Dynamical response of low-latitude middle atmosphere to major sudden stratospheric warming events

The zonally averaged UK Meteorological Office (UKMO) zonal mean temperature and zonal winds for the latitudes 8.75°N and 60°N are used to investigate the low-latitude dynamical response to the high latitude sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events that occurred during winter of the years 1998–1999, 2003–2004 and 2005–2006. The UKMO zonal mean zonal winds at 60°N show a short-term reversal to westward winds in the entire upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere and the low-latitude winds (8.75°N) show enhanced eastward flow in the upper stratosphere and strong westward flow in the lower mesosphere during the major SSW events at high latitudes. The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) zonal winds acquired by medium frequency (MF) radar at Tirunelveli (8.7°N, 77.8°E) show a change of wind direction from eastward to westward several days before the onset of SSW events and these winds decelerate and weak positive (eastward) winds prevail during the SSW events. The time variation of zonal winds over Tirunelveli is nearly similar to the one reported from high latitudes, except that the latter shows intense eastward winds during the SSW events. Besides, the comparison of daily mean meridional winds over Tirunelveli with those over Collm (52°N, 15°E) show that large equatorial winds are observed over Tirunelveli during the 2005–2006 event and over Collm during the 1998–1999 events. The variable response of MLT dynamics to different SSW events may be explained by the variability of gravity waves.     

Mesosphere summer echoes,temperature, and meridional wind variations at mid- and polar latitudes

VHF Radar echoes in the summer mesosphere at mid- and polar latitudes ([P]MSE—[polar] mesosphere summer echoes) are connected with very cold temperatures where ice particles can exist. Temperature variations can cause conditions for the generation and evaporation of ice particles and affect the [P]MSE occurrence. The impact of temperature and meridional wind oscillations on [P]MSE is described. Generally at mid-latitudes, strong mesosphere summer echoes are strongly affected by meridional wind variations if the mean temperature is near the frost point of water vapor. In contrast, at polar latitudes there is mostly no significant impact of the meridional wind on radar echoes. A mean temperature well below the frost point and a weaker meridional temperature gradient than at mid-latitudes are reasons for this reduced influence. Due to higher temperatures in 2002, long period temperature and meridional wind variations impact the PMSE more than during the other years.     

Modeling the temperature of the polar mesopause region: Part I—Inter-annual and long-term variations generated by the stratospheric QBO

We present results from the Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), which focus on the temperature environment of the mesopause region where polar mesospheric clouds (PMC) form. The PMC occur in summer and are observed varying on time scales from months to years, and the NSM describes the dynamical processes that can generate the temperature variations involved. The NSM simulates the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), which dominates the zonal circulation of the lower stratosphere at equatorial latitudes. The modeled QBO extends into the upper mesosphere, due to gravity wave (GW) filtering, consistent with UARS zonal wind and TIMED temperature measurements. While the QBO zonal winds are confined to equatorial latitudes, the associated temperature variations extend to high latitudes. The meridional circulation redistributes the QBO energy—and the resulting temperature oscillations away from the equator produce inter-annual variations that can exceed 5 K in the polar mesopause region, with considerable differences between the two hemispheres. The NSM shows that the 30-month QBO produces a 5-year or semi-decadal (SD) oscillation, and stratospheric NCEP data provide observational evidence for that. This SD oscillation extends in the temperature to the upper mesosphere, where it could contribute to the long-term variations of the region.     

On the application of a proposed global system for measuring meteor winds

Summary This paper discusses the need for a global network of meteor wind stations for determining the general circulation of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Continuous observations of horizontal motions from such a network would permit resolution of planetary scale eddy winds, tides, and gravity waves, and hypotheses that such motions propagate vertically from the lower atmosphere or are generated in situ by solar activity could be examined critically with observational data. The observed mean winds from the lower stratosphere to the meteor wind level are summarized to support the hypothesis that a standing wave pattern in the winds extends into the lower thermosphere. Data on tidal meridional momentum transports from meteor wind stations suggest that tides in the lower thermosphere are important for the maintenance of mean winds. Some of the geomagnetic and photochemical processes in the lower thermosphere that could be investigated with meteor wind data are briefly reviewed.This paper is adapted from our presentation at the 1966 Fall URSI meeting at Palo Alto, California     

