We discuss the spectroscopic requirements for a laser absorption spectrometer (LAS) approach to high-precision carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements in the troposphere. Global-scale, high-precision CO2 measurements are highly desirable in an effort to improve understanding and quantification of the CO2 sources and sinks and their impact on global climate. We present differential absorption sounding...

The role of asymmetries (large-scde horizontal eddies) in satisfying the mean angular momentum budget for the steady-state hurricane is studied by computing transverse circulations for a prescribed tangential vortex on the scale of 1000 km. For realistic diabatic heating rates at large distances from the hurricane center, the correlation between radial velocity and absolute vorticity must be ne...

The radiative balance of the troposphere, and hence global climate, is dominated by the infrared absorption and emission of water vapor, particularly at far-infrared (far-IR) wavelengths from 15-50 μm. Current and planned satellites observe the infrared region to about 15.4 μm, leaving spectral measurement of the far-IR region unsupported. The far-infrared spectroscopy of the troposphere (FIRST...

A method is introduced for diagnosing a transilient matrix for moist convection. This transilient matrix quantifies the nonlocal transport of air by convective eddies: for every height z, it gives the distribution of starting heights z9 for the eddies that arrive at z. In a cloud-resolving simulation of deep convection, the transilient matrix shows that two-thirds of the subcloud air convecting...

Oxidized mercury (Hg(II)) is chemically produced in the atmosphere by oxidation of elemental mercury and is directly emitted by anthropogenic activities. We use the GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model with gaseous oxidation driven by Br atoms to quantify how surface deposition of Hg(II) is influenced by Hg(II) production at different atmospheric heights. We tag Hg(II) chemically produced ...

Unexpectedly high concentrations of ultrafine particles were observed over a wide range of latitudes in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Particle number concentrations and size distributions simulated by a numerical model of ion-induced nucleation, constrained by measured thermodynamic data and observed atmospheric key species, were consistent with the observations. These findings ...

Ozonolysis is a major removal mechanism in the troposphere for unsaturated hydrocarbons which are emitted in large quantities from both natural and human sources. Now it is generally accepted that ozonolysis of alkenes proceeds via Criegee intermediates, highly reactive species postulated in 1949 by Rudolf Criegee. In the troposphere, Criegee intermediates are involved in several important atmo...

Saturn's poles exhibit an unexpected symmetry in hot, cyclonic polar vortices, despite huge seasonal differences in solar flux. The cores of both vortices are depleted in phosphine gas, probably resulting from subsidence of air into the troposphere. The warm cores are present throughout the upper troposphere and stratosphere at both poles. The thermal structure associated with the marked hexago...

This theoretical study is carried out to investigate the effect of radiation on ice crystal spectrum in the upper troposphere. First, an explicit expression is obtained for the ice crystal growth rate that takes account of radiative and kinetic effects. Second, the expression is used to quantitatively analyse how radiation broadens the ice crystal spectrum and then to reveal a new precipitation...