Department of Atmospheric Science
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These digital collections include theses, dissertations, Atmospheric Science papers (Blue Books), Climatology Reports and other publications, and datasets from the Department of Atmospheric Science.
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Item Open Access 2010 C2H6 global emission inventory(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Zitely, Tzompa-SosaRecent measurements over the Northern Hemisphere indicate that the long-term decline in the atmospheric burden of ethane (C2H6) has ended, and the abundance increased dramatically between 2010 and 2014. The rise in the abundance of C2H6 has been attributed to oil and natural gas extraction in North America. Existing global C2H6 emission inventories are based on outdated activity maps that do not account for current oil and natural gas exploitation regions. We present an updated global C2H6 emission inventory based on 2010 satellite-derived CH4 fluxes with adjusted C2H6 emissions over the U.S. from the National Emission Inventory (NEI 2011). We contrast our global 2010 C2H6 emission inventory with one developed for 2001. The C2H6 difference between global anthropogenic emissions is subtle (7.9 versus 7.2 Tg yr-1), but the spatial distribution of the emissions is distinct. In the 2010 C2H6 inventory, fossil fuel sources in the Northern Hemisphere represent half of global C2H6 emissions and 95% of global fossil fuel emissions. Over the U.S., un-adjusted NEI 2011 C2H6 emissions produce mixing ratios that are 14-50 % of those observed by aircraft observations (2008-2014). When the NEI 2011 C2H6 emission totals are scaled by a factor of 1.4, the model largely reproduces a regional suite of observations, with the exception of the central U.S., where it continues to under-predict observed mixing ratios in the lower troposphere. We estimate monthly mean contributions of fossil fuel C2H6 emissions to ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate surface mixing ratios over North America of ~1% and ~8%, respectively.Item Open Access A 2-D model study of the influence of the surface on mesoscale convection during the Indian monsoon(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1991) Xian, Zejin, author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A bi-spectral method for cloud parameter determination(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1976) Reynolds, David W., author; Vonder Haar, Thomas H., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A case study of radiative forcing upon a tropical cloud cluster(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1980-11) Byrd, Gregory P., author; Cox, Stephen K., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherTropospheric radiative convergence profiles from Cox and Griffith (1978) are used to assess the radiative forcing upon a tropical cloud cluster located in the vicinity of the GATE A/B-scale array during 4-6 September 1974. "Slab" and cross sectional analyses are carried out in order to present a three dimensional view of the radiative convergence field within the cluster and its surrounding regions. Next, a simple vertical motion profile is constructed to investigate the potential effects of radiative forcing upon cluster scale dynamical interactions with the large scale circulation. The model is tested on a daytime and a nighttime case within the cluster life cycle. The ensuing discussion evaluates the analysis and expands upon the possible roles of radiative forcing upon cluster scale and large-scale dynamics. Radiative forcing is strongest during the initial stages of cluster development. Throughout the cluster life cycle, the radiative forcing is consistently strongest in the middle troposphere (400-700 mb). With the intensification of the cluster system, a substantial weakening of horizontal gradients of radiative convergence occurs as a result of SW warming superimposed upon LW cooling during the daylight hours. Increased amounts of middle and high cloud remnants in regions surrounding the maturing cluster also contribute to the observed weakening of radiative forcing. The cross sectional analyses reveal that E-W gradients of radiative convergence between the cluster and its surroundings are comparable in magnitude to the N-S gradients. The maximum in cluster precipitation intensity is observed to lag the incidence of strong radiative forcing by some 6-8 hours, in general agreement with GATE composite observations. Continental-oceanic differential heating plays a significant role in modulating the cluster and large scale dynamical interactions, accounting for-the anomalously large precipitation lag observable in the GATE cluster. The radiatively derived vertical motion model yields a qualitatively realistic total area of cluster influence for the nighttime period. The model assumption of a closed mass system breaks down during the daytime period, yielding an unreasonably large total area of influence. This suggests the occurrence of significant cluster scale interactions with large scale circulations during the daytime period. Radiative forcing appears to play a more significant role in dynamical interactions at night, when circulations appear to be somewhat more localized.Item Open Access A case study of radioactive fallout(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1963) Reiter, Elmar R., author; American Meteorological Society, publisherDuring September 1961 a series of balloon ascents made from Flin Flon, Canada, carrying scintillation counters sensitive to gamma radiation, revealed the existence of shallow stable atmospheric layers carrying radioactive debris, presumably from the Russian test series during the same month. The debris layers encountered on 14 and 15 September have been studied in particular. The debris detected over Flin Flon on 14 September, 2221 GCT, at 650 mb had undergone strong sinking motion. One may conclude that it came from the region immediately underneath the tropopause shortly prior to 13 September, 12 GCT, entering the middle troposphere through the stable layer underneath