Meridional eddy flux of enthalpy in the Southern Hemisphere during the IGY

Summary From meteorological IGY data for the calendar year 1958, the mean meridional eddy transport of enthalpy was evaluated for the Southern Hemisphere. Levels chosen for the study were 1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300, 200, 150 and 100 mb. Data from 84 Southern Hemisphere and 25 equatorial Northern Hemisphere stations were used. Yearly mean quantities related to meridional eddy enthalpy flux were computed and analyzed.It was found that around 40° S there is a double-maximum zone of poleward, meridional, transient eddy enthalpy flux, the stronger transport occurring at 850 mb, and the weaker near 200 mb. The countergradient transient eddy flux regions in the low latitude mid-troposphere and in the middle and upper latitude lower stratosphere, found in previous Northern Hemisphere investigations, were observed to exist in the Southern Hemisphere also. The standing eddy heat transport, as expected, was very weak except at high latitudes where Antarctic continentality effected a large double-maximum poleward flux centered near the surface and in the lower stratosphere. The total vertically integrated enthalpy transport by the eddies was found to be poleward everywhere, reaching a maximum between 35° and 40° S.     

Variability of the mesospheric wind field at middle and Arctic latitudes in winter and its relation to stratospheric circulation disturbances

Continuous wind observations allow detailed investigations of the upper mesosphere circulation in winter and its coupling with the lower atmosphere. During winter the mesospheric/lower thermospheric wind field is characterized by a strong variability. Causes of this behaviour are planetary wave activity and related stratospheric warming events. Reversals of the dominating eastward directed mean zonal winds in winter to summerly westward directed winds are often observed in connection with stratospheric warmings. In particular, the amplitude and duration of these wind reversals are closely related to disturbances of the dynamical regime of the upper stratosphere.The occurrence of long-period wind oscillations and wind reversals in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere in relation to planetary wave activity and circulation disturbances in the stratosphere has been studied for 12 winters covering the years 1989–2000 on the basis of MF radar wind observations at Juliusruh (55°N, since 1989) and Andenes (69°N, since 1998). Mesospheric wind oscillations with long-periods between 10 and 18 days are observed during the presence of enhanced planetary wave activity in the stratosphere and are combined with a reversal of the meridional temperature gradient of the stratosphere or with upper stratospheric warmings.     

Remote sensing of the global distribution of total ozone and the inferred upper-tropospheric circulation from Nimbus IRIS experiments

The global distribution of total ozone is derived for the period April, May, June and July of 1969 from Nimbus-3 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) experiment. Preliminary estimates of ozone amounts from Nimbus-4 IRIS for the same period of 1970 show similar results. The standard error of estimation of total ozone from both IRIS experiments is 6% with respect to Dobson Spectrophotometer measurements. A systematic variation in the ozone distribution from April to July in the tropical, middle and polar latitudes is observed indicating the changes in the lower stratospheric circulation.The total ozone measurements show a strong correlation with the upper tropospheric geopotential height in the extratropical latitudes. From this relationship total ozone is used as a quasi-stream function to deduce geostrophic winds at the 200 mb level over extratropical regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. These winds reveal the subtropical and polar jet streams over the globe.Allied research associates.     

Inter-hemispheric asymmetry in polar mesosphere summer echoes and temperature at 69° latitude

An inter-hemispheric asymmetry is found in the characteristics of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) and upper mesosphere temperatures at conjugate latitudes (～69°) above Antarctica and the Arctic. The second complete mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar summer observation season at Davis (68.6°S) revealed that PMSE occur less frequently, with lower strength and on average 1 km higher compared with their northern counterparts at Andenes (69.3°N). We consider the thermodynamic state of the mesosphere for conjoining hemispheric summers based on satellite and ground-based radar measurements, and show the mesopause region near ～80–87 km of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) to be up to 7.5 K warmer than its Northern Hemisphere (NH) counterpart. We show that this is consistent with our observation of asymmetries in the characteristics of PMSE and demonstrate how the mesosphere meridional wind field influences the existence and strength of the echoes in both hemispheres.     

