Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices
Abstract Diagnostics based on the spatial moments of isopleths of a long‐lived tracer, or of potential vorticity, are presented that enable the structure and evolution of stratospheric polar vortices to be concisely summarized and quantified. The area, centre, aspect ratio and orientation of the ‘eq...
Published in: | Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
1997
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49712354213 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 |
id |
crwiley:10.1002/qj.49712354213 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1002/qj.49712354213 2024-09-15T17:44:25+00:00 Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices Waugh, Darry N. W. 1997 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49712354213 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society volume 123, issue 542, page 1725-1748 ISSN 0035-9009 1477-870X journal-article 1997 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712354213 2024-08-09T04:31:54Z Abstract Diagnostics based on the spatial moments of isopleths of a long‐lived tracer, or of potential vorticity, are presented that enable the structure and evolution of stratospheric polar vortices to be concisely summarized and quantified. The area, centre, aspect ratio and orientation of the ‘equivalent ellipse’ of the vortex, on an isentropic surface, are defined using the second‐ and lower‐order spatial moments of contours within the vortex‐edge region. By examining the variations of these ‘elliptical’ diagnostics with time and altitude, the temporal evolution and vertical structure of the polar vortices can be quantified. The usefulness of the diagnostics is assessed by examining nitrous oxide data from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ‘SKYHI’ general‐circulation model. The diagnostics show, and quantify, several differences between the Arctic and Antarctic vortices in the SKYHI model. The Arctic vortex moves further off the pole, is generally more elongated, and has a more complicated vertical structure than the Antarctic vortex (with larger variations of both the vortex centre and elongation with height). The elliptical diagnostics also identify the occurrence of large‐scale Rossby‐wave breaking events, both at the vortex edge and in the subtropics, in the model. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Wiley Online Library Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 123 542 1725 1748 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Diagnostics based on the spatial moments of isopleths of a long‐lived tracer, or of potential vorticity, are presented that enable the structure and evolution of stratospheric polar vortices to be concisely summarized and quantified. The area, centre, aspect ratio and orientation of the ‘equivalent ellipse’ of the vortex, on an isentropic surface, are defined using the second‐ and lower‐order spatial moments of contours within the vortex‐edge region. By examining the variations of these ‘elliptical’ diagnostics with time and altitude, the temporal evolution and vertical structure of the polar vortices can be quantified. The usefulness of the diagnostics is assessed by examining nitrous oxide data from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ‘SKYHI’ general‐circulation model. The diagnostics show, and quantify, several differences between the Arctic and Antarctic vortices in the SKYHI model. The Arctic vortex moves further off the pole, is generally more elongated, and has a more complicated vertical structure than the Antarctic vortex (with larger variations of both the vortex centre and elongation with height). The elliptical diagnostics also identify the occurrence of large‐scale Rossby‐wave breaking events, both at the vortex edge and in the subtropics, in the model. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Waugh, Darry N. W. |
spellingShingle |
Waugh, Darry N. W. Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
author_facet |
Waugh, Darry N. W. |
author_sort |
Waugh, Darry N. W. |
title |
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
title_short |
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
title_full |
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
title_fullStr |
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
title_full_unstemmed |
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
title_sort |
elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1997 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49712354213 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712354213 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society volume 123, issue 542, page 1725-1748 ISSN 0035-9009 1477-870X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712354213 |
container_title |
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |
container_volume |
123 |
container_issue |
542 |
container_start_page |
1725 |
op_container_end_page |
1748 |
_version_ |
1810491994069270528 |