Solar and space weather impacts on atmospheric chemistry and connections to surface weather and climate
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of Earth and Environment
Abstract
'Space weather' describes changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. Severe space weather can impact technology and human health. A recent report indicated that impacts of an extreme space weather event in the UK cold include local electricity interruptions for a few hours, outage of around 10% of spacecraft, considerably increased the risk to aircraft avionics and partial or total global navigation satellite system outage for 1-3 days. The Met Office now provides operational space weather alerts and forecasts. A strategic goal of the research programme the supports the Met Office space weather service is the development of a coupled Sun-to-Earth modelling system for improved forecast capability, based around the development of an extended version of the Unified Model, extending from the Earth's surface to the thermosphere and ionosphere. By developing and implementing a mesosphere/thermosphere chemistry scheme in the extended UM, this PhD project will considerably increase the accuracy of the model, thus moving closer to the point where it can be used for operational space weather forecasting.
Publications
Kelly C
(2018)
An Explanation for the Nitrous Oxide Layer Observed in the Mesopause Region
in Geophysical Research Letters
Jackson D
(2019)
Future Directions for Whole Atmosphere Modeling: Developments in the Context of Space Weather
in Space Weather
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE/N008340/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/03/2021 | |||
| 1793312 | Studentship | NE/N008340/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2021 | Christopher Kelly |
| Description | Study completed that provides an explanation for satellite observations of a surprising layer of upper atmospheric nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas and ozone-depleter). This required the development of a novel mechanism which combines fundamental physical chemistry, atmospheric radiative transfer and extra-terrestrial particle input. All relevant processes and effects were quantified through the incorporation into a 3D climate model. Co-author contribution made to a commentary paper reviewing the current state of whole atmosphere models and discussing their future development priorities for the representation of space weather impacts. Thesis chapter completed that documents the coupling of neutral atmospheric chemistry to the new Met Office climate and forecasting model with altitude extension. Thesis chapter completed that describes the development and use of the atomic sodium layer (a temperature sensitive upper atmospheric metal layer, sourced from meteoroids) as a diagnostic package for testing the newly chemistry-coupled extended Met Office model. |
| Exploitation Route | The nitrous oxide study will impact the upper atmosphere modelling community by providing a parametrisation that coupled chemistry-climate models will need to include, and providing a methodology by which other extra-terrestrial effects may be coupled. The model results also show that it is possible for high altitude nitrous oxide to reach the stratosphere via transport through the polar vortex, leading to some ozone depletion. The commentary paper will provide a reference for the state of existing whole atmosphere models and direction for future whole atmosphere model developments, based on informed discussion. The work reported in the thesis chapters on the chemistry-coupled extended Met Office model will provide the basis for future chemistry developments to be made and evaluated. The photolysis and photoionisation parametrisations developed for this may also be replicated by other atmospheric models, which would enable a greater pool of models to be suitable for studies of the upper atmosphere. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| URL | https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018GL078895 |