Transport timescales and tracer properties in the extratropical UTLS

A comprehensive evaluation of seasonal backward trajectories initialized in the Northern Hemisphere lowermost stratosphere (LMS) has been performed to investigate the origin of air parcels and the main mechanisms determining characteristic structures in H2O and CO within the LMS. In particular we explain the fundamental role of the transit time since last tropopause crossing (tTST) for the chemical structure of the LMS as well as the feature of the extra-tropical tropopause transition layer (ExTL) as identified from CO profiles. The distribution of H2O in the background LMS above Θ=320 K and 340 K in northern winter and summer, respectively, is found to be governed mainly by the saturation mixing ratio, which in turn is determined by the Lagrangian Cold Point (LCP) encountered by each trajectory. Most of the backward trajectories from this region in the LMS experienced their LCP in the tropics and sub-tropics. The transit time since crossing the tropopause from the troposphere to the stratosphere (tTST) is independent of the H2O value of the air parcel. TST often occurs 20 days after trajectories have encountered their LCP. CO, on the other hand, depends strongly on tTST due to its finite lifetime. The ExTL as identified from CO measurements is then explained as a layer of air just above the tropopause, which on average encountered TST fairly recently

Weniger intensiv ist der Trend bei der Bodenbearbeitung

Nicht alle Bioackerbauern bearbeiten ihren Boden gleich intensiv. Zwischen Direktsaat und herkömmlichem Pflugeinsatz gibt es praktikable Zwischenstufen

Determination of eddy-diffusivity in the lowermost stratosphere

We present a 2D-advection-diffusion model that simulates the main transport pathways influencing tracer distributions in the lowermost stratosphere (LMS). The model describes slow diabatic descent of aged stratospheric air, vertical (cross-isentropic) and horizontal (along isentropes) diffusion within the LMS and across the tropopause using equivalent latitude and potential temperature coordinates. Eddy diffusion coefficients parameterize the integral effect of dynamical processes leading to small scale turbulence and mixing. They were specified by matching model simulations to observed CO distributions. Interestingly, the model suggests mixing across isentropes to be more important than horizontal mixing across surfaces of constant equivalent latitude, shining new light on the interplay between various transport mechanisms in the LMS. The model achieves a good description of the small scale tracer features at the tropopause with squared correlation coefficients R2 = 0.72…0.94

SPARC Data Initiative: climatology uncertainty assessment

The SPARC Data Initiative aims to produce trace gas climatologies for a number of species from a number of instruments. In order to properly compare these climatologies, and interpret differences between them, it is necessary to know the uncertainty in each calculated climatological mean field. The inhomogeneous and finite temporal-spatial sampling pattern of each instrument can lead to biases and uncertainties in the mean climatologies. Sampling which is unevenly weighted in time and space leads to biases between a data set's climatology and the truth. Furthermore, the systematic sampling patterns of some instruments may mean that uncertainties in mean fields calculated through traditional methods that assume random sampling may be inappropriate. We aim to address these issues through an exercise wherein high resolution chemical fields from a coupled Chemistry Climate Model are sub-sampled based on the sampling pattern of each instrument. Climatologies based on the sub-sampled data can be compared to those calculated with the full data set, in order to assess sampling biases. Furthermore, investigating the ensemble variability of climatologies based on subsampled fields will allow us to assess the proper methodology for estimating the uncertainty in climatological mean fields

Redukované zpracování půdy. Možnosti využití pro ekologické zemědělství.

Bioinstitut vydal překlad praktické příručky (orig. FiBL Reduzierte Bodenbearbeitung, 2014), ve které je představeno redukované zpracování půdy jako důležitý příspěvek k zachování půdní úrodnosti. Šetrné hospodaření, s ohledem na půdní strukturu i organismy vyžaduje, s ohledem na lokalitu, upustit od hlubokého a intenzivního kypření. V publikaci jsou popsány výhody a požadavky spojené s redukovaným zpracováním půdy a představeny různé metody použití a mechanizace vhodné pro redukované zpracování půdy v podmínkách ekologického zemědělství

Seasonal and regional variations of long-term changes in upper-tropospheric jets from reanalyses

