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Extending water vapor trend observations over Boulder into the tropopause region: Trend uncertainties and resulting radiative forcing
Author(s) -
Kunz A.,
Müller R.,
Homonnai V.,
M. Jánosi I.,
Hurst D.,
Rap A.,
M. Forster P.,
Rohrer F.,
Spelten N.,
Riese M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1002/jgrd.50831
Subject(s) - tropopause , water vapor , troposphere , stratosphere , extratropical cyclone , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , climatology , radiative forcing , altitude (triangle) , meteorology , geology , geography , aerosol , geometry , mathematics
Thirty years of balloon‐borne measurements over Boulder (40°N,105°W) are used to investigate the water vapor trend in the tropopause region. This analysis extends previously published trends, usually focusing on altitudes greater than 16 km, to lower altitudes. Two new concepts are applied: (1) Trends are presented in a thermal tropopause (TP) relative coordinate system from −2 km below to 10 km above the TP, and (2) sonde profiles are selected according to TP height. Tropical (TP z >14km), extratropical (TP z <12km), and transitional air mass types (12km