A Tool for the Study of Chemistry and Dynamics of Trace Gases in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

The multi satellite high spatial resolution measurements of important trace gas species, in particular ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O) and carbon monoxide (CO), have been helpful in improving the understanding of the chemistry and dynamics of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) in the tropics and extratropics.

At the NASA GES DISC (http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov) a web-based interactive tool called 'Giovanni' (http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov) has been developed which provides efficient and easy access to data from different atmospheric chemistry satellite sensors (e.g. Aura MLS, OMI and TES, Aqua AIRS, UARS HALOE, EP and Nimbus-7 TOMS) for exploring atmospheric transport and exchange processes in the UTLS region. Capabilities include spatial distributions maps, animations, vertical profiles, time series, time lags, correlations, and temporal, spatial and height crosssections of the trace gases. In this presentation we will provide some examples of the extratropical Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange (STE) processes, seasonal variability and correlations in the UTLS region using multi-satellite observations of trace gas species.