Premium
Synoptic‐scale behavior of the extratropical tropopause inversion layer
Author(s) -
Pilch Kedzierski Robin,
Matthes Katja,
Bumke Karl
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066409
Subject(s) - extratropical cyclone , tropopause , anticyclone , middle latitudes , climatology , radio occultation , potential vorticity , mesoscale meteorology , geology , atmospheric sciences , inversion (geology) , environmental science , ionosphere , meteorology , vorticity , geophysics , troposphere , vortex , geography , seismology , tectonics
High‐resolution GPS radio occultation temperature profiles from the COSMIC satellite mission (2007–2013) are used to obtain daily snapshots of the strength of the extratropical tropopause inversion layer (TIL). Its horizontal structure and day‐to‐day variability are linked to the synoptic situation at near‐tropopause level. The strength of the TIL in cyclonic as well as anticyclonic conditions is investigated by separating relative vorticity into curl and shear terms. The analysis shows that the TIL has high zonal variability, and its strength is instantaneously adjusted to the synoptic situation at near‐tropopause level. Our key finding is that the TIL within midlatitude ridges in winter is as strong as or stronger than the TIL in polar summer. The strongest TIL in anticyclonic conditions is related to the shear term, while the weaker TIL in cyclonic conditions is enhanced by the curl term.