Studies of middle atmosphere dynamics under the Polar Patrol Balloon (PPB) project: Present status and future plans

• Main Authors: Manabu D. Yamanaka, Koji Yamazaki, Hiroshi Kanzawa
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University 1988
• Subjects: Antarctic; Arctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=4035; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00004035/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=4035&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Studies of middle atmospheric dynamics under the PPB project have two aspects. On one hand, they are necessary to predict a feasibility of PPB flight. Recent studies on global-scale disturbances (planetary waves) over the Antarctic stratosphere suggest that the mid-summer (December-January) flight at 30-40km altitudes has a trajectory with meridional fluctuations with ±2° around the initial latitude. The mid-winter (June-August) flight in the Antarctic stratosphere may be much circumpolar than that in the Arctic. The spring (October-November) and autumn (February) flights are not adequate for circumpolar observations. We predict that the north-south drift due to small-scale disturbances (gravity waves) may be within ±0.3°, although this must be confirmed in the future. On the other hand, trajectory analysis and balloon-borne anemometry of PPB would give us useful information for studying the transport process and the gravity-wave effect in the Antarctic stratosphere.