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Rigorous determination of stratospheric water vapor trends from MIPAS observations
Simone Ceccherini1, Bruno Carli, Piera Raspollini
1Istituto di Fisica Applicata Nello Carrara del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. s.ceccherini@ifac.cnr.it
Optics Express
|June 7, 2011
Summary
Stratospheric water vapor trends were analyzed using a new method with MIPAS data. Results show a latitude-dependent trend, with higher positive trends in the Northern Hemisphere from 2005-2009.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Climatology
- Geophysics
Background:
- Stratospheric water vapor plays a crucial role in climate regulation.
- Understanding its trends is vital for climate modeling and prediction.
- Previous methods often introduced artifacts through a priori information or interpolation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the latitudinal trend of stratospheric water vapor.
- To develop and apply a novel method for analyzing MIPAS satellite data.
- To quantify water vapor trends in the upper stratosphere (37-53 km) between 2005 and 2009.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a new measurement space solution method for analyzing MIPAS data.
- Avoided artifacts from a priori information and vertical grid interpolation.
- Focused on stratospheric water vapor trends as a function of latitude.
Main Results:
- Precise values for stratospheric water vapor trends were obtained.
- A significant latitude dependence was observed between 2005 and 2009.
- The Northern Hemisphere showed a positive trend of (0.41 ± 0.16)%yr-1, while the Southern Hemisphere trend was <0.16%yr-1.
Conclusions:
- The new method provides accurate stratospheric water vapor trend estimations.
- Radiometric calibration errors represent a key limitation in trend precision.
- Observed latitudinal differences in water vapor trends have implications for atmospheric circulation studies.
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