Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study
In recent decades, efforts to investigate atmospheric circulation patterns have predominantly relied on either semi-empirical datasets (i.e., reanalyses) or modeled output (i.e., global climate models, GCMs). While both approaches can provide important insights, there is a need for more empirical da...
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2073-4433/12/11/1439/ 2023-08-20T04:08:19+02:00 Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study Michael Connolly Ronan Connolly Willie Soon Víctor M. Velasco Herrera Rodolfo Gustavo Cionco Nancy E. Quaranta agris 2021-10-30 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Upper Atmosphere https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Atmosphere; Volume 12; Issue 11; Pages: 1439 weather balloon data molar densities troposphere-stratosphere correlations atmospheric mass motion/circulation Text 2021 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 2023-08-01T03:07:08Z In recent decades, efforts to investigate atmospheric circulation patterns have predominantly relied on either semi-empirical datasets (i.e., reanalyses) or modeled output (i.e., global climate models, GCMs). While both approaches can provide important insights, there is a need for more empirical data to supplement these approaches. In this paper, we demonstrate how the application of relatively simple calculations to the basic measurements from a standard weather balloon radiosonde can provide a vertical profile of the horizontal atmospheric mass fluxes. These mass fluxes can be resolved into their meridional (north/south) and zonal (east/west) components. This provides a new useful empirical tool for analyzing atmospheric circulations. As a case study, we analyze the results for a selected five stations along a fairly constant meridian in the North Atlantic sector from 2015–2019. For each station, we find the atmospheric mass flux profiles from the lower troposphere to mid-stratosphere are surprisingly coherent, suggesting stronger interconnection between the troposphere and stratosphere than previously thought. Although our five stations span a region nominally covered by the classical polar, Ferrel and Hadley meridional circulation cells, the results are inconsistent with those expected for polar and Ferrel cells and only partially consistent with that of a Hadley cell. However, the region is marked by very strong prevailing westerly (west to east) mass fluxes for most of the atmosphere except for the equatorial surface easterlies (“trade winds”). We suggest that the extension of the techniques of this case study to other stations and time periods could improve our understanding of atmospheric circulation patterns and their time variations. Text North Atlantic MDPI Open Access Publishing Atmosphere 12 11 1439 |
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Open Polar |
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MDPI Open Access Publishing |
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ftmdpi |
language |
English |
topic |
weather balloon data molar densities troposphere-stratosphere correlations atmospheric mass motion/circulation |
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weather balloon data molar densities troposphere-stratosphere correlations atmospheric mass motion/circulation Michael Connolly Ronan Connolly Willie Soon Víctor M. Velasco Herrera Rodolfo Gustavo Cionco Nancy E. Quaranta Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
topic_facet |
weather balloon data molar densities troposphere-stratosphere correlations atmospheric mass motion/circulation |
description |
In recent decades, efforts to investigate atmospheric circulation patterns have predominantly relied on either semi-empirical datasets (i.e., reanalyses) or modeled output (i.e., global climate models, GCMs). While both approaches can provide important insights, there is a need for more empirical data to supplement these approaches. In this paper, we demonstrate how the application of relatively simple calculations to the basic measurements from a standard weather balloon radiosonde can provide a vertical profile of the horizontal atmospheric mass fluxes. These mass fluxes can be resolved into their meridional (north/south) and zonal (east/west) components. This provides a new useful empirical tool for analyzing atmospheric circulations. As a case study, we analyze the results for a selected five stations along a fairly constant meridian in the North Atlantic sector from 2015–2019. For each station, we find the atmospheric mass flux profiles from the lower troposphere to mid-stratosphere are surprisingly coherent, suggesting stronger interconnection between the troposphere and stratosphere than previously thought. Although our five stations span a region nominally covered by the classical polar, Ferrel and Hadley meridional circulation cells, the results are inconsistent with those expected for polar and Ferrel cells and only partially consistent with that of a Hadley cell. However, the region is marked by very strong prevailing westerly (west to east) mass fluxes for most of the atmosphere except for the equatorial surface easterlies (“trade winds”). We suggest that the extension of the techniques of this case study to other stations and time periods could improve our understanding of atmospheric circulation patterns and their time variations. |
format |
Text |
author |
Michael Connolly Ronan Connolly Willie Soon Víctor M. Velasco Herrera Rodolfo Gustavo Cionco Nancy E. Quaranta |
author_facet |
Michael Connolly Ronan Connolly Willie Soon Víctor M. Velasco Herrera Rodolfo Gustavo Cionco Nancy E. Quaranta |
author_sort |
Michael Connolly |
title |
Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
title_short |
Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
title_full |
Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
title_fullStr |
Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Analyzing Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Using Mass Fluxes Calculated from Weather Balloon Measurements: North Atlantic Region as a Case Study |
title_sort |
analyzing atmospheric circulation patterns using mass fluxes calculated from weather balloon measurements: north atlantic region as a case study |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 |
op_coverage |
agris |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Atmosphere; Volume 12; Issue 11; Pages: 1439 |
op_relation |
Upper Atmosphere https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111439 |
container_title |
Atmosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
1439 |
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1774720515934519296 |