Vertical and off-diagonal eddy diffusivities in the Northern Hemispheric stratosphere and lower mesosphere

Meteorological rocket soundings, launched between 1968–74 at six locations representative of low, middle, and high latitudes in the northern hemisphere, are employed to determine the vertical, meridional and off-diagonal components of the eddy diffusivity in the northern hemispheric statosphere and lower mesosphere.It is shown that the distribution of the vertical and meridional components of the eddy diffusivity are similar in the northern hemisphere, although the magnitude of the former is 10⁷ smaller than that of the latter; the magnitude of the off-diagonal eddy diffusivity is about 10³ smaller than that of the meridional eddy diffusivity. In the troposphere, a maximum eddy diffusivity occurs in the mid-latitude at about 7 km above the mean sea level for both the summer and winter seasons. In the stratosphere, a maximum eddy diffusivity occurs in the mid-latitude at about 33 km in the winter, but no maximum in the summer.Paper presented at the World Meterological Organization Technical Conference on Global Observations of Atmospheric Pollution Relative to Climate, Boulder, Colorado, 20–24 August 1979.     

Dynamical influence of the Madden-Julian oscillation on the Northern Hemisphere mesosphere during the boreal winter

This study first investigates the effect of the Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO) on the Northern Hemisphere(NH)mesosphere. Both observations and simulations suggest significant cooling in the NH polar mesosphere approximately 35 days after MJO phase 4(P4), which lags the MJO-induced perturbation in the upper stratosphere by 10 days. The enhanced planetary waves(PWs) propagate upward and result in wavenumber-1 pattern temperature anomalies in the mesosphere lagging MJO P4 by 25 days. The anomalous PWs also lead to the weaker eastward zonal wind in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere lagging MJO P4 by 30 days. Simultaneously, the weaker westerlies result in weaker climatological westward gravity waves(GWs) in the mesosphere due to critical-level filtering. The mesosphere meridional circulation is suppressed due to both anomalous PWs and GWs, and this suppression causes polar mesospheric cooling lagging MJO P4 by 35 days.     

MST radar investigation on inertia-gravity waves associated with tropical depression in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E)

Continuous measurements of 3-dimensional winds, spectral parameters, and tropopause height for ～114 h during the passage of a tropical depression using mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar at Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) are discussed. The spectral analysis of zonal and meridional winds shows the presence of inertia-gravity wave (IGW) with the dominant periodicity of 56 h and intrinsic period of 27 h in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The strengthening of easterly jet and associated wind shears during the passage of the depression is one of the causative mechanisms for exciting the IGW. A well-established radar method is used to identify the tropopause and to study its response to the propagating atmospheric disturbances. The significance of the present study lies in showing the response of tropopause height to the IGW during tropical depression for the first time, which will have implications in stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes.     

Latitudinal and longitudinal variability of mesospheric winds and temperatures during stratospheric warming events

Continuous MF and meteor radar observations allow detailed studies of winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) as well as temperatures around the mesopause. This height region is characterized by a strong variability in winter due to enhanced planetary wave activity and related stratospheric warming events, which are distinct coupling processes between lower, middle and upper atmosphere. Here the variability of mesospheric winds and temperatures is discussed in relation with major and minor stratospheric warmings as observed during winter 2005/06 in comparison with results during winter 1998/99.Our studies are based on MF radar wind measurements at Andenes (69°N, 16°E), Poker Flat (65°N, 147°W) and Juliusruh (55°N, 13°E) as well as on meteor radar observations of winds and temperatures at Resolute Bay (75°N, 95°W), Andenes (69°N, 16°E) and Kühlungsborn (54°N, 12°E). Additionally, energy dissipation rates have been estimated from spectral width measurements using a 3 MHz Doppler radar near Andenes. Particular attention is directed to the changes of winds, turbulence and the gravity wave activity in the mesosphere in relation to the planetary wave activity in the stratosphere.Observations indicate an enhancement of planetary wave 1 activity in the mesosphere at high latitudes during major stratospheric warmings. Daily mean temperatures derived from meteor decay times indicate that strong warming events are connected with a cooling of the 90 km region by about 10–20 K. The onset of these cooling processes and the reversals of the mesospheric circulation to easterly winds occur some days before the changes of the zonal circulation in the stratosphere start indicating a downward propagation of the circulation disturbances from the MLT region to the stratosphere and troposphere during the stratospheric warming events. The short-term reversal of the mesospheric winds is followed by a period of strong westerly winds connected with enhanced turbulence rates and an increase of gravity wave activity in the altitude range 70–85 km.     

