Organization:
Research Title: Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP)
Funding Level (millions of dollars):
| FY94 | 7.5 |
|---|---|
| FY95 | 6.7 |
| FY96 | 5.7 |
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Component:
(a) Subcommittee: Global Change Research Subcommittee (100%)
Risk Assessment Group
Task Group on Observations and Data Management
(b) Environmental Issue: Stratospheric ozone; Tropospheric ozone;
Greenhouse
gases;
Surface Ultraviolet Radiation
(c) Research Activity: System structure and function: Understanding (60%);
Prediction
(30%); Integrated assessment (10%)
Organizational Component:
Atmospheric Science Branch
Office of Mission to Planet Earth
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
Point of Contact:
Jack A. Kaye
Phone: 202-358-0757
E-Mail: jkaye@hq.nasa.gov
Research Goals:
Develop coupled chemistry-transport models for the stratosphere and troposphere
to
simulate distribution of trace constituents in present and future atmosphere;
analyze
large data sets to improve understanding of atmospheric trace constituent
distributions,
including past evolution; reconcile changes in recent atmosphere using
combination
of data analysis and modeling
Research Description:
The two main areas of research in this program are data analysis and modeling.
They
are synergistically linked in that large global data sets can only be understood
in the context of atmospheric models, while atmospheric models require global data
sets for their evaluation and initialization.
Data analysis (40%): The program focuses on analysis of data on stratospheric dynamics and trace constituent composition as well as tropospheric trace constituent composition (tropospheric dynamics is covered by other programs within NASA's Office of Mission to Planet Earth). Data sets analyzed emphasize space-based remote sensing data and aircraft data, but also include rocket-, balloon-, and ground-based data. Space-based remote sensing data will be used to infer information about surface ultraviolet radiation.
Atmospheric modeling (60%): Stratospheric and tropospheric chemistry/transport model development, analysis, and evaluation is supported through this program. Models are used for both retrospective studies, in which changes in the atmosphere over the recent past are reconciled with results of models using assumed/known forcings, and for prognostic studies, in which scenarios for projected atmospheric forcing are used to drive models in the future. While in the past this program has focused mainly on stratospheric ozone as an end in itself, there is increasing emphasis on the role of ozone as a climate gas.
Program Interfaces:
The major interfaces of the ACMAP program are with other programs in the Office
of
Mission to Planet Earth at NASA, including the Upper Atmosphere Research
Program,
the Tropospheric Chemistry Program, and the Global Atmospheric Modeling and
Assimilation
Program, as well as the Mission Operations and Data Analysis and Earth Observing
System Programs. ACMAP also interfaces closely with the Atmospheric Effects of
Aviation
Program supported by NASA's Office of Aeronautics. External interfaces include
those
with several components of NOAA (NMC, NESDIS, ERL, CMDL), DOE, EPA, and
NSF. Linkage to the broader international scientific community is accomplished
mainly
through the Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (SPARC) subgroup of
the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and the International Global
Chemistry
(IGAC)
program of the International Global Biosphere Program (IGBP), as well as
participation
in externally-sponsored international assessments, such as the World
Meteorological
Organization/ United Nations Environment Programme (WMO/UNEP) ozone
assessment
and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate assessment.
Program Milestones:
1994: Complete contributions to 1994 WMO/UNEP ozone assessment and IPCC
interim assessment.
1995: Complete contributions to 1995 IPCC climate assessment.
1996 (tentative): Carry out follow-up NASA assessment on Concentrations,
Lifetimes,
and Trends of CFCs, Halons, and Related Molecules in the Atmosphere
Policy Payoffs:
(i) Better understanding of past atmospheric trace constituent change, including
ozone
distributions (total, stratospheric, and tropospheric) (ii) Improved models which
can be
used for assessments of future atmospheric response to trace gas forcing, including
calculated effects on stratospheric and tropospheric ozone and aerosol distributions
(iii)
Development and application of scientific algorithms for inferring information on
past and
present distribution of surface ultraviolet radiation using space-based remote
sensing
data.