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Air Pollution in the Upper Troposphere
Contact: Nathaniel Livesey


Summary

MLS observations of ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) provide important information on the chemical and transport processes affecting air pollution in the upper troposphere (~10-15km altitude). CO is a byproduct of combustion associated with both vehicles and industry and with forest fires and domestic fires using for cooking and heating. CO is also produced when other organic molecules in the atmoshpere break down. CO has a lifetime of about a month in the upper troposphere, making it a good marker of recently polluted air. O3 forms down wind of pollution sources, and is the result of the reaction of 'NOx' species (typically emitted from industry and cars, or formed in lightning flashes) with breakdown products from organic species (emitted from industrial and natural sources). Ozone is an important contributor to poor air quality and has a strong daily cycle in the lowest ~2km of the atmosphere. However, its chemical lifetime can be over a month once it is transported to higher altitudes. Descent of ozone-rich air from the stratosphere can increase tropospheric ozone. MLS also measures nitric acid (HNO3) in the upper troposphere, giving information on 'NOx' pollution for which it is an end product.

Air can be transported into the upper troposphere by weather fronts and, particularly rapidly, by the strong convection in thunderstorms. Winds are typically stronger at these higher altitudes. This means that, once lofted to higher altitudes, polluted air can be transported on intercontinental and global scales. Observations from MLS and other sensors regularly show that pollution emitted from one region of the planet affects the air quality above other regions and countries.


MLS-related publications concerning air pollution in the upper troposphere

Future Publications

  1. Huang, J., "Large-Scale Covariability between Aerosol and Precipitation Over the 7-SEAS Region: Observations and Simulations", Not yet published. Reprint Supplemental

2011

  1. Doughty, D.C., "An intercomparison of tropospheric ozone retrievals derived from two Aura instruments and measurements in western North America in 2006", vol doi:10.1029/2010JD014703, num 116, 2011. Preprint
  2. Gettelman, A., "The Extratropical Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere", num 49, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  3. Gu, Y., "Dust aerosol impact on North Africa climate: a GCM investigation of aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions using A-Train satellite data", vol doi:10.5194/acpd-11-31401-2011, pgs. 11, 2011.
  4. Huang, L., "Geographic and seasonal distributions of CO transport pathways and their roles in determining CO centers in the upper troposphere", vol doi:10.5194/acpd-11-32423-2011, num 11, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  5. Pumphrey, H.C., "Microwave Limb Sounder observations of biomass-burning products from the Australian bush fires of February 2009", vol doi:10.5194/acp-11-6285-2011, num 11, pgs. 2, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  6. Wu, L., "Regional simulations of deep convection and biomass burning over South America: 1. Model evaluations using multiple satellite data sets", vol doi:10.1029/2011JD016105, num 116, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  7. Wu, L., "Regional simulations of deep convection and biomass burning over South America: 2. Biomass burning aerosol effects on clouds and precipitation", vol doi:10.1029/2011JD016106, num 116, 2011. Reprint Preprint
  8. Zhang, L., "Impacts of 2006 Indonesian fires and dynamics on tropical upper tropospheric carbon monoxide and ozone", vol doi:10.5194/acp-11-10929-2011, pgs. 11, 2011. Preprint

2010

  1. Huang, M., "Impacts of transported background ozone on California air quality during the ARCTAS-CARB period - a multi-scale modeling study", num 10, 2010. Reprint Preprint
  2. Luo, M., "Interpretation of Aura satellite observations of CO and aerosol index related to the December 2006 Australia fires", vol doi:10.1016/j.rse.2010.07.003, num 114, 2010. Reprint Preprint

2009

  1. Jiang, J.H., "Aerosol-CO relationship and aerosol effect on Ice cloud particle size: Analyses from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer observations", vol doi:10.1029/2009JD012421, num 114, 2009. Reprint Preprint
  2. Pumphrey, H.C., "An all-sky survey at 230 GHz by MLS on Aura", vol doi:101016/j.asr.2008.11.010, num 43, 2009. Reprint Preprint
  3. Worden, J., "Observed vertical distribution of tropospheric ozone during the Asian summertime monsoon", vol doi:10.1029/2008JD010560, num 114, 2009. Reprint Preprint

2008

  1. Barret, B., "Transport pathways of CO in the African upper troposphere during the monsoon season: a study based upon the assimilation of spaceborne observations", num 8, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  2. Jiang, J.H., "Clean and polluted clouds: relationships among pollution, ice cloud and precipitation in South America", vol doi:10.1029/2008GL034631, num 35, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  3. Livesey, N.J., "Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder O3 and CO observations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008805, num 113, 2008. Reprint Preprint
  4. Pumphrey, H.C., "The tropical tape recorder observed in HCN", vol doi:10.1029/2007GL032137, num 35, 2008. Reprint Preprint

2007

  1. Jiang, J.H., "Connecting surface emissions, convective uplifting, and long-range transport of carbon monoxide in the upper-troposphere: New observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder", vol doi:10.1029/2007GL030638, num 34, 2007. Reprint Preprint
  2. Jiang, Y.B., "Validation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Ozone by Ozonesonde and Lidar Measurements", vol doi:10.1029/2007JD008776, num 112, 2007. Reprint Preprint
  3. Park, M., "Transport above the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone inferred from Aura MLS tracers", vol doi:10.1029/2006JD008294, num 112, 2007. Reprint Preprint
  4. Zhang, R., "Intensification of Pacific storm track linked to Asian pollution", vol doi:10.1073/pnas.0700618104, num 104, pgs. 13, 2007. Preprint

2005

  1. Filipiak, M.J., "Carbon Monoxide Measured by the EOS Microwave Limb Sounder on Aura: First Results", vol doi:10.1029/2005GL022765, num 32, 2005. Preprint

2004

  1. Livesey, N.J., "Enhancements in lower stratospheric CH3CN observed by UARS MLS fillowing boreal forest fires", vol doi:10.1029/2003JD004055, num 109, 2004. Preprint


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