Jan. 10 () –
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a data set of the entire atmosphere, enabling new research in regions that were previously difficult to study.
Using a new data assimilation system called JAGUAR-DAS, which combines numerical modeling with observational data, the team created a nearly 20-year-long data set spanning multiple levels of the atmosphere, from ground level to the lower edges of the space. The findings are published in ‘Progress in Earth and Planetary Science’.
Being able to study the interactions of these layers vertically and around the globe could improve climate modeling and seasonal weather prediction. There is also potential for interdisciplinary research between atmospheric scientists and space scientists, to investigate the interaction between space and our atmosphere and how it affects us on Earth.
Complaining about the weather and meteorologists when they get it wrong is a popular pastime for many. But the job of a meteorologist is not easy. Our atmosphere is multi-layered, interconnected and complex, and global climate change is making it even more difficult to forecast extreme weather events, both long-term and sudden. To help overcome these growing challenges, Researchers have created a data set of the entire atmosphere.
The array spans from September 2004 to December 2023 and spans multiple levels of the atmosphere, from ground level to the lower edge of space, about 110 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The region between 50 and 110 kilometers (although exact ranges vary) is particularly interesting, as It is so notoriously difficult to study that it had previously been called the “ignorosphere.”
This region is too low for satellites and too high for weather balloons to observe, resulting in a paucity of data and, consequently, research. However, it is a fascinating area, characterized by vast global atmospheric tides and small-scale gravity waves that affect wind and temperature. It also plays an important role in the intensity of the impact of space weather events.
“The JAWARA (JAGUAR-DAS Whole neutral Atmosphere Reanalysis) data set is a powerful research tool that, for the first time, allows us to quantitatively understand the general atmospheric circulation and the hierarchical structure of waves and vortices in the mesospheric layer (which is located above the stratosphere and about 50-90 km above the Earth’s surface) and the lower thermospheric layer (about 90-110 km above the Earth’s surface) of the atmosphere, including the ignorantosphere”, explains Professor Kaoru Sato in a statement.
“If we can better understand these layers, we would improve our ability to respond to climate change, extend the lead time of seasonal forecasts, and advance our understanding of space weather phenomena.”
The team developed its new JAGUAR-DAS high-speed data assimilation system as part of an international project led by Sato. The system integrates observational data into a numerical model that can then generate data on atmospheric conditions. The resulting data set, called JAWARA, allows for a detailed analysis of the general circulation of the atmosphere and its hierarchical structure.
“Atmospheric general circulation models that span to the lower edge of space have only been developed by a limited number of research institutions around the world, including ours,” says Sato. “Recent studies indicate that extreme stratospheric phenomena can begin at least in the upper mesosphere. Therefore, quantitative elucidation of phenomena in the mesosphere and thermosphere is extremely important for weather prediction.
The data set is now openly available and the team intends to use it to study the large-scale circulation and hierarchical structure of the atmosphere, as well as vertical and interhemispheric couplings (i.e. between the northern and southern hemispheres). They also hope to work in collaboration with space scientists to study interactions between the atmosphere and space, particularly the mesosphere (where the highest clouds form) and the ionosphere (located within the thermosphere and about 60-300 km above the surface of the Earth, where many satellites are located).
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