ISSI International Team 150
SCIENTIFIC
RATIONALE AND TIMELINESS OF THE PROJECT
The aim of the study is to define simultaneous
measurements to be performed at ground, on balloon, and in space in order to
trace energy transfers between the atmosphere and the space environment. Two studies will be
run in parallel:
·
mid- and low-latitude
NOX production and transport in relation with thunderstorm activity
·
atmospheric
dynamical and chemical model
Mid-latitude
NOx production
The largest source of production for NOx in atmosphere, is known to be
lightning discharges associated with thunderstorms (Kraus et al., 1996; Levy et
al., 1999).The production mechanism is generally based on heating. In the
middle atmosphere, energetic particle precipitation is an important source of
NOx, primarily in the polar regions. This atmospheric NOx plays a crucial role
in lower and middle atmosphere chemistry. In the stratosphere, the NOx
catalytic cycle is a key ozone-destroying mechanism. As regions with high NOx
concentration influence O3 locally or globally, the knowledge of global
concentration is important for global climate studies.
Price et al., (1999) evaluated the global NOx production from lightning
physics assuming that the main NOx sources are cloud to ground discharges in
the troposphere. Difficulties in such estimations arise from the lack of
knowledge of the role of intracloud lightning in theses processes, of the
lightning energy which is radiated at local and global scales, and of the
coupling between the atmospheric layers. Recent measurements during triggered
lightning showed that relatively slow discharge processes such as continuing
currents in both cloud and cloud to ground flashes and other steady currents
can produce NOx (Rahman et al., 2007). NOx production could then be larger than
expected and the production altitude could be located at higher altitude,
especially at equatorial and tropical latitudes where the tropopause altitude
is higher than
In addition, under conditions still to be defined, lightning discharges
are involved in the triggering of: (i) TLEs (Transient Luminous Events) such as
sprites, halos and elves, (ii) TGFs (Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes), (iii)
electron precipitation, the latter effect being called LEPS (Lightning induced
Electron Precipitations). The properties of lightning discharges that
preferentially leads to these observable phenomena are not understood and may
well be important in the overall NOx production. In addition, the TLE and TGF
phenomena provide windows of measurability of the dynamics of the otherwise
inaccessible mesosphere and ionosphere, which are likely important in
determining the production and fate of NOx.
The production of NOx and O3 by jets was suggested by Mishin (1997), who
evaluated the role of fast heated electrons in the discharge process, similar
to NOx production during solar proton events. Mechanisms as runaway electric
breakdown (Rousel Dupré et al, 1994, Roussel Dupré and Gurevich, 1996, Roussel
Dupré et al, 1998, Yukhimuk et al., 1999) involved in sprite formation may also
play a role in these processes. Runaway breakdown triggered by cosmic radiation
produce TGFs in the Earth atmosphere with very intense HF-VHF bipolar pulses at
the top of thunderstorm clouds. Recent studies show also that the acceleration
of thermal electrons at the tip of sprite streamers, is sufficient to produce
runaway breakdown (Moss et al, 2006) and NO-gamma emissions (Liu and Pasko,
2006)
Pasko et al. (1997) suggested that the neutral density
is non-uniform because gravity waves are launched by the updraft associated
with the mesospheric current systems associated with thunderstorm activity.
Such gravity wave produced by a thunderstorm was observed by Sentman et al
(2005). The gravity waves produced at low latitude by thunderstorms and wind
over mountains contribute to the forcing of the stratosphere and play a
significant role in the global dynamics system in which atmospheric species are
transported from low latitude region to polar regions through a large scale
motion. The observation by the GOMOS/ENVISAT satellite, in the absence of
magnetic storm, of a layer of strongly enhanced NO2 in the north polar
mesosphere simultaneously with intense mesospheric warming indicated a strong
air descent in the polar region, transporting a large quantity of NO from the
upper mesosphere-lower thermosphere to the lower mesosphere illustrating this
effect (Hauchecorne et al, 2007).
On another side, precipitated electrons may modify the atmosphere
conductivity and may affect the production of lightning discharges, so that
there are difficulties in properly indentifying the causative sequence of
events and the hierarchies of the different phenomena. Several authors have pointed
out associations between precipitated particles and NOx events. However the
association is better defined at high latitudes that at mid- and low-latitudes.
At high latitudes, effects of proton precipitation on the production of
NOx are known for long. More recently, analyses of ENVISAT GOMOS data have
pointed out associations between NOx increases and proton events associated
with the 2003 Halloween solar events and geomagnetic storms. Effects of
electron precipitations have been studied by several authors (Callis et al.,
1996, 1998; Siskind et al., 2000; Callis, L.B., 2001; Callis et al., 2001,
2002). It is now well established that energetic electrons precipitated from
the outer radiation belt (L > 5) are at the origin of NOx formed at high altitudes
then transported from the upper atmosphere to the stratosphere during polar
winter.