the jet core, sometimes referred to as a "jet-stream front." Beginning with 17 September a distinct area of radioactive fallout begins to appear at the surface over the eastern United States. Some of this debris seems to be identical with the one detected over Flin Flon, and it apparently was transported by the same jet stream. Part of the fallout seems to be associated with a small collapsing cold dome travelling ahead of this jet stream.Item Open Access A case study of radioactive fallout(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1963) Reiter, Elmar R., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A case study of severe clear-air turbulence(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1962) Reiter, Elmar R., author; Colorado State University Research Foundation, publisherItem Open Access A case study of the water budget of an orographic cloud(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1972) Balick, Lee Kenneth, author; Rasmussen, J. L., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A characterization of dry ice as a glaciogenic seeding agent(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1989) Morrison, Brian Jay, author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A characterization of mixed silver iodide-silver chloride ice nuclei(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1982) DeMott, Paul J., author; Grant, Lewis O., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherIntroduces a new approach and methodology to study the ice nucleation properties of aerosols used for weather modification.Item Open Access A climate index derived from satellite measured special infrared radiation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1981) Abel, Michael David, author; Cox, Stephen K., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A climatology of inversions(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1975) Schewe, George J., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A climatology of the July 1981 surface flow over northeast Colorado(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1982) Johnson, Richard H., author; Toth, James J. (James John), author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A comparison of large and small tropical cyclones(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1982) Merrill, Robert T. (Robert Travis), author; Gray, William M., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A comparison of the structure and flow characteristics of the upper troposphere and stratosphere of the northern and southern hemispheres(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1974) Adler, Robert F., author; Reiter, Elmar R., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A comparison of theoretical and observed radiances from non-precipitating cumulus clouds(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1979-06) DeMaria, Mark, author; McKee, Thomas B., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherRelative radiances from a theoretical model for the scattering of solar radiation by finite clouds were compared to observed radiances from the sides of non-precipitating cumulus clouds. The sides of 5 cumulus clouds ranging from 1-3 km in depth with width to depth ratios of about 1.5 were scanned with an aircraft mounted radiometer sensitive in the spectral range of 0.65 to 0.95 μm. Photographs of each cloud were taken just before each scan with a camera optically aligned with the radiometer. The theoretical model uses the Monte Carlo method of radiative transfer for finite clouds ·in the shape of rectangular parallelepipeds. The radiometer field of view intercepted a circular spot with a diameter of about 1/20 of the cloud height. On this scale the radiometer scans were strongly affected by small scale cloud features so that the model radiances which are averages over a smooth cloud face did not compare well. A linear regression between the model and actual relative radiances resulted in a correlation coefficient (r) of only 0.47. When each scan was averaged, the smaller scale cloud features became less important. A linear regression for scan averages resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.64. On this scale, the model calculations were verified by the observations except for a few observations where smaller scale cloud features and model cloud corners were important. Elimination of the data points related to cloud features not contained in the model resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.86. When several successive scans were averaged together, the correlation coefficient increased to 0.91. On this scale, the effects of the smaller scale cloud features and model cloud corners became noticeably less important. The variability in relative radiance from the sides of the clouds was also studied. An upper limit for the relative radiance variations in the observed clouds was estimated from film density to be by a factor of between four and five. Variations of radiance were less for the smaller clouds. The radiance variations of the clouds gradually decreased as the diameter of the area viewed increased from 10 m to 800 m. Most radiance variations were resolved on the scale of 100 m with the radiometer.Item Open Access A comparison of two cumulus parameterization schemes in a linear model of wave-cisk(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1982) Crum, Francis X., author; Stevens, Duane E., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A comparison of two multi-grid methods for solving the Poisson problem(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1987) Taft, Richard K., author; Schubert, Wayne H., author; Taylor, Gerald D., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A composite mesoscale cumulonimbus budget(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1972) Betts, Alan K., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisherItem Open Access A composite study of the Madden-Julian oscillation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1992) Falvey, Robert J., author; Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, publisher