Decades of atmospheric research have focused on the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) region because of its unique location that offers accessibility for airborne and ship measurements, gradients in important atmospheric parameters, and a range of meteorological regimes leading to diverse conditions that are poorly understood. This work reviews these scientific investigations for the WNAO region, including the East Coast of North America and the island of Bermuda. Over 50 field campaigns and long‐term monitoring programs, in addition to 715 peer‐reviewed publications between 1946 and 2019, have provided a firm foundation of knowledge for these areas. Of particular importance in this region has been extensive work at the island of Bermuda that is host to important time series records of oceanic and atmospheric variables. Our review categorizes WNAO atmospheric research into eight major categories, with some studies fitting into multiple categories (relative %): aerosols (25%); gases (24%); development/validation of techniques, models, and retrievals (18%); meteorology and transport (9%); air‐sea interactions (8%); clouds/storms (8%); atmospheric deposition (7%); and aerosol‐cloud interactions (2%). Recommendations for future research are provided in the categories highlighted above.
Atmospheric Research Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Region and North American East Coast: A Review of Past Work and Challenges Ahead
Sorooshian, A., A. Corral, R.A. Braun, B. Cairns, E.C. Crosbie, R.A. Ferrare, J. Hair, M.M. Kleb, A.H. Mardi, H. Maring, A. McComiskey, R. Moore, D. Painemal, A.J. Scarino, J.S. Schlosser, T. Shingler, M. Shook, H. Wang, X. Zeng, L. Ziemba, and P. Zuidema (2020), Atmospheric Research Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Region and North American East Coast: A Review of Past Work and Challenges Ahead, J. Geophys. Res., 125, e2019JD031626, doi:10.1029/2019JD031626.
Abstract
PDF of Publication
Download from publisher's website
Research Program
Radiation Science Program (RSP)
Mission
ACTIVATE
Funding Sources
80NSSC19K0442
Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers. Visit https://espo.nasa.gov for information about our current projects.