Validation of AIRS version 6 temperature profiles and surface‐based inversions over Antarctica using Concordiasi dropsonde data

Boylan, Patrick; Wang, Junhong; Cohn, Stephen A.; Fetzer, Eric J.; Maddy, Eric; Wong, Sun

doi:10.1002/2014jd022551

Cited by 30 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Since observations are scarcely available in the Antarctic, satellite data are the main observational data sources in the region. The cold bias (0–2 K) seen on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and above 1000 m on the eastern side is consistent with the cold bias found in the satellite data (Wang et al , ; Boylan et al , ). This can be an indication that the cold bias in the satellite data contributes to the cold bias of the reanalyses.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Validation of eight atmospheric reanalyses in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Nygård

Vihma

Birnbaum

et al. 2015

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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Eight atmospheric reanalyses were compared against observed vertical profiles of temperature, specific humidity and wind speed collected by two research aircraft in February-March 2010 in the Antarctic Peninsula region. These data offered a rare possibility to validate reanalyses against independent in-situ data which have not been assimilated into the reanalyses. The reanalyses had generally too moist profiles with too low wind speeds, but otherwise the errors in the reanalyses had large spatial differences. On the eastern side of the peninsula, the near-surface temperatures were largely overestimated. None of the reanalysis outperformed the others in all variables, at all altitudes and on both sides of the peninsula. Generally, NCEP-CFSR and MERRA had the smallest errors in temperature profiles, JRA-55 had marginally the most accurate specific humidity profiles and NCEP-CFSR had the best wind profiles. The reanalyses were coherent, although biased, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, but on the eastern side the spread was large. All the reanalyses underestimated the variability between the individual profiles of temperature and wind speed. The modern reanalyses with a sufficient spatial resolution and an adequate data assimilation method outperformed the others, especially on the eastern side.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Validation of eight atmospheric reanalyses in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Nygård

Vihma

Birnbaum

et al. 2015

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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“…Next, temperature profiles from the IASI satellite instrument and the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data products are compared to the dropsonde data to determine their ability to accurately measure temperature and to detect and characterize SBIs. This analysis extends previous comparisons between the Concordiasi data set and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite instrument [ Boylan et al , ]. Such comparisons can be used to increase understanding of the Antarctic boundary layer, validate satellite and reanalysis products, and ultimately provide an understanding of Antarctic SBI characteristics that can be used by modelers for improved model performance and climate prediction.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Identification and intercomparison of surface‐based inversions over Antarctica from IASI, ERA‐Interim, and Concordiasi dropsonde data

et al. 2016

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Surface-based temperature inversions (SBIs) occur frequently over Antarctica and play an important role in climate and weather. Antarctic SBIs are examined during the austral spring of 2010 using measurements from dropsondes, ERA-Interim Atmospheric Reanalysis Model, and the recently released version 6 of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) level 2 product. A SBI detection algorithm is applied to temperature profiles from these data sets. The results will be used to determine if satellite and reanalysis products can accurately characterize SBIs, and if so, then they may be used to study SBIs outside of the spring 2010 study period. From the dropsonde data, SBIs occur in 20% of profiles over sea ice and 54% of profiles over land. IASI and ERA-Interim surface air temperatures are found to be significantly warmer than dropsonde observations at high plateau regions, while IASI surface air temperatures are colder over sea ice. IASI and ERA-Interim have a cold bias at nearly all levels above the surface when compared to the dropsonde. SBIs are characterized by their frequency, depth, and intensity. It is found that SBIs are more prevalent, deeper, and more intense over the continent than over sea ice, especially at higher surface elevations. Using IASI and ERA-Interim data the detection algorithm has a high probability of detection of SBIs but is found to severely overestimate the depth and underestimate the intensity for both data sets. These overestimation and underestimation are primarily due to the existence of extremely shallow inversion layers that neither satellite nor reanalysis products can resolve.The scientific objective of the Concordiasi field campaign was to combine innovative measurements and modeling for better analysis and prediction of weather over Antarctica [Rabier et al., 2010;Wang et al., 2013]. Dropsondes deployed from the driftsonde system provided temperature profiles during the Austral BOYLAN ET AL.SURFACE-BASED INVERSIONS OVER ANTARCTICA 9089

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“…() used a threshold of 100 m, while Boylan et al . () used 40 m. We used a 10 m threshold following Vihma et al . ().…”

Section: Analysis Methods and Inversion Detectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering satellite remote sensing, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument has a less good vertical resolution than the above‐mentioned instruments, but provides more reliable mean inversion strength than global climate models at high latitudes (Pavelsky et al ., ). Compared with high‐resolution dropsonde data over Antarctica from the Concordiasi field experiment, AIRS detected most of the surface‐based inversions but systematically underestimated inversion strengths (Boylan et al ., ). The method so far most utilized in Antarctic temperature inversion studies is based on radiosonde soundings (Phillpot and Zillman, ; Connolley, ; Andreas et al ., ; Hudson and Brandt, ; Zhang et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Properties and temporal variability of summertime temperature inversions over Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Nygård

Tisler

Vihma

et al. 2016

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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The occurrence, properties and temporal variations of temperature inversions over Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, were examined on the basis of tethersonde and 10 m tower measurements during the austral summer 2010-2011. Temperature inversions occurred in 96% of the observed tethersonde profiles, and a surface-based inversion in 58% of the profiles. Although the sun did not set during the study period, the amplitude of solar radiation was large enough to generate a diurnal cycle in near-surface temperatures, temperature gradients and inversion properties. However, daytime heating was not strong enough to destroy the entire inversion layer and therefore a long-living inversion layer often persisted, the lowest part of which strengthened during the nights. The surfacebased inversions were strongly curved, with large negative values of the scaled curvature parameter. The majority of temperature change with height took place within the lowest ≈5-25 m (so-called strong inversion layer), and in the thicker part of the inversion above the temperature gradient was close to zero. The temporal evolution of near-surface temperature at fixed levels was notably affected by temporal changes of the depth of the strong inversion layer. A case-study, focusing on a typical nocturnal evolution of a surface-based inversion, demonstrated a deepening of the inversion layer during the night, presumably caused by radiative cooling at the top of the layer. Closer to the surface, where the temperature inversion was strongest, the warmer overlying layers caused a long-wave warming that probably compensated the large near-surface cooling due to sensible heat divergence. The factors most strongly favouring strong inversions with low base temperatures were the time of the day (early morning), a small cloud fraction, weak winds, and an air-mass of continental origin.

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Validation of AIRS version 6 temperature profiles and surface‐based inversions over Antarctica using Concordiasi dropsonde data

Cited by 30 publications

References 51 publications

Validation of eight atmospheric reanalyses in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Validation of eight atmospheric reanalyses in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Identification and intercomparison of surface‐based inversions over Antarctica from IASI, ERA‐Interim, and Concordiasi dropsonde data

Properties and temporal variability of summertime temperature inversions over Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

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