Lidar and satellite temperature measurements during the sudden stratospheric warmings over Siberia and the Russian Far East in 2008–2012

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive study of disturbances of the temperature regime of the Earth’s stratosphere, which are related to sudden stratospheric warmings over Western and Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East in the winters of 2008–2012. This study is based on data obtained using temperature remote-sensing techniques (lidar and satellite ones). The analysis rests on data on vertical temperature distribution in the stratosphere, obtained from lidar measurements over regions of Tomsk (56°N, 85°E), Yakutsk (61°N, 130°E), and Paratunka, the Kamchatka territory (53°N, 158°E). For complex analysis of the spatial–temporal temperature distribution in the middle atmosphere, the lidar measurement data are applied along with satellite data on temperature acquired by the microwave limb sounder on the Earth Observing System Aura satellite. We consider the regional effects of sudden stratospheric warmings that were observed over the Asian region of Russia (~85–160°E) in the winters of 2008–2012. There were stratospheric warmings over the Asian region of Russia each winter during the period under consideration, as deduced from lidar and satellite measurements of temperature. Lidar and satellite measurements of temperature have evidenced the previously known peculiarities of the development of winter stratospheric warmings. On the whole, lidar and satellite measurements of height distribution of temperatures agree. Possible reasons for the divergences under consideration are discussed.