Troposphere‐to‐stratosphere transport in the lowermost stratosphere from measurements of H₂O, CO₂, N₂O and O₃

Abstract

The origin of air in the lowermost stratosphere is investigated with measurements from the NASA ER‐2 aircraft. Air with high water vapor mixing ratios was observed in the stratosphere at θ∼330–380 K near 40 N in May 1995, indicating the influence of intrusions of tropospheric air. Assuming that observed tracer‐tracer relationships reflect mixing lines between tropospheric and stratospheric air masses, we calculate mixing ratios of H 2 O (12–24 ppmv) and CO 2 for the admixed tropospheric air at θ=352–364 K. Temperatures on the 355 K surface at 20–40 N were low enough to dehydrate air to these values. While most ER‐2 CO 2 data in both hemispheres are consistent with tropical or subtropical air entering the lowermost stratosphere, measurements from May 1995 for θ<362 K suggest that entry of air from the midlatitude upper troposphere can occur in conjunction with mixing processes near the tropopause.