Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16
The 2015/16 Northern Hemisphere winter season was marked by peculiarities in the circulation pattern in the high-latitude mesopause region. Wind measurements from the Andenes (69° N, 13° E) meteor radar show westward winds below 84 km and eastward winds above. This wind pattern in the zonal wind was...
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ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:angeo55322 2023-05-15T13:25:16+02:00 Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 Stober, Gunter Matthias, Vivien Jacobi, Christoph Wilhelm, Sven Höffner, Josef Chau, Jorge L. 2018-09-27 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/35/711/2017/ eng eng doi:10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/35/711/2017/ eISSN: 1432-0576 Text 2018 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 2020-07-20T16:23:43Z The 2015/16 Northern Hemisphere winter season was marked by peculiarities in the circulation pattern in the high-latitude mesopause region. Wind measurements from the Andenes (69° N, 13° E) meteor radar show westward winds below 84 km and eastward winds above. This wind pattern in the zonal wind was observable between the end of December 2015 and the end of January 2016, i.e., conditions that are typical for the summer were found during winter. Additional meteor radar measurements at midlatitude stations did not show such a zonal wind reversal but indicate, together with the polar latitude stations, a reversal of the horizontal temperature gradient. This is confirmed by global satellite measurements. Therefore, it is plausible that the polar latitude summer-like zonal wind reversal in December–January is in accordance with the reversed horizontal temperature gradient assuming a thermal wind balance between mid- and polar latitudes. The reversed horizontal temperature gradient itself is induced by stationary planetary waves at lower and midlatitudes in the mesosphere, leading to a weakening of the residual circulation above the European sector. Text Andenes Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Annales Geophysicae 35 3 711 720 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
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ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
The 2015/16 Northern Hemisphere winter season was marked by peculiarities in the circulation pattern in the high-latitude mesopause region. Wind measurements from the Andenes (69° N, 13° E) meteor radar show westward winds below 84 km and eastward winds above. This wind pattern in the zonal wind was observable between the end of December 2015 and the end of January 2016, i.e., conditions that are typical for the summer were found during winter. Additional meteor radar measurements at midlatitude stations did not show such a zonal wind reversal but indicate, together with the polar latitude stations, a reversal of the horizontal temperature gradient. This is confirmed by global satellite measurements. Therefore, it is plausible that the polar latitude summer-like zonal wind reversal in December–January is in accordance with the reversed horizontal temperature gradient assuming a thermal wind balance between mid- and polar latitudes. The reversed horizontal temperature gradient itself is induced by stationary planetary waves at lower and midlatitudes in the mesosphere, leading to a weakening of the residual circulation above the European sector. |
format |
Text |
author |
Stober, Gunter Matthias, Vivien Jacobi, Christoph Wilhelm, Sven Höffner, Josef Chau, Jorge L. |
spellingShingle |
Stober, Gunter Matthias, Vivien Jacobi, Christoph Wilhelm, Sven Höffner, Josef Chau, Jorge L. Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
author_facet |
Stober, Gunter Matthias, Vivien Jacobi, Christoph Wilhelm, Sven Höffner, Josef Chau, Jorge L. |
author_sort |
Stober, Gunter |
title |
Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
title_short |
Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
title_full |
Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
title_fullStr |
Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
title_sort |
exceptionally strong summer-like zonal wind reversal in the upper mesosphere during winter 2015/16 |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/35/711/2017/ |
genre |
Andenes |
genre_facet |
Andenes |
op_source |
eISSN: 1432-0576 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/35/711/2017/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-35-711-2017 |
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Annales Geophysicae |
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35 |
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3 |
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711 |
op_container_end_page |
720 |
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1766384477772185600 |