An Overview of the Impact. on the Stratosphere and Mesosphere

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1 An Overview of the Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation it ti on the Stratosphere and Mesosphere Charles Jackman NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Aspen GCI Workshop 2010 Colorado June 13-17, 2010

2 Acknowledgments: Cora Randall University of Colorado, Boulder, CO Howard Singer NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder, CO Janet Kozyra University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Manuel López-Puertas Instituto de-astrofisica de Andalucia, Granada, SPAIN Eric Fleming NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Daniel Marsh Francis Vitt and Rolando Garcia Daniel Marsh, Francis Vitt, and Rolando Garcia National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO

3 Outline I. Introduction II. HO x [H, OH, HO 2 ] impacts III. NO x [N, NO, NO 2 ] impacts IV. Ozone impacts V. Conclusions

4 I. Introduction Focus on Electrons and Protons Comprise most (~90% or so) of Energetic Particles Ultimate origin of Energetic Particles is the Sun

5 Animation of Coronal Mass Ejection

7 Electron Precipitation Auroral electrons auroral zone [~62-75 o geomag. lat.] 70 o 80 o 90 o N geomagnetic 60 o 50 o 40 o Magnetic storms/solar events push auroral boundary Equatorward Large dependence: 1) Diurnally - day, night 2) Seasonally 3) With magnetic/solar activity

8 Electron Precipitation 60 o 50 o 40 o 70 o 80 o 90 o N geomagnetic Medium & high energy electrons subauroral (diffuse, relativistic) [~55-65 o geom. lat.]

9 Electron Precipitation Auroral electrons auroral zone [~62-75 o geomag. lat.] 70 o 80 o 90 o N geomagnetic 60 o 50 o 40 o Medium & high energy electrons subauroral (diffuse, relativistic) [~55-65 o geom. lat.]

10 Electron Precipitation Also: South Atlantic Anomaly weak field all electrons low latitude [~0-30 o S geom. lat., ~0-45 o E geom. lon.] 0 o 10 o 20 o 30 o 40 o 50 o 60 o 70 o 80 o 90 o S geomagnetic

11 Protons mostly enter through the magnetotail and precipitate in the polar caps Solar Proton Events (SPEs)

12 Impulsive Flare Event on October 28, 2003 Halloween Storms View with SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) Extreme UV Imaging Telescope

14 Proton Precipitation Solar protons 40 o 50 o Polar Caps >~60 80 o o geomag. 90o N geomagnetic lat. 60 o 70o Very intense solar events push polar cap boundaries Equatorward

15 Energetic Particle Precipitation (of interest here) Electrons Auroral (~1-30 kev) Medium energy (~ kev) High energy (~ kev) Solar Protons Medium to High energy (~1-300 MeV)

16 kev electron 1 kev electron Thermosphere 1 MeV proton Altit tude (km m) MeV electron kev electron Middle Atmosphere Mesosphere Bremsstrahlung (X-rays) penetrate further Stratosphere Mesopause 10 MeV proton Stratopause 100 MeV proton 0 Troposphere Atmospheric Structure Tropopause

17 Energetic Particle Precipitation Much of the energy deposited by energetic particles creates ion pairs: free Electron & positive Ion

18 Energetic Particle Precipitation Solar Extreme UltraViolet and X-rays Medium & High Energy Electrons Solar Protons

19 Energetic Particles also Produce HO x and NO x Both of which can destroy Ozone

20 II. HO x [H, OH, HO 2 ] impacts

21 Energetic Particles Enhance HO x (H, OH, HO 2 ) Swider and Keneshea (1973) first proposed that t HO x constituents produced by solar protons (November 1969 Solar Proton Event) HO x constituents are produced through water cluster ion formation & neutralization Primarily short-term effects (during and for a few hours after a Solar Proton Event) Predictions of HO production by energetic particles Predictions of HO x production by energetic particles not confirmed up through 2004

22 HO x Production January 2005 SPEs NASA Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) providing first global OH observations

23 Aura MLS & Model Predictions OH on Jan. 15 (before SPE) 90 Latitudes o N 80 Altitu ude (km) MLS Jan Arctic OH Model Jan OH concentration [cm -3 ] x10 6 from Verronen et al. [2006]

24 Altitu ude (km) Aura MLS & Model Predictions OH on Jan. 15 (before SPE) & Jan. 18 (during SPE) 90 Latitudes o N Arctic OH Model Jan. 15 Model Jan. 18 MLS Jan MLS Jan OH concentration [cm -3 ] x10 6 from Verronen et al. [2006]

25 III. NO x [N, NO, NO 2 ] impacts

26 Energetic Particles Enhance NO x (N, NO, NO 2 ) NO x constituents are produced by primary electrons and protons (and associated secondary electrons) dissociating N 2 g 2 Short- and long-term effects as NO x constituents can last for weeks Downward transport (especially in winter) of thermospheric NO x (electrons, extreme UV, X-rays) First proposed in 1970s Observed in the 1980s.

