Extreme Events in the 14 Year MLS Lower Stratospheric Water Vapor Record (Invited Presentation)

Since its launch in 2004, the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on Aura has provided daily global profiles of ~15 atmospheric constituents including water vapor and ozone from the upper troposphere through the middle atmosphere. The combination of high vertical resolution and daily coverage have made the water vapor data a particularly valuable resource for the study, not only of general upwelling and dehydration in the tropics, but also of the impact of individual events such as volcanic eruptions and overshooting convection. Here we present an overview of the 14 year record of MLS UT/LS water vapor, focusing on processes that have resulted in extremely elevated lower stratospheric water vapor in the summer monsoons, in volcanic plumes and in the plumes from two extraordinary pyroconvective events. The potential impact of elevated water vapor on lower stratospheric ozone is also discussed.