A global analysis of stratospheric-tropospheric exchange during northern winter

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Monthly Weather Review; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1993)121<0162:AGAOSE>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6946532

Hoerling, M P ^[1]; Schaack, T K; Lenzen, A J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (United States)
2. Space Science and Engineering Center, Madison, WI (United States)

A mathematical formulation of stratospheric-tropospheric exchange was used to globally diagnose the cross-tropopause mass flux for January 1979. Contributions by physical mechanisms were evaluated. Two regions of zonally integrated mass flux into the stratosphere were found, one over tropical latitudes associated with diabatic transports, and a second over subpolar latitude associated with abiabatic transports. The ingress to the stratosphere in each of the latitude bands 50[degrees]-70[degrees]N and 40[degrees]-70[degrees]S was as intense as that occurring over the tropics, a feature of the global budget not previously documented. Compensating mass outflow from the stratosphere occured mainly over midlatitudes near axes of strong upper-level westerlies. Large zonal asymmetries were found in the regional patterns of the stratospheric-tropospheric exchange. Tropical inflow to the statosphere was maximized over the Australasian monsoon. The midlatitude mass outflow was concentrated along stationary wave troughs. Mass transport into the stratosphere occurred downstream and poleward relative to the troughs. The extratropical pattern of time-averaged cross-tropopause mass flux was interpretable within the context of physical models of three-dimensional airmass trajectories in baroclinic disturbances. The findings of mass inflow to the stratosphere at subpolar latitudes were consistent with satellite and aircraft measurements of high water vapor mixing ratios in the low stratosphere over these regions. 25 refs., 7 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6946532
• Journal Information: Monthly Weather Review; (United States), Vol. 121:1; ISSN 0027-0644
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
EVALUATION
GASES
TRACE AMOUNTS
TROPOPAUSE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
AIRCRAFT
GLOBAL ANALYSIS
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
POLAR REGIONS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPICAL REGIONS
TROPOSPHERE
WATER VAPOR
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
MATHEMATICS
PLANETS
VAPORS
540110*
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport- (1990-)