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The Ross Island Meteorology Experiment

The Ross Island Meteorology Experiment (RIME): An International Collaborative Investigation of Antarctic Meteorology and Climate David Bromwich Polar Meteorology Group Byrd Polar Research Center The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio. Why Now?.

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The Ross Island Meteorology Experiment

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  1. The Ross Island Meteorology Experiment (RIME): An International Collaborative Investigation of Antarctic Meteorology and Climate David Bromwich Polar Meteorology Group Byrd Polar Research CenterThe Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio

  2. Why Now?... • We have good knowledge of the basic aspects of many processes, but detailed understanding is lacking. This is required for understanding the role of Antarctica in the global climate system, for example via sensitivity studies with global climate models. One needs to get the cloud-radiation interactions correct for this. • Also logistical activities in USAP are increasingly relying on numerical weather forecasts to allow expansion to year-round operations. E.g., rescue of Dr. Shemenski from South Pole in April 2001 and the collection of personnel from McMurdo around the same time.

  3. Motivation • Antarctica is unique in that it represents the cold, dry, and pristine limits to the troposphere • The study area is representative of the processes that take place in all parts of Antarctica. • This area is where strong interactions with the global climate system take place. • Ease of collaboration with Italy, France, and New Zealand • Logistics available for a field program. • Timescales will be decided by the dominant atmospheric circulation modes.

  4. Approach: • Need regionalfocus to help to study processes and for forecasting purposes. This allows the collaboration with our friends from Italy and France. Aircraft, regional AWS, satellite products, wind profilers, enhanced upper air program, etc. are needed. • Need a local focus. Parameterization testing and development. Primarily must be concentrated in a limited area to get enough equipment in place. Also can do testing and development of satellite products that are required for the process-based studies and forecasting purposes. Ground-based equipment, aircraft measurements, plus???.

  5. Climate Interactions Some Examples: Teleconnections with middle and low latitudes El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impacts Hemispheric mass exchange

  6. Teleconnections

  7. ENSO Impacts Polar MM5 Potential Temperature Anomaly (oK) MAM 1997 (El Nino) MAM 1999 (La Nina) • Key Points: • Warmer than normal temperatures over West Antarctica during El Nino • Cooler than normal temperatures over West Antarctica during La Nina • Marked Differences and very tight gradients • Dipole observed

  8. Hemispheric Mass Exchange

  9. Process-Based Studies Some Examples: Katabatic Winds Mesoscale Cyclogenesis Barrier Winds

  10. Katabatic Winds

  11. Katabatic Winds Katabatic wind surge blowing across the Ross Ice Shelf. McMurdo Station, Ross Island

  12. Mesoscale Cyclones

  13. Barrier Winds

  14. Modeling Research Parameterization Improvements Cloud-Radiation Interaction Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization Moist Processes Forecast Improvements Effective Assimilation of Conventional and Novel Data Sources (e.g., AWS, Satellite Imagery, GPS/Met. Data, etc…) Forecast Sensitivity Studies/Adjoint Modeling

  15. Cloud-Radiation Interaction

  16. PBL Parameterization

  17. RIME Activities and Timelines • Pre-RIME (June 2003-June 2005) • RIME Phase I (Field Study; December 2005-March 2006) • RIME Analysis Phase (March 2006-September 2007) • RIME Phase II (Field Study; September-December 2007) • RIME Final Analysis Phase (January 2008-June 2010)

  18. Pre-RIME Activities • AWS Deployment • Early Instrument Development • Satellite Algorithm Development • Model Evaluation and Validation • Model Initialization/Data Ingestion

  19. RIME Activities • Surface energy budget • Vertical structure of the atmosphere • Radiation, cloud microphysics studies • Regional airborne observing • Local airborne observing • Satellite products • Modeling

  20. HIAPER: An exciting opportunity for studies of Antarctic Meteorology and Climatology : • Can operate out of New Zealand and does not have to land in Antarctica • Can fly at high and/or low altitudes • Available by 2nd field season (Sep-Dec 2007) • Will have an advanced suite of atmospheric measuring capabilities, such as for cloud microphysics, radiation, and turbulence measurements • Can be used to study the interactions between Antarctica and lower latitudes as well as conducting process-oriented investigations

  21. Maximum Range 12,046 km • Maximum Payload 2,948 kg • Payload with Maximum Fuel 726 kg • Maximum Cruise Altitude 15.5 km • Cabin Length 15.3 m • Cabin Width 2.2 m • Cabin Height 1.9 m NCAR HIAPER Gulfstream V

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