An Investigation of Dynamical Mechanisms Associated with Planetary Wave Disturbances of the Winter Polar Middle Atmosphere

Details An Investigation of Dynamical Mechanisms Associated with Planetary Wave Disturbances of the Winter Polar Middle Atmosphere An Investigation of Dynamical Mechanisms Associated with Planetary Wave Disturbances of the Winter Polar Middle Atmosphere

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsa31b1965g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SA31B-1965

Computer Science

Sound

[3332] Atmospheric Processes / Mesospheric Dynamics, [3334] Atmospheric Processes / Middle Atmosphere Dynamics, [3349] Atmospheric Processes / Polar Meteorology, [3363] Atmospheric Processes / Stratospheric Dynamics

Scientific paper

Throughout the winter season the polar middle atmosphere is intermittently disturbed; the most spectacular type of disturbance is a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW). However, the region is dynamically active and exhibits other types of disturbances on a more frequent basis. One such disturbance is synoptic-scale "weather events" observed in lidar and rocket soundings, soundings from the TIMED/SABER instrument and UK Meteorological Office (MetO) assimilated data. These disturbances are most easily identified near 42 km where temperatures are elevated over nominal conditions by 50 K and an associated cooling is observed near 75 km. As these disturbances have a vertical structure extending into the lower mesosphere, they will be termed Upper Stratospheric/Lower Mesospheric (USLM) disturbances. We investigate the dynamical mechanisms responsible for USLM disturbances using the above mentioned observations in addition to model outputs from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). Planetary wave amplification appears to be a required but insufficient condition; using the Charney-Stern criteria for instability the role of baroclinic, barotropic and inertial instabilities in the development of USLM disturbances is explored. Employing EP-flux and potential vorticity analysis techniques, the role the instability plays is demonstrated in its interaction with the zonal mean flow and the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy. In addition, USLM disturbances appear to have front-like behavior analogous to fronts in the troposphere. Broader impacts of these disturbances and the dynamics associated with them are influences on gravity wave generation/propagation, vertical air motion and chemical tracer transport.

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