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Abstract It is well known that stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) are a result of the interaction between planetary waves (PWs) and the stratospheric polar vortex. SSWs occur when breaking PWs slow down or even reverse this zonal wind jet and induce a sinking motion that adiabatically warms the stratosphere and lowers the stratopause. In this paper we characterize this downward progression of stratospheric temperature anomalies using 18 years (2003–2020) of Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Radiometry (SABER) observations. SABER temperatures, derived zonal winds, PW activity and gravity wave (GW) activity during January and February of each year indicate a high‐degree of year‐to‐year variability. From 11 stratospheric warming events (9 major and 2 minor events), the descent rate of the stratopause altitude varies from 0.5 to 2 km/day and the lowest altitude the stratopause descends to varies from <20 to ∼50 km (i.e., no descent). A composite analysis of temperature and squared GW amplitude anomalies indicate that the downward descent of temperature anomalies from 50 to ∼25 km lags the downward progression of increased GW activity. This increased GW activity coincides with the weakening and reversal of the westward zonal winds in agreement with previous studies. Our study suggests that although PWs drive the onset of SSWs at 30 km, GWs also play a role in contributing to the descent of temperature anomalies from the stratopause to the middle and lower stratosphere.
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SOUTHTRAC-GW: An Airborne Field Campaign to Explore Gravity Wave Dynamics at the World’s Strongest Hotspot
Abstract The southern part of South America and the Antarctic peninsula are known as the world’s strongest hotspot region of stratospheric gravity wave (GW) activity. Large tropospheric winds are deflected by the Andes and the Antarctic Peninsula and excite GWs that might propagate into the upper mesosphere. Satellite observations show large stratospheric GW activity above the mountains, the Drake Passage, and in a belt centered along 60°S. This scientifically highly interesting region for studying GW dynamics was the focus of the Southern Hemisphere Transport, Dynamics, and Chemistry–Gravity Waves (SOUTHTRAC-GW) mission. The German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO) was deployed to Rio Grande at the southern tip of Argentina in September 2019. Seven dedicated research flights with a typical length of 7,000 km were conducted to collect GW observations with the novel Airborne Lidar for Middle Atmosphere research (ALIMA) instrument and the Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere (GLORIA) limb sounder. While ALIMA measures temperatures in the altitude range from 20 to 90 km, GLORIA observations allow characterization of temperatures and trace gas mixing ratios from 5 to 15 km. Wave perturbations are derived by subtracting suitable mean profiles. This paper summarizes the motivations and objectives of the SOUTHTRAC-GW mission. The evolution of the atmospheric conditions is documented including the effect of the extraordinary Southern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) that occurred in early September 2019. Moreover, outstanding initial results of the GW observation and plans for future work are presented.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1647354
- PAR ID:
- 10340832
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
- Volume:
- 102
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0003-0007
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- E871 to E893
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0034.1
