Annual and seasonal global temperature changes in the troposphere and low stratosphere, 1960-85

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Mon. Weather Rev.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1986)114<1922:AASGTC>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6834077

Angell, J K

Based on a 63-station radiosonde network, annual and seasonal temperature changes have been estimated by means of linear regression for the earth's surface, troposphere (1.5-9 km), tropopause layer (-16 km) and low stratosphere (16-20 km) in polar, temperate, subtopical and equatorial zones, as well as the tropics, both hemispheres and the world, for intervals 1960-85, 1965-85, 1970-85 and 1975-85. During the last quarter century, the surface and the troposphere have warmed, and the tropopause layer and the low stratosphere have cooled, in almost all climatic zones, i.e., there has been an increase in lapse rate. The low-level warming and higher-level cooling have been more pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. There is little evidence on the hemispheric scale for an increase in the rate of warming or cooling, but there is evidence in individual climatic zones. For example, there has been an increase in rate of cooling in the low stratosphere of the south polar zone, especially in the spring, presumably associated with the low (and decreasing) springtime total-ozone in this region. In the Northern Hemisphere, surface temperatures have warmed the most in winter, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere the warming has been greatest in autumn or winter. For the world as a whole, surface and tropospheric temperatures have warmed the least in September-October-November. In the tropopause layer of both hemispheres the cooling has been greatest in September-October-November and December-January-February. The influence of the El Chichon eruption on the temperature decrease determined for the low stratosphere has been evaluated, and limited evidence is presented that the cooling in the low stratosphere has been increasing with height. The pattern of observed temperature change is considered in the context of temperature changes to be expected from an increase in CO/sub 2/ and certain trace gases.

• Research Organization: NOAA, Silver Springs, MD
• OSTI ID: 6834077
• Journal Information: Mon. Weather Rev.; (United States), Journal Name: Mon. Weather Rev.; (United States) Vol. 114; ISSN MWREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
MATHEMATICS
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
STATISTICS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
VARIATIONS
VOLCANOES