Publication Abstracts

Holzer 2009

Holzer, M., 2009: The path density of interhemispheric surface-to-surface transport. Part II: Transport through the troposphere and stratosphere diagnosed from NCEP data. J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 2172-2189, doi:10.1175/2009JAS2895.1.

Interhemispheric transport from the earth's surface north of 32.4°N (region ΩN) to the surface south of 32.4°S (region ΩS) is quantified using the path-density diagnostic developed in Part I of this study. The path density is computed using the MATCH transport model driven by NCEP reanalyses. The structures of both the ΩN → ΩS and ΩN → ΩN zonally averaged path densities are examined in detail for air that had last ΩN contact ("ΩN air") during January and July. The path density provides the joint probability that ΩN air will make its next surface contact with either ΩN or ΩS, that it will have surface-to-surface transit time τ ∈ (τ, τ+dτ), and that it can be found in volume element d3r during its surface-to-surface journey. The distribution of surface-to-surface transit times, the probability of ΩN air making next contact with ΩS, and the probability of finding ΩN air destined for ΩS in the stratosphere are computed from suitable integrations of the path density. Approximately one third of the ΩN air undergoes interhemispheric transport, with a ∼20% probability of being found in the stratosphere during its surface-to-surface journey. The stratospheric fraction is about equally divided between the stratospheric Middle and Overworlds, with the flow rate through the stratospheric Middleworld being about twice as large as the flow rate through the Overworld.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{ho02400t,
  author={Holzer, M.},
  title={The path density of interhemispheric surface-to-surface transport. Part II: Transport through the troposphere and stratosphere diagnosed from NCEP data},
  year={2009},
  journal={Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences},
  volume={66},
  pages={2172--2189},
  doi={10.1175/2009JAS2895.1},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ho02400t
AU  - Holzer, M.
PY  - 2009
TI  - The path density of interhemispheric surface-to-surface transport. Part II: Transport through the troposphere and stratosphere diagnosed from NCEP data
JA  - J. Atmos. Sci.
JO  - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
VL  - 66
SP  - 2172
EP  - 2189
DO  - 10.1175/2009JAS2895.1
ER  -

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