PMCs and the Water Frost Point in the Arctic Summer Mesosphere

In August, 1997 the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) obtained vertical profiles of OH number density and polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) brightness by scanning the limb up to 71 deg N while the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRI...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stevens, Michael H, Conway, Robert R, Englert, Christoph R, Summers, Michael B, Grossmann, Klaus U, Gusev, Oleg A
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ARCTIC REGIONS
ARCTIC SUMMER MESOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERES
Atmospheric Physics
BRIGHTNESS
CLOUDS
CRISTA(CRYOGENIC INFRARED SPECTROMETERS AND TELESCOPES FOR THE ATMOSPHERE)
CRYOGENICS
DENSITY
FROST
HIGH RESOLUTION
INFRARED SPECTROMETERS
MAHRSI(MIDDLE ATMOSPHERE HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTROGRAPH INVESTIGATION)
MESOSPHERE
Meteorology
PMC(POLAR MESOSPHERIC CLOUD)
REPRINTS
SPECTROGRAPHS
SUPERSATURATION
TELESCOPES
TEMPERATURE
WATER FROST POINT
WATER VAPOR
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Summary:In August, 1997 the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) obtained vertical profiles of OH number density and polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) brightness by scanning the limb up to 71 deg N while the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA) obtained co-located vertical profiles of temperature. MAHRSI OH densities are converted to water vapor using a one-dimensional model that assumes photochemical equilibrium. By combining water vapor profiles with CRISTA temperatures we map the frost point both vertically and horizontally in the Arctic summer mesosphere. Our data show that supersaturation can exist between 80-87 km suggesting that growth of ice particles is limited to these altitudes. Additionally, we find that not only is supersaturation an insufficient condition for a PMC but also that PMCs can exist in apparently unsaturated air. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, v28 n23 p4449-4452, 1 Dec 2001. Paper number 2001GL013598.