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Variability of atmospheric winds and waves in the Arctic polar mesosphere during a stratospheric sudden warming
Author(s) -
Bhattacharya Yajnavalkya,
Shepherd G. G.,
Brown S.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2004gl020389
Subject(s) - sudden stratospheric warming , stratosphere , mesopause , atmospheric sciences , polar night , climatology , environmental science , mesosphere , polar vortex , amplitude , zonal and meridional , polar , arctic , geology , physics , oceanography , quantum mechanics , astronomy
A ground‐based wide angle Michelson Interferometer was used to monitor the temporal variation of winds and waves in the mesopause region at Resolute Bay, Canada (74.9°N, 94.9°W) during a stratospheric warming event of February 2001. Observed variability of zonal and meridional winds is compared to the daily mean temperature fields at 3.16 hPa from assimilated stratospheric data. Reversal of eastward zonal winds is seen to occur during maximum mean temperatures in the stratospheric polar cap. Spectral analysis of the wind‐velocity time series shows the evolution of different periodicities and their amplitudes. A cool period between two warming events shows a decrease in the amplitude of the semi‐diurnal tide and an increase in the power of waves shorter than 12 hours before peak stratospheric temperatures are reached.