Abstract
A wave mean-flow interaction model is used to investigate the coupling of the Antarctic slope winds and the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere in winter. The model is restricted to the Antarctic domain but synoptic waves of fixed frequency and zonal wavenumber can be prescribed at the northern boundary. They represent southward moving midlatitude perturbations. Cooling at the slope of the Antarctic continent induces southeasterly flow near the surface which acts as a source of westerly angular momentum to the atmosphere. The momentum so generated must be transported out of the Antarctic domain by these synoptic waves. It is found that the polar vortex is intense in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, and that the slope winds are weak when these waves are ineffective in transporting angular momentum. If, on the other hand, the momentum transport is sufficiently strong, the polar vortex is relatively weak and the slope winds are vigorous. Such a coupling of vortex and slope winds has been observed for the troposphere [Yasunari and Kodama (1992) J. geophys. Res. (in press)] and our results suggest that it extends into the lower stratosphere.
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