Characteristics of tropical tropopause and stratospheric gravity waves analyzed using high resolution temperature profiles from GNSS radio occultation

Abstract

The tropical tropopause at 12–19 km altitude functions as a boundary between the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), typically at altitudes of 10−30 km. Various coupling processes occur across this region which influence mixing between the troposphere and stratosphere, primarily through the activity of atmospheric gravity waves (GWs). The routine radiosonde observations are mostly undertaken from continental locations, so they are not sufficient for describing the global distribution of meso-scale atmospheric perturbations.