Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events

Abstract The tropical Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere‐Ionosphere system is found to show significant variabilities during Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events. Recent studies have highlighted the possible role played by modified background wind conditions in communicating the SSW‐induced stratosp...

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Main Authors: N. Koushik, Karanam Kishore Kumar, Tarique A. Siddiqui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086857
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author N. Koushik
Karanam Kishore Kumar
Tarique A. Siddiqui
author_facet N. Koushik
Karanam Kishore Kumar
Tarique A. Siddiqui
author_sort N. Koushik
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The tropical Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere‐Ionosphere system is found to show significant variabilities during Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events. Recent studies have highlighted the possible role played by modified background wind conditions in communicating the SSW‐induced stratospheric perturbations to the Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere‐Ionosphere region. In the present study, changes in the background zonal winds at the tropical stratopause during major SSW events inferred from MERRA‐2 reanalysis data sets, rocket observations, and model simulations are reported for the first time. The tropical stratopause shows enhanced westward winds during the course of major SSW events. Rocketsonde observations from a low latitude station Thumba (8.5 ° N,76.9 ° E) also showed significant westward acceleration during three major SSW events. Further, Specified Dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model simulations for the 2008–2009 SSW replicate the observed features.
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institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2020-02-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-7ce249fadc404ba4b9b7619d6074c3852025-08-20T01:50:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-02-01473n/an/a10.1029/2019GL086857Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming EventsN. Koushik0Karanam Kishore Kumar1Tarique A. Siddiqui2Space Physics Laboratory Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Thiruvananthapuram IndiaSpace Physics Laboratory Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Thiruvananthapuram IndiaGFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam GermanyAbstract The tropical Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere‐Ionosphere system is found to show significant variabilities during Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events. Recent studies have highlighted the possible role played by modified background wind conditions in communicating the SSW‐induced stratospheric perturbations to the Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere‐Ionosphere region. In the present study, changes in the background zonal winds at the tropical stratopause during major SSW events inferred from MERRA‐2 reanalysis data sets, rocket observations, and model simulations are reported for the first time. The tropical stratopause shows enhanced westward winds during the course of major SSW events. Rocketsonde observations from a low latitude station Thumba (8.5 ° N,76.9 ° E) also showed significant westward acceleration during three major SSW events. Further, Specified Dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model simulations for the 2008–2009 SSW replicate the observed features.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086857high latitude‐ low latitude couplingmiddle atmosphere dynamicsplanetary waves
spellingShingle N. Koushik
Karanam Kishore Kumar
Tarique A. Siddiqui
Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
Geophysical Research Letters
high latitude‐ low latitude coupling
middle atmosphere dynamics
planetary waves
title Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
title_full Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
title_fullStr Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
title_full_unstemmed Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
title_short Westward Acceleration of Tropical Stratopause Zonal Winds During Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events
title_sort westward acceleration of tropical stratopause zonal winds during major sudden stratospheric warming events
topic high latitude‐ low latitude coupling
middle atmosphere dynamics
planetary waves
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086857
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AT karanamkishorekumar westwardaccelerationoftropicalstratopausezonalwindsduringmajorsuddenstratosphericwarmingevents
AT tariqueasiddiqui westwardaccelerationoftropicalstratopausezonalwindsduringmajorsuddenstratosphericwarmingevents