Tropospheric Modeling Studies of TRACE-P Field Data: Investigation of the HO_x/NO_x/O₃ Photochemical System and Regional Assessment of Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange

Principal Investigator:             Jim Crawford                         (NASA Langley)

Co-Investigators:                      Jennifer Olson                     (NASA Langley)

Duncan Fairlie                    (NASA Langley)

Brad Pierce                        (NASA Langley)

Matt Hitchman                    (UW-Madison)

Greg Tripoli                        (UW-Madison)

Deployment Phase:

-Preliminary photochemical modeling and data analysis activities will focus on evaluating the data for consistency and providing the Science Team with perspective on the photochemical environment as it is being encountered in the field.  As in the past, we will respond to requests from individual investigators for support in the interpretation of their preliminary data.

-Daily forecast and analysis products from the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UW-NMS) will include:  (1) synoptic and mesoscale atmospheric structure, e.g., frontal and convective structure at much finer resolution than is available from ECMWF or NCEP and (2) mesoscale air parcel trajectory histories from air volumes sampled by the aircraft.

-Jim Crawford will perform duties of Deputy Mission Scientist during TRACE-P

Post-Mission:

-Photochemical box modeling and data analysis will be used to examine photochemical measurements (e.g., OH, HO₂, CH₂O, H₂O₂, and CH₃OOH).

-Time-dependent box model calculations will be used to evaluate the photochemical budgets of ozone and NO_x.

-Trajectory calculations will be used to explore issues related to the photochemical evolution of Asian outflow.

-UW-NMS simulations will focus on improving assessments of regional strat-trop exchange.  This will include regional scale estimates for the mass flux across the tropopause as well as evaluation of individual strat-trop exchange events observed in UV-DIAL and in-situ data.