Identification

Title

Observational characteristics of double tropopauses

Abstract

Temperature profiles in the extratropics often exhibit multiple tropopauses (as defined using the lapse rate definition). In this work we study the observational characteristics of double tropopauses based on radiosondes, ERA40 reanalysis, and GPS radio occultation temperature profiles. Double tropopauses are associated with a characteristic break in the thermal tropopause near the subtropical jet, wherein the low latitude (tropical) tropopause extends to higher latitudes, overlying the lower tropopause; this behavior can extend to polar latitudes. Tropopause statistics derived from radiosondes and GPS data show good agreement, and GPS data allow mapping of double tropopause characteristics over the globe. The occurrence frequency shows a strong seasonal variation over NH midlatitudes, with ∼50–70% occurrence in profiles during winter, and a small fraction (∼10%) over most of the hemisphere during summer (with the exception of a localized maximum over the poleward flank of the Asian monsoon anticyclone). SH midlatitude statistics show a smaller seasonal variation, with occurrence frequencies of ∼30–50% over the year (maximum during winter). Over the extratropics, the occurrence frequency is substantially higher for cyclonic circulation systems. Few double tropopauses are observed in the tropics. Ozone measurements from balloons and satellites show that profiles with double tropopauses exhibit systematically less ozone in the lower stratosphere than those with a single tropopause. Together with the meteorological data, the ozone observations identify double tropopauses as regions of enhanced transport from the tropics to higher latitudes above the subtropical jet cores.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7k35txc

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2007-04-11T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact