Identification

Title

The double tropopause and its dynamical relationship to the tropopause inversion layer in storm track regions

Abstract

Using High Resolution Dynamic Limb Sounder observations and ERA-Interim reanalysis this study demonstrates that the warm conveyor belt (WCB) is a mechanism responsible for the relationship between the double tropopause (DT) and the tropopause inversion layer (TIL), a relationship recently suggested in the literature based on idealized model simulations of baroclinic disturbances. Using these data sets, spatial and temporal characteristics of the DT-TIL relationship are examined over a 3 year period, 2005-2008. In the extratropics, results from satellite data show that as the TIL increases in strength, so does the frequency of the DT, regardless of season or hemisphere. The inverse relationship is found in the tropics. Using only DT profiles, zonal composites of wind, relative vorticity, and temperature from reanalysis data show that as the TIL increases in strength, the upper tropospheric circulation switches from cyclonic to anticyclonic, and the upward vertical motion increases. This result suggests the WCB as a mechanism since it is on the anticyclonic side of the jet and is characterized by the movement of tropical air poleward and upward from the surface. To verify this relationship, the vertical and horizontal development of a synoptic-scale baroclinic system is analyzed over a 4 day period. Results show the equatorward extension of the polar tropopause, and thus the formation of the DT, due to the strengthening of the TIL in the region of vertical motion associated with the WCB. Moreover, this result suggests that air movement within the DT could originate from high latitudes when associated with a baroclinic disturbance.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7np25cp

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

2014-09-08T00:00:00Z

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