At mid- and low- latitudes few effects have been pointed out. After the
observation by the SAOZ balloon borne instrument of unexplained enhancements in
the concentration of NOx on the eastward side of the South Atlantic Anomaly
(Huret et al., 2002), i.e. on the side where intense fluxes of precipitated
energetic electrons are observed, one may wonder if middle and low latitude
energetic electrons could also contribute to the formation of NOx, and so to
the coupling between the ionised and neutral parts of the atmosphere. In the
absence of an efficient transport mechanism, this would mean that Nitrogen
oxides be produced at low (~
Although this has not been demonstrated so far, it seems possible that
fluxes of 10 – 20 MeV electrons observed at L=1.2 - 2.5, over time periods of
months or even years, by low altitude satellites like SAMPEX (Li and Temerin,
2001) could trigger NOx events. GOMOS measurements on ENVISAT being performed
with timescales compatible with plasma events (of the order of a few hours or
more), it should be now possible to test that hypothesis.
Atmospheric model
Numerical models of chemical processes, in a medium where both neutral
and ionized species are present, need to be developed in the altitude domains
of production of NOx to provide guidelines for the study of the generation and
effects of the transient transfers of energy between the atmosphere and the
near-Earth space. These models need to be associated to models of atmospheric
circulation for including the effects of the dynamics of the stratosphere and
mesosphere for a global representation of NOx concentrations. Observations of
lightning, TLEs, TGFs, electromagnetic emissions, accelerated particle and
other parameters will be needed as inputs for these models.
In a preliminary step
- The TRANSCAR model of ion chemistry (Blelly et al., 1996) is being
extended towards lower altitudes.
- Contributions from Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) to NOx effects have
been recently published (Renard et al., 2006).
- A new five constituent model of lower ionospheric / mesospheric
chemistry has been developed to explain recoveries from intense daytime /
nightime ionization events (Inan et al., 2007; Lehtinen and Inan, 2007).
In the future it is planned to associate the developments of ion
chemistry (TRANSCAR) and neutral chemistry (REPROBUS) models, and thus
introduce the ion chemistry in the LMDZ code.
METHOD
The method which is proposed to tackle the above problems is:
(i)
to gather scientists
coming from different communities (ionosphere, magnetosphere, middle
atmosphere) to make the study as general as possible,
(ii)
to take time to
review and discuss the published results,
(iii)
when possible to test ideas on existing models
(models have been developed by most of the participating groups) and available
satellite (DEMETER, ENVISAT, CHIBIS) or balloon data,
(iv)
to define satellite
operations (at least for DEMETER) and model modifications which may allow to
check results and ideas,
(v)
to examine results
from complementary checks,
(vi)
to draw conclusions
and prepare a final review.
With regards to the satellites which are mentioned above several points
need to be made. LPCE, who leads the proposal, has the scientific
responsibility for the low altitude DEMETER satellite. On request the “burst”
mode can be triggered over a geographical region of interest for the group.
Campaigns will be planned for coordinated observations of DEMETER with ENVISAT.
TIMELINESS
The scientific
objectives of the proposal relate to some of the topics discussed during the
Europlanet / ISSI workshop on ‘Planetary Atmospheric Electricity’ organized in
Bern in July 2007. The results of this study will be of great interest to the
scientific community under any circumstance. However, they will be of interest
for the TARANIS and CHIBIS micro-satellite projects (Zelznyi et al., 2005).
Blelly P-L., A. Robineau, J. Lilensten and D. Lummerzheim: 8-moment fluid models of the terrestrial high
latitude ionosphere between 100 and 3000 km, in Solar Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP): Handbook of Ionospheric
Models, R.W. Schunk, ed., 53-72, 1996.
Callis, L.B., R.E. Boughner, D.N. Baker, R.A. Mewaldt, J.R. Blake, R.
Selesnick, J.R. Cummings, M. Natarajan, G.M. Mason, and J.E. Mazur,
Precipitating electrons: evidence for effects on mesospheric odd nitrogen,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 23, 15, 101-1904, 1996.
Callis, L.B., and J.D. Lambeth, NOy formed by precipitating electron
events in 1991 and 1992: descent into the stratosphere as observed by ISAMS,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 1875-1878, 1998.
Callis, L.B., Stratospheric studies consider crucial question of
particle precipitation, EOS, 82, 27, 297 – 301, 2001.
Callis, L.B., M. Natarajan, and J.D. Lambeth: Solar-atmospheric coupling
by electrons (SOLACE) 3. Comparisons of simulations and observations, 1979 –
1997, issues and implications, J. Geophys. Res., 106, D7, 7523-7539, 2001.
