The increase in stratospheric water vapor from balloonborne, frostpoint hygrometer measurements at Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado

Oltmans, S. J.; Vömel, H.; Hofmann, D. J.; Rosenlof, Karen H.; Kley, D.

doi:10.1029/2000gl012133

Cited by 227 publications

(219 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Since then the water vapor concentrations in the lower stratosphere have decreased. 16,[24][25][26] It has been suggested that this trend has persisted for the last 40 years of the 20th century. 23 Forster and Shine 23 calculated the atmospheric temperature response to changes in stratospheric water vapor over the last 20 years of the 20th century using observed water vapor trends.…”

Section: Broader Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[18][19][20][21][22][23] In simulations, Forster and Shine 23 (2002) calculated a cooling of about 0.8 K in the tropical lower stratosphere and up to 1.4 K at high latitudes for a 1980 background stratosphere for a homogeneous stratospheric water vapor increase of about 1 ppmv in the lower stratosphere. 16,[24][25][26] However, it was shown that a computed stratospheric temperature change caused by increasing stratospheric water vapor is strongly dependent on the temporal and spatial variation of stratospheric water vapor changes. 22,63,64 A more realistic change in the stratospheric water vapor profiles yields a weaker stratospheric cooling than for a constant profile.…”

Section: Impact On Ozone-climate Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…23 Forster and Shine 23 calculated the atmospheric temperature response to changes in stratospheric water vapor over the last 20 years of the 20th century using observed water vapor trends. 16,[24][25][26] The associated forcing since 1960 is about 40% of the forcing due to the well-mixed greenhouse gases, or about 75% of the forcing due to CO 2 alone. 23 In a more recent study, Solomon et al 27 (2010) concluded that such long-term variations in stratospheric water (time scales of decades) represent an important driver of decadal global surface climate change.…”

Section: Broader Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3b) are relatively low (up to z0.2 ppmv) compared to decadal changes of stratospheric water vapor in the mid-latitude lower stratosphere (z1 ppmv) observed in the last twenty years of the 20th century. 16,[24][25][26] Scenario S4 yields up to z0.5 ppmv additional water vapor mixing ratios in the high-latitude lower stratosphere, but is regarded as unrealistic (see Section 2). Because enhanced stratospheric water vapor caused by a possible future hydrogen economy has a systematic impact on the stratosphere which is superimposed by the long-term variability of the stratosphere, there is a need for further analysis.…”

Section: Impact On Stratospheric Water Vapormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, it should be noted that the observed water vapor increase of around 1 ppmv in the lower stratosphere in the last twenty years of the 20th century is too large to be attributed to methane oxidation alone. 16,[24][25][26] Thus, further mechanisms are proposed that can be linked to other external forcing agents or are related to changes in tropopause temperatures and circulation. 16 A stratospheric water vapor increase caused by a potential future hydrogen economy is most likely of minor importance for stratospheric cooling compared to other stratospheric water vapor sources.…”

Section: Impact On Ozone-climate Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of a possible future global hydrogen economy on Arctic stratospheric ozone loss

Vogel¹,

Feck²,

Grooß³

et al. 2012

Energy Environ. Sci.

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Section: Broader Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact On Ozone-climate Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Broader Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact On Stratospheric Water Vapormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact On Ozone-climate Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of a possible future global hydrogen economy on Arctic stratospheric ozone loss

Vogel¹,

Feck²,

Grooß³

et al. 2012

Energy Environ. Sci.

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Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder stratospheric water vapor measurements by the NOAA frost point hygrometer

et al. 2014

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Differences between stratospheric water vapor measurements by NOAA frost point hygrometers (FPHs) and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are evaluated for the period August 2004 through December 2012 at Boulder, Colorado, Hilo, Hawaii, and Lauder, New Zealand. Two groups of MLS profiles coincident with the FPH soundings at each site are identified using unique sets of spatiotemporal criteria. Before evaluating the differences between coincident FPH and MLS profiles, each FPH profile is convolved with the MLS averaging kernels for eight pressure levels from 100 to 26 hPa (~16 to 25 km) to reduce its vertical resolution to that of the MLS water vapor retrievals. The mean FPH À MLS differences at every pressure level (100 to 26 hPa) are well within the combined measurement uncertainties of the two instruments. However, the mean differences at 100 and 83 hPa are statistically significant and negative, ranging from À0.46 ± 0.22 ppmv (À10.3 ± 4.8%) to À0.10 ± 0.05 ppmv (À2.2 ± 1.2%). Mean differences at the six pressure levels from 68 to 26 hPa are on average 0.8% (0.04 ppmv), and only a few are statistically significant. The FPH À MLS differences at each site are examined for temporal trends using weighted linear regression analyses. The vast majority of trends determined here are not statistically significant, and most are smaller than the minimum trends detectable in this analysis. Except at 100 and 83 hPa, the average agreement between MLS retrievals and FPH measurements of stratospheric water vapor is better than 1%.

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Evaluation of UT/LS hygrometer accuracy by intercomparison during the NASA MACPEX mission

Rollins

Thornberry

Gao

et al. 2014

J. Geophys. Res. Atmos.

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Acquiring accurate measurements of water vapor at the low mixing ratios (< 10 ppm) encountered in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) has proven to be a significant analytical challenge evidenced by persistent disagreements between high-precision hygrometers. These disagreements have caused uncertainties in the description of the physical processes controlling dehydration of air in the tropical tropopause layer and entry of water into the stratosphere and have hindered validation of satellite water vapor retrievals. A 2011 airborne intercomparison of a large group of in situ hygrometers onboard the NASA WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft and balloons has provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate progress in the scientific community toward improved measurement agreement. In this work we intercompare the measurements from the Midlatitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX) and discuss the quality of agreement. Differences between values reported by the instruments were reduced in comparison to some prior campaigns but were nonnegligible and on the order of 20% (0.8 ppm). Our analysis suggests that unrecognized errors in the quantification of instrumental background for some or all of the hygrometers are a likely cause. Until these errors are understood, differences at this level will continue to somewhat limit our understanding of cirrus microphysical processes and dehydration in the tropical tropopause layer.

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The increase in stratospheric water vapor from balloonborne, frostpoint hygrometer measurements at Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado

Cited by 227 publications

References 22 publications

Impact of a possible future global hydrogen economy on Arctic stratospheric ozone loss

Impact of a possible future global hydrogen economy on Arctic stratospheric ozone loss

Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder stratospheric water vapor measurements by the NOAA frost point hygrometer

Evaluation of UT/LS hygrometer accuracy by intercomparison during the NASA MACPEX mission

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