Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

The SPARC Intercomparison of Middle-Atmosphere Climatologies

William Randel National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

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Petra Udelhofen State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York

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Eric Fleming NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

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Marvin Geller State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York

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Mel Gelman National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Washington, D.C

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Kevin Hamilton International Pacific Research Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

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David Karoly University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

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Dave Ortland Northwest Research Associates, Bellevue, Washington

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Steve Pawson NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

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Richard Swinbank Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom

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Fei Wu National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

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Mark Baldwin Northwest Research Associates, Bellevue, Washington

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Marie-Lise Chanin Service d'Aeronomie, Paris, France

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Philippe Keckhut Service d'Aeronomie, Paris, France

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Karin Labitzke Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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Ellis Remsberg NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia

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Adrian Simmons European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading, United Kingdom

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Dong Wu Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

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Print Publication:
01 Mar 2004
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2004)017<0986:TSIOMC>2.0.CO;2
Page(s):
986–1003
Restricted access

Abstract

An updated assessment of uncertainties in “observed” climatological winds and temperatures in the middle atmosphere (over altitudes ∼10–80 km) is provided by detailed intercomparisons of contemporary and historic datasets. These datasets include global meteorological analyses and assimilations, climatologies derived from research satellite measurements, historical reference atmosphere circulation statistics, rocketsonde wind and temperature data, and lidar temperature measurements. The comparisons focus on a few basic circulation statistics (temperatures and zonal winds), with special attention given to tropical variability. Notable differences are found between analyses for temperatures near the tropical tropopause and polar lower stratosphere, temperatures near the global stratopause, and zonal winds throughout the Tropics. Comparisons of historical reference atmosphere and rocketsonde temperatures with more recent global analyses show the influence of decadal-scale cooling of the stratosphere and mesosphere. Detailed comparisons of the tropical semiannual oscillation (SAO) and quasi- biennial oscillation (QBO) show large differences in amplitude between analyses; recent data assimilation schemes show the best agreement with equatorial radiosonde, rocket, and satellite data.

Corresponding author address: Dr. William Randel, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80309- 3000. Email: randel@ucar.edu

Abstract

An updated assessment of uncertainties in “observed” climatological winds and temperatures in the middle atmosphere (over altitudes ∼10–80 km) is provided by detailed intercomparisons of contemporary and historic datasets. These datasets include global meteorological analyses and assimilations, climatologies derived from research satellite measurements, historical reference atmosphere circulation statistics, rocketsonde wind and temperature data, and lidar temperature measurements. The comparisons focus on a few basic circulation statistics (temperatures and zonal winds), with special attention given to tropical variability. Notable differences are found between analyses for temperatures near the tropical tropopause and polar lower stratosphere, temperatures near the global stratopause, and zonal winds throughout the Tropics. Comparisons of historical reference atmosphere and rocketsonde temperatures with more recent global analyses show the influence of decadal-scale cooling of the stratosphere and mesosphere. Detailed comparisons of the tropical semiannual oscillation (SAO) and quasi- biennial oscillation (QBO) show large differences in amplitude between analyses; recent data assimilation schemes show the best agreement with equatorial radiosonde, rocket, and satellite data.

Corresponding author address: Dr. William Randel, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80309- 3000. Email: randel@ucar.edu

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