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Seasonal transition in gravity wave activity during the springtime stratospheric vortex breakdown
Author(s) -
Duck Thomas J.,
Whiteway James A.
Publication year - 2000
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 - 10.1029/2000gl011830
Subject(s) - stratosphere , polar vortex , anticyclone , atmospheric sciences , vortex , gravity wave , orographic lift , sudden stratospheric warming , environmental science , climatology , breaking wave , gravitational wave , geology , physics , meteorology , wave propagation , precipitation , astrophysics , quantum mechanics
Profiles of temperature and wind measured by meteorological balloons are used to examine the changes in gravity wave activity at high latitudes during a final springtime breakdown of the Arctic stratospheric vortex. The measurements show that gravity wave potential energy densities in the lower stratosphere decreased dramatically as the cyclonic wintertime vortex gave way to the weak anticyclonic summertime circulation. The reduction in gravity wave activity after the vortex breakdown is attributed primarily to increased critical level filtering of orographic waves and lowered stratospheric wind speeds.