lightning leaders from tall towers
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 112:D12, s. D12205-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electric field measurements above ground have shown that the space charge layer created by corona at ground level shields the background electric field produced by the thundercloud. Therefore it is expected that this space charge layer can also influence the conditions required to initiate upward lightning from tall objects. For this reason, a numerical model that describes the evolution of the main electrical parameters below a thunderstorm is used to compute the space charge layer development. The time variation of the electric field measured at 600 m above ground during the 1989 rocket triggered lightning experiment at the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) is used to drive the model. The obtained space charge density profiles are used to compute the conditions required to initiate stable upward lightning positive leaders from tall towers. Corona at the tip of the tower is neglected. It is found that the space charge layer significantly affects the critical thundercloud electric fields required to initiate upward lightning leaders from tall objects. The neutral aerosol particle concentration is observed to have a significant influence on the space charge density profiles and the critical thundercloud electric fields, whereas the corona current density does not considerably affect the results for the cases considered in the analysis. It is found that a lower thundercloud electric field is required to trigger a lightning flash from a tall tower or other tall slender grounded structure in the case of sites with a high neutral aerosol particle concentration, like polluted areas or coastal regions.
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| 4. |
- Elgered, Gunnar, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Geodesy by Radio Interferometry: Water Vapor Radiometry for Estimation of the Wet Delay
- 1991
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 96:B4, s. 6541-6555
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An important source of error in very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) estimates of baseline length is unmodeled variations of the refractivity of the neutral atmosphere along the propagation path of the radio signals. We present and discuss the method of using data from a water vapor radiometer (WVR) to correct for the propagation delay caused by atmospheric water vapor, the major cause of these variations. Data from different WVRs are compared with estimated propagation delays obtained by Kalman filtering of the VLBI data themselves. The consequences of using either WVR data or Kalman filtering to correct for atmospheric propagation delay at the Onsala VLBI site are investigated by studying the repeatability of estimated baseline lengths from Onsala to several other sites. The lengths of the baselines range from 919 to 7941 km. The repeatability obtained for baseline length estimates shows that the methods of water vapor radiometry and Kalman filtering offer comparable accuracies when applied to VLBI observations obtained in the climate of the Swedish west coast. For the most frequently measured baseline in this study, the use of WVR data yielded a 13% smaller weighted-root-mean-square (WRMS) scatter of the baseline length estimates compared to the use of a Kalman filter. It is also clear that the “best” minimum elevation angle for VLBI observations depends on the accuracy of the determinations of the total propagation delay to be used, since the error in this delay increases with increasing air mass. For use of WVR data along with accurate determinations of total surface pressure, the best minimum is about 20 degrees; for use of a model for the wet delay based on the humidity and temperature at the ground, the best minimum is about 35 degrees.
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| 5. |
- Zhou, Helin, et al.
(författare)
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Characteristics of upward bipolar lightning flashes observed at the Gaisberg Tower
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116, s. D13106-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We analyze current records for 21 upward initiated bipolar lightning flashes observed at the Gaisberg Tower (GBT) in Austria from 2000 to 2009. A bipolar lightning flash occurrence of 3% (21/652) is found during the 10-year observation period. Thirteen (62% or 13/21) of them occurred in nonconvective season (September-March). On the basis of the classification suggested by Rakov and Uman (2003), 13 (62%) of the 21 bipolar flashes belong to Type 1 associated with a polarity reversal during the initial stage (IS) current, five belong to Type 2 associated with different polarities of the IS current and the following return strokes, one belongs to Type 3 associated with return strokes of opposite polarity following the IS, and two of them are not assigned. We also find that the initial polarity reversal from negative to positive occurs more often (76% or 16/21) than that from positive to negative within a bipolar flash, in agreement with observations in other studies. The geometric mean (GM) and arithmetic mean (AM) of the total absolute charge transfer are 99.5 C and 125 C, with the GM and AM total flash duration of 320 ms and 396 ms, respectively. From simultaneous current and high-speed video measurements of one bipolar flash, within the field of view, the positive charge was transferred along one branch initially, followed by the negative charge transfer after cessation of the luminosity for 142 ms, while the other two branches connected to the main channel always contributed to the negative charge transfer during the whole process.
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| 6. |
- Aires, F., et al.
(författare)
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Microwave hyperspectral measurements for temperature and humidity atmospheric profiling from satellite: The clear-sky case
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202 .- 2169-897X .- 2169-8996. ; 120:21, s. 11334-11351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigates the benefits of a satellite HYperspectral Microwave Sensor (HYMS) for the retrieval of atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, in the context of numerical weather prediction (NWP). In the infrared, hyperspectral instruments have already improved the accuracy of NWP forecasts. Microwave instruments so far only provide observations for a limited number of carefully selected channels. An information content analysis is conducted here to assess the impact of hyperspectral microwave measurements on the retrieval of temperature and water vapor profiles under clear-sky conditions. It uses radiative transfer simulations over a large variety of atmospheric situations. It accounts for realistic observation (instrument and radiative transfer) noise and for a priori information assumptions compatible with NWP practices. The estimated retrieval performance of the HYMS instrument is compared to those of the microwave instruments to be deployed on board the future generation of European operational meteorological satellites (MetOp-SG). The results confirm the positive impact of a HYMS instrument on the atmospheric profiling capabilities compared to MetOp-SG. Temperature retrieval uncertainty, compared to a priori information, is reduced by 2 to 10%, depending on the atmospheric height, and improvement rates are much higher than what will be obtained with MetOp-SG. For humidity sounding these improvements can reach 30%, a significant benefit as compared to MetOp-SG results especially below 250 hPa. The results are not very sensitive to the instrument noise, under our assumptions. The main impact provided by the hyperspectral information originates from the higher resolution in the O2 band around 60 GHz. The results are presented over ocean at nadir, but similar conclusions are obtained for other incidence angles and over land. Key Points A hyperspectral MW instrument could improve temperature & humidity retrieval compared to MetOp-SG The main impact from HYMS comes from higher resolution in the O2 band around 60 GHz Hyperspectral information is not really sensitive to instrument noise.
