SOARS Manuscripts

Current global climate models are very capably of simulating the present climate conditions and providing comprehensive projection of the future. Unfortunately, the results of global climate model historical simulations and realistic future projections provide a great deal of information so they are…

The computation of atmospheric transmission can contribute to the calculation of infrared spectra used in atmospheric research. Mankin (1979) constructed an algorithm that computes atmospheric transmission using the Fourier transform method that allows for continuous variation of the pressure along …

It is of interest to monitor aerosols (i.e. desert dusts and sulfate aerosols from industrial emissions) over land and ocean because aerosol particles influence the temperature structure and chemistry of the Earth's troposphere. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) observations of v…

The major goal of the Tropospheric Ozone Production about the Spring Equinox (TOPSE) field campaign (2000) was to study the cause of the spring Arctic ozone maximum in the free troposphere. Sources for tropospheric ozone (O₃) are transport of O₃ from the stratosphere and in-situ photochemical produc…

Structure and variability of temperatures in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (~10-30) are studied based on Global Positioning System Meteorology (GPS/MET) observations during April 1995-February 1997. Comparisons with several hundred co-located radiosondes demonstrates the high…

The purpose of this project is to create a three-dimensional animation of the thermohaline circulation (THC), also known as the great ocean conveyor belt, based on output data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Parallel Climate Model (PCM) for the years 2000 to 2099. The goal o…

The vertical distribution of ozone layer over the Amazon rainforest, especially within the mixed layer of the planetary boundary layer, is not well understood. During the month of June 2001, ozone profiles were collected as a part of the Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment (LBA) in Amazonia …

During the TRAnsport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific-2001 (TRACE-P-2001) aircraft mission, formaldehyde (CH₂O) and acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO) were measured along with an extensive suite of other atmospheric parameters. CH₃CHO was measured with two different instruments, one developed by NCAR and …

A single Doppler radar wind retrieval technique, Ground Based Velocity Track Display (GBVTD), was used to retrieve the primary circulation of Hurricane Bret. Radar data from Brownsville (KBRO) and Corpus Christi (KCRP), TX from 22:22:32 UTC to 23:03:03 UTC were used in the application of GBVTD and t…

Tropospheric ozone (O₃) is one of the most important atmospheric constituents. It is fundamental in determining oxidation processes in the atmosphere. It also severs as a major greenhouse gas, thus playing a key role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Recent research had revealed springtime oz…

The Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) too place between 17 May 2000 and 20 July 2000 in eastern Colorado and western Kansas. One goal of STEPS is to find a relationship between the microphysics and dynamics of severe storms on the High Plains and their unusual posit…

Atmospheric scientists have used the global climate models for the past 35 years to obtain a better understanding of the earth's climate. However, due to the spatial and temporal resolution or moist processes such as rain rates, clouds and cloud water, these processes have not been accurately resolv…

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases that influence the chemical composition of the atmosphere. In a high nitrogen oxide environment VOCs facilitate higher ozone formation and thus can be a hazard to human and plant health. Most VOC studies focus on VOCs produced by trees but little is known …

Ozone is an important atmospheric gas that has positive and negatives effects on the Earth System. Recent studies have demonstrated that the total amount of ozone in the troposphere has increased by 36% since 1750. These changes are of concern because tropospheric ozone is a toxic or dangerous gas t…

Our scientific understanding of global warming greatly depends on our ability to accurately measure the concentrations and fluxes of the carbon in the atmosphere. NOAA's CO2 measuring site network is randomly arranged around the globe. In this project, we redesigned this network through the use of t…

The Global Positioning System is a navigational tool developed by the U.S Department of Defense to help determine position, time, and velocity on or above the surface of the earth. Most of the positioning work is done with the transfer of radio signals from satellites to receivers. Since the launchi…

Our understanding of the troposphere and stratosphere when compared to our knowledge of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT ~80-110 km) region is limited. This research attempts to fill this observational knowledge gap by helping in the development of a new 40.475MHz meteor radar located at P…

Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced in the thermosphere as well as in other layers of the atmosphere, is known to destroy stratospheric ozone. Production of NO in the thermosphere is proportional to the amount of available solar energy, which fluctuates due to long-term variability such as the 11-y…

Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and also one of the most polluted. It routinely exceeds standards for tropospheric ozone (O₃). O₃ is created by the oxidation of hydrocarbons in the presence of nitrogen oxides NOx (= NO + NO₂) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Mexico City's locati…

Global levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been monitored for over 40 years, yet the regional carbon dioxide emissions are still poorly analyzed. In order to effectively study the global carbon cycle one must have sufficient data collected from measuring networks. In May 2002, NCAR held a work…

Distribution of pollution concentration is dependent on turbulent conditions of the atmosphere. Turbulence found in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) is both thermally generated and wind shear driven; it can be viewed as random motion consisting of different size eddies. The purpose of this researc…

Variations in the earth's magnetic field have been measured for over a century with the aid of magnetometers. The major contributors to the earth's magnetic field are the electric currents within the earth's interior because the earth is a conductor. Although the electric currents within the earth c…

Radar and lightning data sets were collected during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) stationed on the High Plains. This study documents the results of data analysis of 14 storms, 2 with no lightning detected, for which data were collected as part of this study.…

Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) observations of carbon monoxide (CO) data from March to December 2000 are used to study profiles of CO over five urban/industrial regions in the northern and southern hemisphere. The five cities/regions vary in population size, population density…

The purpose of this research is to improve spatial estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE) from passive microwave sensors. U.S. Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) data are used as ground truth to improve the western U.S. SWE estimates from …