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The dynamics of stratospheric warmings generated by a general circulation model of the troposphere and stratosphere
Author(s) -
O'Neill A.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49710645002
Subject(s) - stratosphere , troposphere , atmospheric sciences , climatology , momentum (technical analysis) , environmental science , physics , geology , finance , economics
A feature of integrations with a general circulation model of the troposphere and stratosphere was that events were spontaneously produced closely resembling stratospheric sudden warmings. One example is examined in detail by means of momentum, heat and energy budget calculations, after a description of its main synoptic developments. Brief reference is made to two other model‐simulated warmings. It is argued that Matsuno's simplest idealization of stratospheric sudden warmings does not provide an adequate description of these events. The appearance of equatorward eddy momentum fluxes was found to have played a central role in their evolution. A mechanism is proposed by means of which such a flux reversal might occur in the stratosphere. The model warmings were apparently instigated by planetary‐scale changes in the troposphere, rather than by internal hydrodynamic instability.