Large-scale structure and variability of lowermost stratospheric water vapour (C05)

• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 428312742

Water vapour in the lowermost stratosphere (LMS) has been identified to act cause an important positive climate feedback with significant associated circulation feedbacks. However, current climate models simulate large moist biases in the LMS, which, in turn, cause significant biases in the simulated circulation. In this project we will jointly work toward an improved characterization of the large-scale structure and variability of LMS water vapour (LMS-WV). This includes how LMS-WV structure and variability relate to moisture biases and their sources in weather and climate models. This will be done by 1) quantifying how different transport processes (e.g., residual/diabatic circulation versus eddy mixing) shape the LMS-WV structure in both reanalysis and climate model output, and 2) by detailed analyses of the observed LMS-WV structure and its variability based on a large number of available measurements from commercial and research aircraft.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 301: The tropopause region in a changing atmosphere
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Thomas Birner; Professor Dr. Peter Hoor