Mean winds in the winter middle atmosphere above northern Scandinavia

Abstract

Wind measurements which were carried out during the MAP/WINE Campaign in northern Scandinavia between 2 December 1983 and 24 February 1984 are used to derive background winds and monthly as well as winter mean values from the ground up to 90 km altitude. These mean winds compare favourably to the wind field proposed for the revised CIRA 86, which is deduced from satellite measurements. The vertical structure of the zonal monthly means is similar in both data sets during January and February. The winter mean zonal winds are observed to be slightly stronger in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere during the MAP/WINE winter than the satellite winds proposed for CIRA 86. The long term mean meridional winds are in good agreement up to 60 km. They indicate a dominant influence of quasistationary planetary waves up to 90 km and an ageostrophic poleward flow between 60 km and 85 km over northern Scandinavia, which maximizes at 76 km at about 8 m s −1. The observed short term variability of the wind is discussed with respect to a possible impact of saturating gravity waves on the momentum budget of the middle atmosphere.