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A quasi‐permeable barrier in the equatorial lower stratosphere
Author(s) -
Chen Ping,
Holton James R.,
Swinbank Richard
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1029/94gl02989
Subject(s) - stratosphere , potential vorticity , equator , zonal and meridional , vorticity , positive vorticity advection , isentropic process , atmospheric sciences , potential temperature , climatology , meridional flow , quasi biennial oscillation , lagrangian , tracer , environmental science , geology , physics , meteorology , vortex , latitude , mechanics , geodesy , nuclear physics , mathematical physics
Analyses of global isentropic maps of potential vorticity from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office data assimilation system reveal that there is a region of strong meridional potential vorticity gradients in the equatorial lower stratosphere. A semi‐Lagrangian tracer transport model is used to show that this region of strong PV gradients acts as a quasi‐permeable barrier to cross‐equator mass exchange on isentropic surfaces.