Influence of the vertical motion field on ozone concentration in the stratosphere

Computations of the mean meridional motion field in the stratosphere are applied to ozone distributions to evaluate the associated ozone concentration changes. These changes are compared with those produced by photochemical and quasi-horizontal eddy processes. For the period January–April 1964 there is a cooperative action between the mean and eddy motions with mean subsidence in middle latitudes supplying ozone to be carried polawards and equatorwards by quasi-horizontal eddy processes. At low latitudes mean horizontal motions offset the eddy transport while at high latitudes mean rising motion is the offsetting term. The mean ozone flux through 50 mb, 3.5×10²⁹ molecules sec^–1, is comparable with the fluxes evaluated by other techniques.The spring maximum is thought to be due to a modulation of the energy supply to the stratospheric eddies which, in turn, force the mean motions. Longer-term changes are to be expected; for example during Ice Ages when increased tropospheric eddy activity is anticipated there should be higher total ozone.     

利用卫星温度资料计算风场的方法分析与比较

本文分析和比较了利用卫星温度资料计算水平风场的方法,包括地转风、梯度风和平衡风的计算方法.以DAAC提供的MLS/UARS 1992年12月份的大气温度数据为例,计算了20～55 km高度范围的地转风、梯度风和平衡风,并与ECMWF提供的ERA-40再分析风场资料作了对比和分析,包括12月16日以及12月月平均风场随纬度-高度的变化、风场随经度-纬度的变化、纬圈平均风场随纬度-高度的变化特征和规律.计算结果表明,利用卫星温度观测数据计算的风场与再分析资料的特征和规律基本一致.计算的地转风在高纬地区比梯度风和平衡风大,在中低纬地区三者的差别较小,随着纬度的增大,曲率项的影响也逐渐增大,在高纬地区不可忽略.平衡风在梯度风的基础上还考虑了大气平流项的影响,能更好地反映风场的变化特征,尤其是高纬地区经向风的变化规律.利用平衡风场的计算结果,文章首次定量地计算了平衡方程中各项的大小和比值,分析了各项的贡献和相对重要性.结果表明,重力位势梯度项的贡献最大,并且随着纬度的增大有升高的趋势;曲率项的贡献随着纬度的增大也有增大的趋势,在高纬度地区的比值超过10%;平流项占有一定的比值,其变化范围相对较大,变化规律比较复杂.     

Variations in zonal mean and planetary wave properties of the stratosphere and links with the troposphere

Zonal mean data and amplitudes and phases of planetary zonal waves were derived from daily hemispheric maps for tropospheric and stratospheric levels, for the four winters 1975–76 to 1978–79. Important year-to-year fluctuation in zonal means and wave activity are described, most notable of which are the changes from 1975–76 to 1976–77. Comparison of the relative strengths of the stratospheric and tropospheric jet streams shows a strong negative correlation (–0.8) between monthly mean zonal stratospheric winds (at 10 mb, 65°N) and zonal tropospheric winds (at 200 mb, 32.5°N, in the jet core) and a positive correlation (+0.7) between the stratospheric 10 mb winds and the tropospheric 200 mb winds at 65°N. Parameters correlated were the departures from the climatological mean zonal winds. The structure of correlation between wave amplitudes in the same wave number (1, 2) at different altitudes and between wave numbers 1 and 2 is investigated. We find a high correlation (+0.93) between wave 1 in the stratosphere (10 mb height) and wave 2 (height) in the troposphere at 65°N; but only a weak correlation (+0.2) between wave 1 amplitudes in the stratosphere and troposphere. These results suggest the possible importance of wave-wave interactions in processes linking the stratosphere and troposphere. The wave correlations presented here are based on comparisons of monthly means of daily amplitudes; the correlation structure in individual wave developments may differ, in view of the likelihood of altitudinal lags in wave amplification.     

Atmospheric ozone and the movement of the air in the stratosphere

Using over 2200 ozonesonde ascents, published byHering andBorden [1]–[5] and byDütsch et al. [6], [7], the average vertical distribution of the ozone mixing ratio is found for different latitudes and for different seasons up to a height of 30 km. The method by which the ozone formed at great heights in low latitudes becomes concentrated in the lower stratosphere of high latitudes is discussed, and the meridional circulation theory is strongly suggested.Oxford, May 1972.     

