Category Archives: News

GCOS conference – save the date

The conference Global Climate Observation: the Road to the Future will be held from 2-4 March 2016 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The conference provides an opportunity to shape the new GCOS implementation plan. The main goals of the meeting are to

  • show how ECVs have helped shaping our understanding of climate
  • discuss observations for adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction
  • identify critical gaps in the observing system
  • identify future areas for the use and development of new technology.

The main outcome should be a list of priority and additional actions that can be included in a new GCOS Implementation plan. Guidance on how GCOS should align its work plan with other related climate policy activities (RAMSAR, CBD, etc) and work programmes is also expected.

Registration opens on 15 October 2015.

For further information find GCOS conference website.

SPARC Science Update: 1-7 August

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Merging the OSIRIS and SAGE II stratospheric aerosol records. By L.A. Rieger et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Atlantic opportunities for ENSO prediction. By M. Martín-Reyin et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Solar influences on spatial patterns of Eurasian winter temperature and atmospheric general circulation anomalies. By H. Chen et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

GOMOS bright limb ozone data set. By S. Tukiaienen et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Indian Monsoon and the Elevated-Heat-Pump Mechanism in a Coupled Aerosol-Climate Model. By M. D’Errico et al in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Connection of predictability of major stratospheric sudden warmings to polar vortex geometry. By M. Taguchi in Atmospheric Research Letters.

Mechanisms of Stratospheric and Tropospheric Circulation Response to Projected Arctic Sea Ice Loss. By L. Sun et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Discussion papers – open for comment

On the emissions and transport of bromoform: sensitivity to model resolution and emission location. By M.R. Russo et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Meteorological constraints on oceanic halocarbons above the Peruvian Upwelling. By S. Fuhlbrügge et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

How to most effectively expand the global surface ozone observing network. By E.D. Sofen et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

SPARC Workshop on Atmospheric Blocking to be held in Reading, UK, from 6-8 April 2016

Abstract submission and travel support application deadline: 10 December 2015. Registration deadline: 10 February 2016.

A workshop focussing on atmospheric blocking will be held at the University of Reading from the 6th to the 8th of April 2016. The topics will focus on:

  • the different diagnostic tools used to identify blocking;
  • the past trends in blocking frequency and links with extreme weather conditions;
  • the representation of blocking in the NWP and climate models and its response to forcings.

This will be a unique opportunity to bring together members of the climate and weather community as well as fundamental and applied researcher working on blocking-related topics.

For more information see the workshop webpage.

SPARC Science Update: 25-31 July

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Future Directions for the World Climate Research Programme. By G. Brasseur and D. Carlson in EOS.

On the accuracy of stratospheric aerosol extinction derived from in situ size distribution measurements and surface area density derived from remote SAGE II and HALOE extinction measurements. By M. Kovilakam and T. Deshler in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Decadal hindcasts initialised using observed surface wind stress: Evaluation and Prediction out to 2024. By M. Thoma et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Temporal variations of flux and altitude of sulfur dioxide emissions during volcanic eruptions: implications for long-range dispersal of volcanic clouds. By M. Boichu et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

A tropospheric chemistry reanalysis for the years 2005–2012 based on an assimilation of OMI, MLS, TES, and MOPITT satellite data. By K. Miyazaki et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Stratospheric response to intraseasonal changes in incoming solar radiation. By C.I. Garfinkel et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Self Acceleration and Instability of Gravity Wave Packets: 1. Effects of Temporal Localization. By D.C. Fritts et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Two decades of water vapor measurements with the FISH fluorescence hygrometer: a review. By J. Meyer et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Extended and refined multi sensor reanalysis of total ozone for the period 1970–2012. By R.J. van der A et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Global distributions of overlapping gravity waves in HIRDLS data. By C.J. Wright et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Discussion papers – open for comment

The imprint of stratospheric transport on column-averaged methane. By A. Ostler et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Implications of model bias in carbon monoxide for methane lifetime. By S.A. Strode et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

SPARC Workshop on “Solving the Mystery of Carbon Tetrachloride” in Zurich, 5-6 Oct 2015

Abstract submission deadline: 31 July 2015, Registration deadline: 24 Aug 2015

Description:

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 or CTC) is a major ozone-depleting substance and greenhouse gas. However, estimated CTC sources and sinks are inconsistent with abundance observations. Recent work suggests that there is a large unknown CTC source of about
39 Gg yr-1 and a 35-year lifetime. This workshop’s purpose is to bring together science, industry, and technology experts to exchange information and to coordinate research activities across disciplines for fully closing the CTC budget. This workshop will involve solicited and submitted presentations related to all aspects of the CTC problem.