Callis L.B., M. Natarajan, J.D. Lambeth, Observed and calculated
mesospheric NO, 1992-1997, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 29, 2, 10.1029/2001GL013995, 2002.
Hauchecorne, A. J.L. Bertaux, F.
Dalaudier, J.M. Russell III, M.G. Mlynczak, E. Kyro¨la¨, D. Fussen5, Large
increase of NO2 in the north polar mesosphere in January–February 2004:
Evidence of a dynamical origin from GOMOS/ENVISAT and SABER/TIMED data,
Geophys. Res. Lett, 34, L03810, doi:10.1029/2006GL027628, 2007
Huret N., J.P. Pommereau, F. Lefevre, C.Peubey and M. Pirre :
Photochemical modeling of NO2/O3 ratio variations in the
stratosphere along a SAOZ-MIR trajectory around the Earth at the tropics, Sixth
European Symposium on Ozone, Goteborg, September 2002.
Kraus, A. B., F. Rohrer, E. S. Grobler, and D. H.
Ehhalt: The global tropospheric distribution of NOx estimated by a
three-dimensional chemical tracer model, J.
Geophys. Res., 101,
18587-18604, 1996.
Inan, U.S., N. G. Lehtinen, R. C. Moore,
K. Hurley, S. Boggs, D. M. Smith, G. Fishman (2007). Massive disturbance of the
daytime lower ionosphere by the giant -ray flare from Magnetar SGR 1806-20, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L08103,
doi:10.1029/2006GL029145.
Lehtinen, N. G., and U. S. Inan (2007), Possible persistent ionization caused by giant
blue jets, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34,
L08804, doi:10.1029/2006GL029051.
Levy, H., W. J. Moxim, A. A. Klonecki, and P. S.
Kasibhatla: Simulated Tropospheric NOx: Its evaluation, global
distribution and individual source contributions, J. Geophys. Res., 104,
26279-26306, 1999.
Li, X., and M.A. Temerin, The electron radiation belt, Space Sci. Rev.,
95, 569-580, 2001.
Liu, N., V.P. Pasko, The
possibility of generation of NO-gamma emissions in sprite discharges, AGU,
2006.
Mishin, E., Ozone layer
perturbation by a single jet. Geophys.
Res. Let., 24, 15, 1919-1922, 1997
Pasko, V.P., U.S. Inan, T.F.
Bell, and Y.N. Tarenko, Sprites produced by quasi-electrostatic
heating and ionization in the
lower ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 4529-4561, 1997.
Price, C., J. Penner, M.
Prather, NOx from lightning 1. Global distribution based on lightning physics,
J. Geophys. Res., 102, D5, 5929-5941, 1997.
Rahman, R., V. Cooray, V.A.
Rakov, M.A. Uman, P. Liyanage, B.A. De Carlo, J. Jerauld, R.C. Olsen III,
Measurements of NOx produced by rocket triggered lightning, Geophys. Res. Let.,
34, L03816, dii:10.1029/2006GL027956, 2007.
Orsolini, Y.J., G.L. Manney, M.L. Santee, and C.E. Randall : An
upper stratospheric layer of enhanced HNO3 following exceptional solar storms,
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Randall, C.E., V.L. Harvey, C.S. Singleton, P.F. Bernath, C.D.
Boone and J.U. Kozyra: Enhanced Nox in 2006 linked to strong upper atmospheric
arctic vortex, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L18811,
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Renard, J.B., P.L. Blelly, Q.
Bourgeois, M. Chartier, F. Goutail, and Y.J. Orsolini: Origin of the January–April 2004 increase in stratospheric NO2
observed in the northern polar latitudes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33,
L11801, doi:10.1029/2005GL025450, 2006.
Siskind, D.E., G.E. Nedoluha, C.E. Randall, M. Fromm, J.M. Russell, An
assessment of southern hemisphere stratospheric NOx enhancements due to
transport from the upper atmosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 3, 329 – 332,
2000.
Zelenyi, L.M., V.G.Rodin, V.N.Angarov, T.K.Breus, M.B.Dobriyan, S.I.Klimov,
O.I.Korablev, V.E.Korepanov, V.M. Linkin, E.A. Loupian, N.N.Ivanov,
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April 4-8, 2005. Edited by Hans-Peter Roeser, Rainer Sandau, Arnoldo Valenzuela.
Walter de Gruter, Berlin, New York, p. 443-451, 2005.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
The expected outputs are:
-
publications of
papers based on specific coordinated observations combined with numerical
modelling,
-
a common review
paper,
-
implementation of a
plan for activities in support of ASIM and TARANIS missions,
- improvements
to numerical models.
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