Seasonal dependence of stratospheric temperature variations

• Main Author: R. P. Kane
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; North Pole
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/1d3c221a8da345789411b54247f9c9de

Stratospheric temperatures show distinct trends, not necessarily monotonically upward or downward. At the North Pole, trends were large only during winter and spring and were different for different months; downward for November, December, mixed for January and upward for February, March and April. For the 10°-90°N belt, the trends were variable, viz., downward during 1971-1975, upward during 1975-1978 and downward again from 1978 onwards up to date, opposite to the upward trend of ground temperature in the Northern hemisphere in recent years. Twelve-monthly running averages revealed strong QBO (quasi-biennial oscillation). For the North Pole, the QBO showed colder (lower) temperatures during 50-mb wind QBO westerly phase maxima. For the 10°-90°N belt, the QBO was similar for 30 mb and 50 mb but the QBO phases did not match well with 50-mb wind QBO phases.