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Tropical stratospheric water vapor measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)
Author(s) -
Carr E. S.,
Harwood R. S.,
Mote P. W.,
Peckham G. E.,
Suttie R. A.,
Lahoz W. A.,
O'Neill A.,
Froidevaux L.,
Jarnot R. F.,
Read W. G.,
Waters J. W.,
Swinbank R.
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 - 10.1029/95gl00626
Subject(s) - microwave limb sounder , water vapor , stratosphere , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , quasi biennial oscillation , advanced microwave sounding unit , amplitude , tropics , microwave , satellite , climatology , meteorology , geology , physics , quantum mechanics , fishery , biology , astronomy
The lower stratospheric variability of equatorial water vapor, measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), follows an annual cycle modulated by the quasi‐biennial oscillation. At levels higher in the stratosphere, water vapor measurements exhibit a semiannual oscillatory signal with the largest amplitudes at 2.2 and 1hPa. Zonal‐mean cross sections of MLS water vapour are consistent with previous satellite measurements from the LIMS and SAGE II instruments in that they show water vapor increasing upwards and polewards from a well defined minimum in the tropics. The minimum values vary in height between the retrieved 46 and 22hPa pressure levels.