Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation
<p>Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are essential for the Arctic water cycle, but observations quantifying the moisture processes of individual Arctic ARs are sparse. This study quantified the evolution of the moisture budget components of an Arctic AR derived from airborne observations from two resea...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8329/2025/acp-25-8329-2025.pdf |
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| author | H. Dorff H. Dorff H. Dorff F. Ewald H. Konow H. Konow M. Mech D. Ori V. Schemann A. Walbröl M. Wendisch F. Ament F. Ament |
| author_facet | H. Dorff H. Dorff H. Dorff F. Ewald H. Konow H. Konow M. Mech D. Ori V. Schemann A. Walbröl M. Wendisch F. Ament F. Ament |
| author_sort | H. Dorff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are essential for the Arctic water cycle, but observations quantifying the moisture processes of individual Arctic ARs are sparse. This study quantified the evolution of the moisture budget components of an Arctic AR derived from airborne observations from two research flights on consecutive days. We investigated how poleward transport of warm and moist air masses by ARs generates precipitation near the sea ice edge and how advection and evaporation affect the local moisture amount during the dissipation of the AR. Using observations from the <i>High-Altitude and LOng-Range Research Aircraft</i> (<i>HALO</i>), we derived the atmospheric moisture budget components (local tendency of moisture, evaporation, moisture transport divergence, and precipitation) within an Arctic AR during the HALO-<span class="inline-formula">(𝒜𝒞)<sup>3</sup></span> aircraft campaign. The budget components were quantified in sectors ahead of the AR-embedded cold front using airborne observations from dropsondes, radiometers, and a radar device and compared with values derived from reanalyses and numerical weather prediction simulations.</p>
<p>We found that the observed moisture budget components in the pre-cold frontal sectors contribute up to <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mo>±</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">mm</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="53pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="3ac4eaca8588c2d608ebca3a1af577b8"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00001.svg" width="53pt" height="14pt" src="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> to the local moisture amount. The moisture transport divergence primarily controls the local moisture amount within the AR, while surface interactions are of minor importance. Precipitation is heterogeneous but overall weak (<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mo><</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">0.1</mn><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">mm</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="65pt" height="13pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="a2b57d2eee417719d5cc13d7d1d973e7"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00002.svg" width="65pt" height="13pt" src="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>), and evaporation is small. As the AR dissipated, the budget components changed from drying to moistening, mainly due to moisture advection. We demonstrated the feasibility of closing the moisture budget using single aircraft measurements, even though we found significant residuals that model-based comparisons attribute to subscale variability.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d2e1ab4d540a4153be90a601c97f07f3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
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| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-d2e1ab4d540a4153be90a601c97f07f32025-08-20T02:46:29ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-07-01258329835410.5194/acp-25-8329-2025Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipationH. Dorff0H. Dorff1H. Dorff2F. Ewald3H. Konow4H. Konow5M. Mech6D. Ori7V. Schemann8A. Walbröl9M. Wendisch10F. Ament11F. Ament12Meteorological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyInternational Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, GermanyLeipzig Institute for Meteorology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, GermanyDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, GermanyMeteorological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyLeipzig Institute for Meteorology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, GermanyMeteorological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany<p>Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are essential for the Arctic water cycle, but observations quantifying the moisture processes of individual Arctic ARs are sparse. This study quantified the evolution of the moisture budget components of an Arctic AR derived from airborne observations from two research flights on consecutive days. We investigated how poleward transport of warm and moist air masses by ARs generates precipitation near the sea ice edge and how advection and evaporation affect the local moisture amount during the dissipation of the AR. Using observations from the <i>High-Altitude and LOng-Range Research Aircraft</i> (<i>HALO</i>), we derived the atmospheric moisture budget components (local tendency of moisture, evaporation, moisture transport divergence, and precipitation) within an Arctic AR during the HALO-<span class="inline-formula">(𝒜𝒞)<sup>3</sup></span> aircraft campaign. The budget components were quantified in sectors ahead of the AR-embedded cold front using airborne observations from dropsondes, radiometers, and a radar device and compared with values derived from reanalyses and numerical weather prediction simulations.</p> <p>We found that the observed moisture budget components in the pre-cold frontal sectors contribute up to <span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mo>±</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">mm</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="53pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="3ac4eaca8588c2d608ebca3a1af577b8"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00001.svg" width="53pt" height="14pt" src="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span> to the local moisture amount. The moisture transport divergence primarily controls the local moisture amount within the AR, while surface interactions are of minor importance. Precipitation is heterogeneous but overall weak (<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mo><</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">0.1</mn><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><mi mathvariant="normal">mm</mi><mspace width="0.125em" linebreak="nobreak"/><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariant="normal">1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="65pt" height="13pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="a2b57d2eee417719d5cc13d7d1d973e7"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00002.svg" width="65pt" height="13pt" src="acp-25-8329-2025-ie00002.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>), and evaporation is small. As the AR dissipated, the budget components changed from drying to moistening, mainly due to moisture advection. We demonstrated the feasibility of closing the moisture budget using single aircraft measurements, even though we found significant residuals that model-based comparisons attribute to subscale variability.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8329/2025/acp-25-8329-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | H. Dorff H. Dorff H. Dorff F. Ewald H. Konow H. Konow M. Mech D. Ori V. Schemann A. Walbröl M. Wendisch F. Ament F. Ament Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| title_full | Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| title_fullStr | Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| title_short | Moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an Arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| title_sort | moisture budget estimates derived from airborne observations in an arctic atmospheric river during its dissipation |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8329/2025/acp-25-8329-2025.pdf |
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