VERTICAL TRANSPORT RATES IN THE STRATOSPHERE IN 1993 FROM OBSERVATIONS OF CO2, N2O AND CH4

Citation
Sc. Wofsy et al., VERTICAL TRANSPORT RATES IN THE STRATOSPHERE IN 1993 FROM OBSERVATIONS OF CO2, N2O AND CH4, Geophysical research letters, 21(23), 1994, pp. 2571-2574
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Geosciences, Interdisciplinary
ISSN journal
00948276
Volume
21
Issue
23
Year of publication
1994
Pages
2571 - 2574
Database
ISI
SICI code
0094-8276(1994)21:23<2571:VTRITS>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
Measurements of CO2, N2O and CH4 are analyzed to define hemispheric av erage vertical exchange rates in the lower stratosphere from November 1992 to October 1993. Effective vertical diffusion coefficients were s mall in summer, less-than-or-equal-to 1 m2s-1 at altitudes below 25 km ; values were similar near the tropopause in winter, but increased mar kedly with altitude. The analysis suggests possibly longer residence t imes for exhaust from stratospheric aircraft, and more efficient trans port from 20 km to the middle stratosphere, than predicted by many cur rent models. Seasonally-resolved measurements of stratopheric CO2 and N2O provide significant new constraints on rates for global-scale vert ical transport.