Tropospheric Stratospheric Turbulence and Vertical Diffusivities


Book Description

The determination of winds and temperature by rawinsonde allows us to calculate the Richardson number, a measure of atmospheric instability. From this, we can then determine the turbulent atmospheric parameters, diffusivity (K), rate of heat deposition (epsilon), and the vertical turbulent intensity (w2). Comparison of these data, for the spring periods, with contours of residual stratospheric radioactivity demonstrate that, at the tropopause, the isocountours of turbulent diffusivity accurately follow the isodensity contours of the residual radioactivity. We also demonstrate that the rapid cessation of the turbulent diffusivity accurately predicts the level of the tropopause. (Author).







Turbulence in the Free Atmosphere


Book Description

Turbulence-the randomly disordered movement of volumes of air of widely varying size-is one of the characteristic features of atmospheric air flows; its investigation is essential for the solution of several theoretical and practical problems. Until recently, owing to experimental difficulties, research on turbu lence was confmed mainly to the lower half of the troposphere. Theoretical investigations have consequently been based on these data. The rapid development of high-altitude aviation and cases of aircraft encoun tering hazardous turbulence led to a sharp intensification of research on turbu lence in the atmosphere up to 10-12 km, and subsequently at greater altitudes. Such research was confined initially to the characterization of the frequency of occurrence of gusts of different speeds, their relation to altitude, geographical conditions, time of day and year, and so on. At the end of the fifties, when the required measuring equipment and experimental techniques had been developed, it became possible to investigate the complete statistical characteristics of turbu lence: the spectral densities of the velocity fluctuations of air flows, structure functions, etc. These data stimulated the further development of theory related to the specific conditions of the free atmosphere.







Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports


Book Description

Lists citations with abstracts for aerospace related reports obtained from world wide sources and announces documents that have recently been entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database.




Practical Meteorology


Book Description

A quantitative introduction to atmospheric science for students and professionals who want to understand and apply basic meteorological concepts but who are not ready for calculus.




The Earth's Middle Atmosphere


Book Description

The Earth's Middle Atmosphere covers the Proceedings of Symposium C2 and the Topical Meetings of the COSPAR Interdisciplinary Scientific Commissions A and C (Meetings A7 and C4) of the COSPAR 29th Plenary Meeting held in Washington, DC, USA, on August 28-September 5, 1992. The first part covers the impact of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) observations on middle atmosphere science. This topic includes the early results of the validation and the application of the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) data, which is an instrumental approach to the measurement of thermal infrared spectral emission from the atmospheric limb. An overview of the Halogen Occultation Experiment and the use of the UARS data in the NOAA stratospheric monitoring are also discussed in this part. It also includes the observed solar UV irradiance variations of importance to middle atmosphere energetic and photochemistry, as well as the stratospheric and mesospheric observations with the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder. The second part of the book tackles the energetics and chemistry of the middle atmosphere as well as the dynamics and coupling of the middle atmosphere to regions above and below. Results on the validation of the UARS wind and temperature measurements at and above the mesopause comprise the third part of this book. This book will be a great value to geophysicists and atmospheric scientists.










Astronomical Optics


Book Description

Written by a recognized expert in the field, this clearly presented, well-illustrated book provides both advanced level students and professionals with an authoritative, thorough presentation of the characteristics, including advantages and limitations, of telescopes and spectrographic instruments used by astronomers of today. - Written by a recognized expert in the field - Provides both advanced level students and professionals with an authoritative, thorough presentation of the characteristics, including advantages and limitations, of telescopes and spectrographic instruments used by astronomers of today