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| 7. |
- Arvidson, R. E., et al.
(författare)
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Opportunity Mars Rover mission : Overview and selected results from Purgatory ripple to traverses to Endeavour crater
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116, s. E00F15-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Opportunity has been traversing the Meridiani plains since 25 January 2004 (sol 1), acquiring numerous observations of the atmosphere, soils, and rocks. This paper provides an overview of key discoveries between sols 511 and 2300, complementing earlier papers covering results from the initial phases of the mission. Key new results include (1) atmospheric argon measurements that demonstrate the importance of atmospheric transport to and from the winter carbon dioxide polar ice caps; (2) observations showing that aeolian ripples covering the plains were generated by easterly winds during an epoch with enhanced Hadley cell circulation; (3) the discovery and characterization of cobbles and boulders that include iron and stony-iron meteorites and Martian impact ejecta; (4) measurements of wall rock strata within Erebus and Victoria craters that provide compelling evidence of formation by aeolian sand deposition, with local reworking within ephemeral lakes; (5) determination that the stratigraphy exposed in the walls of Victoria and Endurance craters show an enrichment of chlorine and depletion of magnesium and sulfur with increasing depth. This result implies that regional-scale aqueous alteration took place before formation of these craters. Most recently, Opportunity has been traversing toward the ancient Endeavour crater. Orbital data show that clay minerals are exposed on its rim. Hydrated sulfate minerals are exposed in plains rocks adjacent to the rim, unlike the surfaces of plains outcrops observed thus far by Opportunity. With continued mechanical health, Opportunity will reach terrains on and around Endeavour's rim that will be markedly different from anything examined to date. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Buehler, Stefan A., et al.
(författare)
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An upper tropospheric humidity data set from operational satellite microwave data
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 113:14, s. D14110-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 183.31 GHz observations from the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit B (AMSUB) instruments onboard the NOAA 15, 16, and 17 satellites were used to derive a new data set of Upper Tropospheric Humidity (UTH). The data set consist of monthly median and mean data on a 1.5 degrees latitude-longitude grid between 60 degrees S and 60 degrees N, and covers the time period of January 2000 to February 2007. The data from all three instruments are very consistent, with relative difference biases of less than 4% and relative difference standard deviations of 7%. Radiometric contributions by high ice clouds and by the Earth's surface affect the measurements in certain areas. The uncertainty due to clouds is estimated to be up to approximately 10%RH in areas with deep convection. The uncertainty associated with contamination from surface emission can exceed 10%RH in midlatitude winter, where the data therefore should be regarded with caution. Otherwise the surface influence appears negligible. The paper also discusses the UTH median climatology and seasonal cycle, which are found to be broadly consistent with UTH climatologies from other sensors. Finally, the paper presents an initial validation of the new data set against IR satellite data and radiosonde data. The observed biases of up to 9%RH (wet bias relative to HIRS) were found to be broadly consistent with expectations based on earlier studies. The observed standard deviations against all other data sets were below 6%RH. The UTH data are available to the scientific community on http://www.sat.ltu.se.
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| 10. |
- Buehler, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
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A simple method to relate microwave radiances to upper tropospheric humidity
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 110:2, s. D02110-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A brightness temperature (BT) transformation method can be applied to microwave data to retrieve Jacobian weighted upper tropospheric relative humidity (UTH) in a broad layer centered roughly between 6 and 8 km altitude. The UTH bias is below 4% RH, and the relative UTH bias below 20%. The UTH standard deviation is between 2 and 6.5% RH in absolute numbers, or between 10 and 27% in relative numbers. The standard deviation is dominated by the regression noise, resulting from vertical structure not accounted for by the simple transformation relation. The UTH standard deviation due to radiometric noise alone has a relative standard deviation of approximately 7% for a radiometric noise level of 1 K. The retrieval performance was shown to be of almost constant quality for all viewing angles and latitudes, except for problems at high latitudes due to surface effects. A validation of AMSU UTH against radiosonde UTH shows reasonable agreement if known systematic differences between AMSU and radiosonde are taken into account. When the method is applied to supersaturation studies, regression noise and radiometric noise could lead to an apparent supersaturation even if there were no supersaturation. For a radiometer noise level of 1 K the drop-off slope of the apparent supersaturation is 0.17% RH−1, for a noise level of 2 K the slope is 0.12% RH−1. The main conclusion from this study is that the BT transformation method is very well suited for microwave data. Its particular strength is in climatological applications where the simplicity and the a priori independence are key advantages.
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