Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C510383/1
The Role of the Stratosphere in Climate Change.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor LJ Gray, University of Reading, Meteorology
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr WA Norton, University of Reading, Meteorology
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor PM Forster, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor KP Shine, University of Reading, Meteorology
- Grant held at:
- University of Reading, Meteorology
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Overall Classification:
- Atmospheric
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Water In The Atmosphere
- Stratospheric Processes
- Radiative Processes & Effects
- Large Scale Dynamics/Transport
- Tropospheric Processes
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- A detailed assessment of how weather patterns over Europe and world wide will vary under future climate change depends on the ability of climate models to simulate the important physical, chemical and biological processes that determine our climate and its variability. However, inclusion of all possible relevant processes implies huge computing resources and is impracticable for model runs that are necessarily many decades in length. In this project we propose to determine the importance of including a fully resolved stratosphere, the region of the atmosphere between 10-50 km, which contains 'the ozone layer'. There has been growing evidence that despite the very low density of the atmosphere above 10 km, it can nevertheless have a significant influence on weather systems and surface climate. The majority of climate models extend only to around 30km, with only a few model levels between 20-30 km. We will carry out climate model simulations of the past 25 years using the world-renowned Hadley Centre climate model in 2 different vertical configurations that extend to 30 km and to 80 km respectively, but are otherwise identical. We will use them to answer 3 specific questions: (a) does a well-resolved stratosphere alter the relative contributions to climate forcing from carbon dioxide, ozone and stratospheric water vapour? (b) Does a well-resolved stratosphere affect model simulations of surface and lower atmospheric climate trends? (c) Does an improved stratosphere significantly change the results of the Met Office's Hadley Centre coupled ocean experiments that are currently being carried out as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report?
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C510383/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £157,294
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Equipment | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £7,049 | £95,556 | £4,883 | £5,850 | £43,955 |
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