Trajectory Modeling of the Middle Atmosphere

A. N. Luk’yanov, A. V. Gan’shin, V. A. Yushkov, and A. S. Vyazankin

A short description and some applications of the trajectory and dispersion models developed in Central Aerological Observatory (CAO) for studying the stratospheric and tropospheric transport of pollutants are presented. The TRACAO trajectory model is applied to investigate the processes related to the ozone depletion in the winter polar stratosphere, in order to study the mid-latitude stratosphere–troposphere exchange, as well as to analyze balloon and aircraft (M55 “Geophysics,” Yak-42D “Roshydromer”) observations. Then based on the TRACAO, the GLADIM dispersion model that simulates trajectories of the set of particles with the eddy diffusion parameterization and determines the pollutant concentration at the regular grid points, was developed. The dispersion model was applied to simulate volcanic ash dispersion and carbon dioxide profile reconstruction. The model validation was done by comparisons with the results of the widely used FLEXPART model. Nowadays these models are used at the “Middle Atmosphere” Regional Information and Analytic Center established in CAO.