Satellite observation of stratospheric intrusions and ozone transport using CrIS on SNPP

The Single Field of View (SFOV) ozone (O-3) profiles derived from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) onboard Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP), with a high horizontal resolution of approximately 14 km at nadir and good sensitivity to O-3 in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), provide a prominent opportunity to examine stratosphere to troposphere (STT) transport. A process-oriented analysis was performed to examine the fine-scale features of a stratospheric intrusion (SI) event on June 11-13, 2017 in the southwestern US using the CrIS SFOV products together with wind and potential velocity (PV) from models. It was found that the location and strength of O-3 enhancement correlate well with the PV contours, and the intrusion depth can be characterized using the vertical cross-sections of O-3 and relative humidity (RH). In addition, the capability to use total column ozone (TCO) to identify SI events was confirmed through analysis of TCO from CrIS SFOV and other satellite and reanalysis products. The ozone/PV ratio was derived using SFOV O-3 and model PV, and the values, ranging from 23.2 to 35.8 ppbv PVU-1 (1 PV unit (PVU) = 10-6 km(2) kg(-1) s(-1)), are in the lower end of previous estimations. These results demonstrate the advantages of the SFOV products in monitoring the fine-scale ozone transport and thermodynamic structure of SI events, as well as their potential value for weather and climate study.

Automated summary

A process-oriented analysis of a stratospheric intrusion event was conducted using CrIS SFOV products and model data. The study revealed a correlation between the location and strength of O3 enhancement and PV contours, and demonstrated the use of TCO to identify SI events.