AOSC Seminar by Dr. Richard Cullather, 10/31/2024
AOSC Seminar
Richard Cullather
NASA/GMAO
Title
Global Ocean Mass Change Derived From Atmospheric Reanalyses
Abstract
Barystatic sea level change is a significant climate variable and a gauge for water exchanges between land, atmosphere, and ocean. The monitoring and attribution of globally-averaged sea level variations represent substantial challenges to the climate community. Atmospheric reanalyses provide a level of monitoring for elements of the climate system that are in communication with the ocean, including the atmosphere, terrestrial land, and the surfaces of glaciated land. Improvement in the representation of the water cycle and in water mass conservation have been stated goals of reanalysis projects. Here, we assess the capability of atmospheric reanalyses to represent variations in the global water budget from the perspective of ocean mass balance. The purpose of this work is to provide a detailed evaluation of current atmospheric reanalyses and their ability to reproduce spatial and temporal variations in atmospheric and terrestrial water storage. A second goal is to identify and characterize recent apparent trends in the water balance. The primary validation is from the NASA/DLR Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its follow-on mission, GRACE-FO. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard NASA's Aqua satellite is also used for evaluation of the atmospheric moisture budget. Comparisons reveal strengths and weaknesses in the reanalyses in each component of the climate system. Reanalyses agree closely on atmospheric moisture storage trends, although mean values differ. Reanalyses show significant differences in land water storage; they also apply large corrections to the land water budget. Finally, reanalyses have differing abilities in representing the surface mass balance over glaciated land. Using the observed gravimetry record, changes in the underlying glaciated land ice are examined as a residual.
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AOSC Seminar
Pre-seminar refreshment: N/A
Seminar: 3:30-4:30pm, Room: ATL 2400(only when in-person)
Meet-the-Speaker: 4:30-5:00pm, Room: ATL 3400(only when in-person) [For AOSC Students only]
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