Astronomy & Space Sciences
Title : | Study of vertical distribution of atmospheric water vapor, temperature and stratosphere-troposphere exchange using Lidar |
Area of research : | Astronomy & Space Sciences |
Focus area : | Atmospheric Sciences |
Contact info : | somkumar@prl.res.in |
Details
Executive Summary : | Atmospheric water vapour is a major greenhouse species and its distribution shows high regional andseasonal variability. It plays vital role in cloud formation, radiation balance, chemistry, dynamics, and consequently impacts the weather and climate system. Variability in water vapor predominantly modulates fluxes oflong wave (infrared) radiation and can thereby influence the temperature in the Troposphere - Stratosphere system. To delineate the influence of water vapour onTroposphere- Stratosphere exchange (STE) processes, it is needed to have in depth investigations. Human-induced climate forcing is one of the major causes of warming in the lower atmosphere, cooling of the stratosphere, rise of tropopause height, weakening oftropical circulation patterns and modulations in tropical precipitation. Quantitative investigations of vertical distribution of water vapor, temperature and dynamics of boundary layer are very much needed. Further, these parameters form an important set of inputs f o r the regional weather and climate models. A Lidar is a state of the art instrument that provides the required information with high vertical and temporal resolutions. It provides vertical distribution of atmospheric water vapour, temperature, and boundary layer which are essential in quantifying several atmospheric processes. In this study a Lidar based investigations of the atmospheric water vapour, temperature and dynamics of boundary layer and their interdependence in the Indian sub-tropical and tropical regions will be proposed. Simultaneous measurements of these parameters will provide an appropriate dataset to address the above stated science goals. Further, these high temporally and vertically resolved measurements will help inimproving model outputs over Indian region. |
Co-PI: | Dr. Som Kumar Sharma, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad |
Organizations involved