Baroclinic neutrality and the tropopause

Journal Article · Thu Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1993)050<1148:BNATT>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6383096

Lindzen, R S ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge (United States)

It is noted that the atmosphere has a baroclinically neutral state that permits strong temperature gradients at the ground. In this state, the concentrated potential vorticity gradient at the ground is separated from the concentrated potential vorticity gradient at the tropopause by a region where the potential vorticity gradient is zero. The resulting basic state is analogous to the basic state in the Eady problem. A minimum meridional wavenumber is established by the width of the subtropical jet, and neutrality is established by moving the tropopause to a sufficient height so that the total wavenumber corresponds to the short-wave cutoff in the Eady problem. The resulting height is approximately the observed tropopause height. 30 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6383096
• Journal Information: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences; (United States) Vol. 50:8; ISSN 0022-4928; ISSN JAHSAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110*
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
CALCULATION METHODS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
LEVELS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METEOROLOGY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TROPOPAUSE
TROPOSPHERE