Topics:

1. Emissions or Sources:

  • CTC consumption and production for both historic and current usage
  • CTC feedstock usage, and potential fugitive emissions
  • Legacy emissions from brown-field sites
  • Top-down global and regional emissions estimate for CTC

2. Loss Processes: Photochemical, ocean, and soil losses of CTC

3. Observations: CTC measurements from ground stations, aircraft, balloon, satellite,
and ships to constrain the CTC budget

4. Modeling: Reconciling the emission and loss processes of CTC with observations in a global modeling perspective

Invited Keynote Speakers:

David Sherry (Nolan Sherry & Associates Ltd., UK): Industrial usage of CTC
Lambert Kujipers (TEAP/UNEP, NL): Production and emissions
Matt Rigby (University of Bristol, UK): Top-down emissions estimate for CTC
Jim Butler (NOAA, USA): Ocean losses of CTC
Steve Montzka (NOAA, USA): Overview of CTC observations
Qing Liang (NASA/USRA, USA): Global modeling of CTC

The outcome of the workshop will be summarized in the SPARC newsletter. We will strongly encourage all participants to reformulate their presentations into written papers. From these presentation and papers, we plan to organize a peer-reviewed special issue on all aspects of the CTC problem.


Timeline:

31 July 2015: Abstract Deadline.

24 August 2015: Registration Deadline.

5-6 October 2015: Workshop


Meeting venue and logistics:

The workshop will be held at Empa and hotel room blocks are reserved at a nearby hotel (Hotel Sonnental).

Meeting fee: 250 CHF (will be collected in cash at the meeting).

Hotel Sonnental
Zürichstrasse 94 / 96
8600 Dübendorf
T +41 44 802 12 82
F +41 44 821 41 91

Organizing Committee:

Stefan Reimann (Empa, Switzerland), Paul Newman (NASA, USA),
Qing Liang (USRA/NASA, USA)

For more information on this SPARC activity, please visit the following link at: http://www.aparc-climate.org/activities/emerging-activities/

SPARC Science Update: 18-24 July

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

What controls stratospheric water vapor in the NH summer monsoon regions? By W.J. Randel et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Importance of latent heat release in ascending air streams for atmospheric blocking. By S. Pfahl et al. in Nature Geoscience.

Injection of iodine to the stratosphere. By A. Saiz-Lopez et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Sources of Seasonal Variability in Tropical UTLS Water Vapor and Ozone: Inferences from the Ticosonde Dataset at Costa Rica. By M.R. Schoeberl et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

The Interaction between the Tropopause Inversion Layer and the Inertial Gravity Wave activities revealed by radiosonde observations at a midlatitude station. By Y. Zhang et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Modeling and mechanisms of polar winter upper stratosphere lower mesosphere disturbances in WACCM. By K. Greer et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Tropospheric ozone variability in the tropics from ENSO to MJO and shorter timescales. By J.R. Ziemke et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Comparison of co-located independent ground-based middle-atmospheric wind and temperature measurements with Numerical Weather Prediction models. By A. Le Pichon et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Updated ozone absorption cross section will reduce air quality compliance. By E.D. Sofen et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Science Update: 11-17 July

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

The Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE): An Airborne and Ground-Based Exploration of Gravity Wave Propagation and Effects from their Sources throughout the Lower and Middle Atmosphere. By D. C. Fritts et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Comparing Sudden Stratospheric Warming Definitions in Reanalysis Data. By F.M. Palmeiro et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Impacts of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion and Recovery on Wave Propagation in the Boreal Winter Stratosphere. By D. Hu et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Effects of volcanism on tropical variability. By N. Maher et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

A coupled data assimilation system for climate reanalysis. By P. Laloyaux et al. in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Aircraft measurements of gravity waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during the START08 field experiment. By F. Zhang et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

An objective determination of optimal site locations for detecting expected trends in upper-air temperature and total column ozone. By K. Kreher et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

The southern stratospheric gravity wave hot spot: individual waves and their momentum fluxes measured by COSMIC GPS-RO. By N.P. Hindley et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Onset of circulation anomalies during stratospheric vortex weakening events: the role of planetary-scale waves. By P. Martineau and S.-W. Son in the Journal of Climate.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Evaluation of the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator Chemistry-Climate Model. By K.A. Stone et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Chemistry in the Urban Atmosphere Faraday Discussion in London, UK, 6-8 April 2016 – Call for Abstracts

Abstract deadline for oral presentations: 20 July 2015 (extended until 3 August.

IGAC is pleased to endorse the upcoming Chemistry in the Urban Atmosphere Faraday Discussion in order to help foster atmospheric chemistry research on urban air quality and health.

Please note that the abstract deadline of 20 July 2015 for oral presentation has been extended until 3 August.

For more information visit:
http://www.rsc.org/conferencesandevents/rscconferences/fd/atmosphere-fd2016/index.asp