Long-term changes in upper-tropospheric jet latitude, altitude, and strength are assessed using five modern reanalyses: MERRA, MERRA-2, ERA-Interim, JRA-55, and NCEP CFSR. Changes are computed from jet locations evaluated daily at each longitude to analyze regional and seasonal variations. The changes in subtropical and polar (eddy driven) jets are evaluated separately. Good agreement among the reanalyses in many regions and seasons provides confidence in the robustness of the diagnosed trends. Jet shifts show strong regional and seasonal variations, resulting in changes that are not robust in zonal or annual means. Robust changes in the subtropical jet indicate tropical widening over Africa except during Northern Hemisphere (NH) spring, and tropical narrowing over the eastern Pacific in NH winter. The Southern Hemisphere (SH) polar jet shows a robust poleward shift, while the NH polar jet shifts equatorward in most regions/seasons. Both subtropical and polar jet altitudes typically increase; these changes are more robust in theNHthan in the SH. Subtropical jet wind speeds have generally increased in winter and decreased in summer, while polar jet wind speeds have weakened (strengthened) over Africa and eastern Asia (elsewhere) during winter in both hemispheres. The Asian monsoon has increased in area and appears to have shifted slightly westward toward Africa. Our results highlight the importance of understanding regional and seasonal variations when quantifying long-term changes in jet locations, the mechanisms for those changes, and their potential human impacts. Comparison of multiple reanalyses is a valuable tool for assessing the robustness of jet changes

Efficient age determination: how freezing affects eye lens weight of the small rodent species Arvicola terrestris

Age determination of animals by measuring the weight of their eye lenses is a widely used method in wildlife biology. In general, it is recommended to prepare lenses immediately after trapping to avoid errors in the age estimation due to decomposition of lens tissue. However, in many field studies, large numbers of animals need to be trapped over long periods of time in huge areas and by many different field workers. Therefore, the immediate preparation of eye lenses imposes a considerable logistic constraint that could be avoided by prior freezing of trapped animals. To assess the impact of freezing, weights of lens of frozen and unfrozen eyes of 114 Arvicola terrestris were compared pair wise. The frozen lenses weighed at average 3.3% (95% CI: 2.4-4.1%) more than the unfrozen ones from the same animals. Freezing time, weight of lenses and mean temperature of the trapping day as an indicator of decomposition speed did not affect the freezing-induced weight increase. Age estimates based on weights of unfrozen lenses varied between 24 and 445days. Estimates based on frozen lenses were systematically higher. Applying a constant correction factor of 1.033−1 for the weight of frozen lenses corrects this overestimation of age. We conclude that age determination with frozen lenses of small rodents can yield valid age estimates if a correction factor for freezing is applied. Thus, age determination can be organised much more efficiently in field studies, which is highly advantageous for many ecological, agricultural and epidemiological research project

In-situ comparison of the NOy instruments flown in MOZAIC and SPURT

Two aircraft instruments for the measurement of total odd nitrogen (NOy) were compared side by side aboard a Learjet A35 in April 2003 during a campaign of the AFO2000 project SPURT (Spurengastransport in der Tropopausenregion). The instruments albeit employing the same measurement principle (gold converter and chemiluminescence) had different inlet configurations. The ECO-Physics instrument operated by ETH-Zürich in SPURT had the gold converter mounted outside the aircraft, whereas the instrument operated by FZ-Jülich in the European project MOZAIC III (Measurements of ozone, water vapour, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides aboard Airbus A340 in-service aircraft) employed a Rosemount probe with 80 cm of FEP-tubing connecting the inlet to the gold converter. The NOy concentrations during the flight ranged between 0.3 and 3 ppb. The two data sets were compared in a blind fashion and each team followed its normal operating procedures. On average, the measurements agreed within 7%, i.e. within the combined uncertainty of the two instruments. This puts an upper limit on potential losses of HNO3 in the Rosemount inlet of the MOZAIC instrument. Larger transient deviations were observed during periods after calibrations and when the aircraft entered the stratosphere. The time lag of the MOZAIC instrument observed in these instances is in accordance with the time constant of the MOZAIC inlet line determined in the laboratory for HNO3