Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C512696/1
Aerosol and chemical transport in tropical convection (ACTIVE).
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor G Vaughan, University of Cambridge, Chemistry
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr KN Bower, The University of Manchester, Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor R Jones, University of Cambridge, Chemistry
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor TW Choularton, The University of Manchester, Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor JA Pyle, University of Cambridge, Chemistry
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr Y Yin, Aberystwyth University, Inst of Mathematical and Physical Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor PH Haynes, University of Cambridge, Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor H Coe, The University of Manchester, Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor MW Gallagher, The University of Manchester, Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Lewis, University of York, Chemistry
- Grant held at:
- University of Cambridge, Chemistry
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Overall Classification:
- Atmospheric
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Tropospheric Processes
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- The tropical atmosphere covers half the Earth's surface, and is the key to understanding the Earth's climate. Here, the troposphere (the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where weather systems are found) extends to 17 km above the surface, much higher than it does at our latitudes. The upper pail of the tropical troposphere is one of the least well-understood regions of the atmosphere, yet the processes within it are crucial for climate and control the composition of the stratosphere. This region is known as the Tropical Tropopause Layer, or TTL. Convection plays a very important role in the tropics in transporting air from the surface of the Earth into the atmosphere above. The basic physics of convection are well understood, but the amount of air transported from the surface to different heights in the troposphere is far less clear. Although the tropopause, at 17km, marks an effective 'lid' on convection, most storms deposit material only up to the base of the TTL, at around 13km. Above this, only large storms penetrate, and the air becomes progressively less and less well mixed. We do not know whether the composition of this part of the atmosphere is governed by slow, large-scale transport from below or by the injection of material from the few large storms, because there have not been enough measurements hitherto. The composition of the atmosphere comprises gases and particles. The particles can be clouds (in the TTL they are ice, or cirrus clouds) or aerosols - tiny droplets < 1 ?m in diameter which can act as nuclei for cloud particles to grow. Clouds in the TTL have a big impact on climate, but without a clear understanding of the aerosol population we cannot quantify this impact. Crucially, we simply do not know what effect deep convection has on the aerosol population in the TTL. This research is aimed at a better understanding of the factors determining the composition of the TTL, with particular emphasis on vertical transport in deep convection. The proposal focuses on the transport of aerosols and chemical species, using aircraft to measure in the inflow and outflow of thunderstorms and in the surrounding environment. The heart of the proposal is a pair of experimental campaigns in Darwin, Australia, in the period November 2005- February 2006, using the new NERC BAe 146 aircraft and the Australian Egrett for the low-level and high level measurements respectively. These measurements will be made as part of two major international campaigns - the joint US/Australian TWPICE campaign to study the impact of oceanic convection on its environment, and the EC SCOUT campaign to study the composition of the TTL. Both campaigns will supply a wealth of additional chemical, dynamical and cloud measurements to those we make. The data from the campaigns will be interpreted using cloud-resolving and global-scale models to determine how well our current understanding of vertical transport in the tropical atmosphere agrees with the measurements.
- Period of Award:
- 1 Jul 2005 - 31 Mar 2009
- Value:
- £388,267 Split Award
Authorised funds only
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C512696/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Consortiums Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Consortiums
This grant award has a total value of £388,267
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Equipment | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £36,498 | £173,127 | £72,445 | £10,000 | £96,198 |
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