Dehydration of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere by subvisible cirrus clouds near the tropical tropopause

Abstract

The extreme dryness of the lower stratosphere is believed to be caused by freeze‐drying of air as it enters the stratosphere through the cold tropical tropopause. Previous investigations have been focused on dehydration occurring at the tops of deep convective cloud systems. However, recent observations of a ubiquitous stratiform cirrus cloud layer near the tropical tropopause suggest the possibility of dehydration as air is slowly lifted by large‐scale motions. In this study, we have evaluated this possibility using a detailed ice cloud model. Simulations of ice cloud formation in the temperature minima of gravity waves (wave periods of 1–2 hours) indicate that large numbers of ice crystals will likely form due to the low temperatures and rapid cooling. As a result, the crystals do not grow larger than about 10 µm, fallspeeds are no greater than a few cm‐s −1 , and little or no precipitation or dehydration occurs. However, ice clouds formed by large‐scale vertical motions (with lifetimes of a day or more) should have fewer crystals and more time for crystal sedimentation to occur, resulting in water vapor depletions as large as 1 ppmv near the tropopause. We suggest that gradual lifting near the tropical tropopause, accompanied by formation of thin cirrus, may account for the dehydration.