Convective injection into stratospheric intrusions

The specific mixing processes that lead to irreversible exchange between stratospheric intrusions and the surrounding troposphere, however, are not entirely understood. This study presents direct observations of moist convection penetrating into stratospheric intrusions.

The characteristics of convective injection are shown by using in situ aircraft measurements, radar reflectivities, and model analyses. Convective injection is observed at altitudes up to 5 km above the bottom of a stratospheric intrusion. Aircraft measurements from the Stratosphere-Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport 2008 (START08) experiment show that convective injection in stratospheric intrusions can be uniquely identified by coincident observations of water vapor greater than about 100 ppmv and ozone greater than about 125 ppbv.