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In situ detection of stratosphere‐troposphere exchange of cirrus particles in the midlatitudes
Author(s) -
Müller S.,
Hoor P.,
Berkes F.,
Bozem H.,
Klingebiel M.,
Reutter P.,
Smit H. G. J.,
Wendisch M.,
Spichtinger P.,
Borrmann S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl062556
Subject(s) - cirrus , stratosphere , troposphere , tropopause , middle latitudes , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , trace gas , in situ , meteorology , geology , physics
Abstract Airborne trace gas, microphysical, and radiation measurements were performed during the AIRcraft TOwed Sensor Shuttle ‐ Inhomogeneous Cirrus Experiment over northern Germany in 2013. Based on high‐precision nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon monoxide (CO) in situ data, stratospheric air could be identified, which contained cirrus cloud particles. Consistent with the stratospheric N 2 O data, backward trajectories indicate that the sampled air masses crossed the dynamical tropopause in the last 3 h before the measurement. These air masses contained cirrus particles, which were formed during slow ascent in the troposphere and subsequently mixed with stratospheric air. From the CO‐N 2 O correlation the irreversibility of this transport is deduced. To our knowledge, this is the first in situ detection of cirrus particles mixed with stratospheric air in the midlatitudes.