27 >21 > Pressure (hp Pa) Pressure (hp Pa) NO 2 (p ppbv) Latitude (deg) Latitude (deg) Latitude (deg) December 1-5, 1978 January 5-9, 1979 NO 2 (p ppbv) Pre essure (hpa) 1 9 >21 NASA Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere.1 (LIMS) NO 2 obs Latitude (deg) January 19-23, from Russell et al. (1984)

Latitude -90-60 -30 0 30 60 90 0 (deg) Latitude

28 >21 > Pressure (hp Pa) Pressure (hp Pa) NO 2 (p ppbv) Latitude (deg) Latitude (deg) Latitude (deg) December 1-5, 1978 January 5-9, 1979 NO 2 (p ppbv) Pre essure (hpa) > Latitude (deg) January 19-23, LIMS NO 2 obs. from Russell et al. (1984)

29 Electrons Enhance NO x (N, NO, NO 2 ) Canadian Space Agency Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment observations (and several other instruments) Good evidence of downward transport of thermospheric NO x to middle atmosphere in winter Cora Randall to show some of this in her talk

30 Solar Protons Enhance NO x (N, NO, NO 2 ) Mesospheric & stratospheric NO x (NO, NO 2 ) constituents t increased due to solar protons Observed by several satellite instruments

31 27-Oct Oct Oct-2003 Polar vortex edge Geomagnetic pole WACCM NO x (NO+NO 2 ) vmr 55 km European Space Agency Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) NO x (NO+NO 2 ) in km (Northern Hemisphere) from López-Puertas et al. [2005]

32 27-Oct Oct Oct-2003 Polar vortex edge Geomagnetic pole WACCM NO x (NO+NO 2 ) vmr 55 km MIPAS NO x (NO+NO 2 2) in km (No. Hem.) Enhanced by Oct Solar Proton Events (Halloween Storms) from López-Puertas et al. [2005]

33 Model Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) Dan Marsh, Rolando Garcia, & Francis Vitt (NCAR) - Domain [90 o S 90 o N, km] - Atmospheric physics & photochemistry - Interactive dynamics Simulations: With and Without Solar Proton Events (SPEs) over years

34 WACCM Comparisons Average four realizations With SPEs Perturbed result Average four realizations Without SPEs Base result Difference Perturbed and Base results to compute SPE-caused change

35 WACCM - NO x (NO+NO 2 ) change (ppbv) sure (h hpa) July 2000 SPE o S ~15 ppbv increase Pres July August September Year 2000

36 Is there any evidence that a SPE-caused NO x enhancement could last weeks after an event? Yes, Randall et al. (2001)

37 NO x (NO+NO 2 ) in SH Polar Vortex in Sep./Oct. tential Tem mperature e Po Interannual Variability UARS HALOE 2000 ~15 ppbv Likely caused by the July 2000 SPE NO x (ppbv) WACCM (wo SPEs) Mean Altitude (km) from Randall et al. (2001)

38 NO x (NO+NO 2 ) in SH Polar Vortex in Sep./Oct. UARS HALOE WACCM (with SPEs) from Jackman et al. (2008)

39 NO x enhances larger family NO y (N, NO, NO 2, NO 3, N 2 O 5, HNO 3, HO 2 NO 2, ClONO 2,BrONO 2 ) Whose lifetime can be long (~months to years)

40 WACCM - NO y % change o S re (hpa a) 1000 Jul SPE Nov SPE Apr SPE ressur Pr J A S O N D J F M A M J Year 2000 Year 2001

41 IV. Ozone impacts

42 How does Energetic Particle Precipitation-produced produced HO x and NO y impact Ozone? HO x reduces mesospheric & upper stratospheric ozone Also, impacts mesospheric temperature & winds Short-lived effects (~days) NO y impacts stratospheric & lower mesospheric y ozone Also, may impact stratospheric temperature & winds Short to long-lived effects (~days to months)

43 Percentage Change in Ozone at 0.5 hpa (~55 km) from July 13, 2000 to July 14/15, 2000 Northern Hemisphere Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet 2 (SBUV/2) 15-35% depletion 60 o S Geomagnetic Latitude

44 Percentage Change in Ozone at 0.5 hpa (~55 km) from July 13, 2000 to July 14/15, 2000 Northern Hemisphere SBUV/2 WACCM 15-35% depletion Jackman et al. (2008)

45 Jul SPE Nov SPE Apr SPE o S Pressur re (hpa) WACCM NO y % change J A S O N D J F M A M J Year 2000 Year 2001

46 Jul SPE Nov SPE Apr SPE o S Pressur re (hpa) WACCM NO y % change Pressure (hpa) J A S O N D J F M A M J Year 2000 Year 2001 WACCM Ozone % change J A S O N D J F M A M J Year 2000 Year 2001

47 WACCM - Ozone % change Ozone decrease more HO x -induced O 3 loss o S Pr ressure e (hpa a) Ozone decrease both HO x -& NO y -induced O 3 loss important -20 Ozone decrease more -10 NO y -induced O 3 loss Ozone increase NO y interferes with Cl and Br chemistry J A S O N D J F M A M J Year 2000 Year 2001

48 Ozone Production by SPEs (Interaction between Manmade & Natural Influences) NO y from July 2000 SPEs transported to lower stratosphere and interfere with Cl y and Br y via ClO + NO 2 ClONO 2 Normally chlorine destroys ozone: Cl + O 3 ClO + O 2 ClO + O Cl + O 2 Net: O 3 + O O 2 + O 2 Chlorine (& bromine) losses for Ozone are reduced thus Ozone is increased

49 V. Conclusions Both electrons and protons influence the polar mesosphere and stratosphere particularly during certain years e.g., Near solar max; Large geomagnetic activity; Unusual meteorology HO x produced is short-lived, but depletes ozone NO x produced is long-lived, and affects ozone (both decrease and increase) Solar protons influence mesospheric & stratospheric Solar protons influence mesospheric & stratospheric ozone, but is not observable in total ozone

50 Thank you for your attention!

An Overview of the Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation (EPP) on the Mesosphere and Stratosphere

An Overview of the Impact of Energetic Particle Precipitation (EPP) on the Mesosphere and Stratosphere Charles Jackman & Dean Pesnell NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD International Workshop