北极地区低平流层惯性重力波的观测研究

南极地区重力波活动有大量报道,相对而言,北极地区重力波的研究还很少.本文利用极区Ny-Alesund站点（78.9°N,11.9°E）无线电探空仪从2012年4月1日到2017年3月31日共5年的观测数据,统计分析了北极地区低平流层惯性重力波的特征.观测显示,月平均纬向风在20 km以下盛行东向风,再随着高度增加,逐渐呈现出半年振荡现象.对流层顶高度在5~13 km范围内变化,其月平均高度显示出年循环,最高出现在夏季,约为10 km,最低出现在冬季,约为8.5 km.对流层和低平流层月平均温度都显示出明显的年周期变化,这与中低纬度观测结果有所不同.结合Lomb-Scargle谱分析和矢端曲线方法,估算了准单色惯性重力波参数.个例研究表明,低平流层惯性重力波呈现出远离源区的自由传播性质.统计结果显示,惯性重力波的水平和垂直波长分别集中在50~450 km和1~4 km范围内,本征频率集中在1~2.5倍惯性频率间,这些值都比中低纬度观测值稍小.垂直方向本征相速度主要集中在-0.3~0 m·s^-1,而纬向和经向本征相速度集中在-40~40 m·s^-1之间.在5年的观测中,大约91.5%的惯性重力波向上传播.在冬季和早春,由于极地平流层极涡活动,激发出向下传播的惯性重力波,因此,向下传播的比例上升到相应月份的20%左右.由于低层大气盛行的东向风的滤波效应,低平流层大部分惯性重力波向西传播.波能量呈现出明显的年周期变化,最大值在冬季、最小值在夏季,与北半球中低纬度观测结果一致,表明北半球重力波活动普遍冬季强、夏季弱.     

Calculated wind climatology of the South-Saxonian/North-Czech mountain topography including improved resolution of mountains

A mesoscale model has been applied to calculate climatological means of the surface wind. A reliable average requires more than 40 model runs, which are differentiated by the direction and speed of the geostrophic wind under the assumption of neutral stratification. The frequency distributions of the geostrophic wind have been taken from observations of the 850-hPa winds at the radiosonde station in Prague for a 10-year period. The simulation results have been averaged over all sectors and speed classes of the geostrophic wind according to their frequencies. A comparison of the calculated mean wind speeds with observed ones shows deviations of about 0.4 ms⁻¹ outside the mountains. The representation of steep topography and isolated mountains on the basis of a 3-km horizontal resolution of the simulations needs special treatment in order to reduce the gap of up to 4 ms⁻¹ between observed and simulated mean wind speeds over mountains. Therefore, an empiric speed-up formula has been applied to the isolated mountains that otherwise would fall through the 3-km meshes. The corresponding deviations have been reduced to 1.5 ms⁻¹.     

High-altitude data assimilation system experiments for the northern summer mesosphere season of 2007

A global numerical weather prediction system is extended to the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) and used to assimilate high-altitude satellite measurements of temperature, water vapor and ozone from MLS and SABER during May–July 2007. Assimilated temperature and humidity from 100 to 0.001 hPa show minimal biases compared to satellite data and existing analysis fields. Saturation ratios derived diagnostically from these assimilated temperature and water vapor fields at PMC altitudes and latitudes compare well with seasonal variations in PMC frequency measured from the aeronomy of ice in the mesosphere (AIM) satellite. Synoptic maps of these diagnostic saturation ratios correlate geographically with three independent transient mesospheric cloud events observed at midlatitudes by SHIMMER on STPSat-1 and by ground observers during June 2007. Assimilated temperatures and winds reveal broadly realistic amplitudes of the quasi 5-day wave and migrating tides as a function of latitude and height. For example, analyzed winds capture the dominant semidiurnal MLT wind patterns at 55°N in June 2007 measured independently by a meteor radar. The 5-day wave and migrating diurnal tide also modulate water vapor mixing ratios in the polar summer MLT. Possible origins of this variability are discussed.     

Mean meridional circulations of the stratosphere and mesosphere

Observations from the Nimbus 6 pressure modulator radiometer (PMR) have been used to estimate monthly mean planetary wave fluxes of heat and momentum in the stratosphere and mesosphere. While the eddy heat fluxes play an important role in the mean meridional circulation of the winter stratosphere they are shown to be less important in the upper mesosphere. Incorporation of the observed momentum fluxes into the Oxford two-dimensional circulation model has shown that they are incapable of providing the momentum transport necessary to balance the zonal flow accelerations induced by the mean meridional motion. Other unspecified transfer processes represented by Rayleigh frictional damping of the zonal fow are shown to dominate. In contrast the observed fluxes in the stratosphere achieve the necessary redistribution of momentum. Moreover their interannual variability profoundly influences the stratospheric circulation, as demonstrated in the model by the use of two different annual sets of observed momentum fluxes. The desirability of calculating the planetary wave behaviour within the model is indicated.