Hemisphere Summer Research Articles

A climatological-dynamical analysis of tropopause folds over Southwest Asia in the period of 1989–2018

Tropopause folding is believed to be connected to the development of cyclonic systems in midlatitudes as well as the larger-scale, lower-frequency processes in the lower latitudes. To investigate such connections, a statistical and dynamical analysis of tropopause folds occurred in Southwest Asia is carried out for the period of 1989–2018. Tropopause folds are identified using the Era-Interim reanalysis dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The spatial–temporal distributions of tropopause folding show that the frequency of folding is higher in the winter hemisphere than in the summer hemisphere and greater values of the frequency are found mostly within an elongated zonal band which is situated between 20 and 40 degrees latitude. Southwest Asia also has strong positive anomalous values of tropopause folding frequency and achieves the values more than five times the average of the Northern Hemisphere in the summer, especially in the northern latitudes of this region including Afghanistan, Iran and the eastern Mediterranean. This can be attributed mainly to the formation of summer monsoon in the subtropical latitudes of the Indian Ocean. In this regard, the examination of the effects of El Niño and La Niña on the spatial–temporal distributions of tropopause folding reveals that the values of 3-month running average of tropopause folding frequency coincident with La Niña tend to be larger than those with El Nino in both the hemispheres and Southwest Asia. This result is consistent with the previous findings on the tendency for higher occurrence of anticyclonic (cyclonic) baroclinic wave life cycles during La Niña (El Niño). Dynamically, the folds occurred in the study area are associated with the formation of waves at 500 hPa level and subsequently the creation of surface cyclones. In areas of high frequency of folding events, strong meridional shear of the zonal winds and jet stream amplification are observed at 200 hPa level. The analysis of wave activity flux and its divergence for the selected month of June 2015 shows two regions of wave propagation, one with a wave-packet like signature of flux divergence/convergence centers in the upper troposphere and one over the lower troposphere. The upper-tropospheric wave packet ends with an area of flux convergence related with the receipt and decay of Rossby waves, while in the lower troposphere, a flux divergence region as a source of stationary waves associated with the Indian monsoon activity is identified.

The investigation on daytime conjugate hemispheric asymmetry along 100°E longitude using observations and model simulations: New insights

The hemispherical asymmetry of the low latitude region along 100°E ± 5°E is scrutinized for the year 2015 at magnetically conjugate points on seasonal and intra-seasonal time scales. Two conjugate Ionosonde station pairs are selected- one pair in the inner valley (from SEALION) and the other in the outer edges of the EIA region. The anomaly in the stations is estimated using the difference of low latitude NmF2 from the dip equatorial NmF2 in the same meridian. A monthly average scheme is used instead of a seasonal mean, as the month-to-month variations are found to provide intricate details. The anomaly at the conjugate stations is highly asymmetric even during the equinoctial months of March and October, whereas it is nearly symmetric during April. During June/July, the morning time hemispheric asymmetry (larger on the winter side) temporarily reduces in the midday period and then reverses sign (larger in summer) in the afternoon. The NmF2 observations suggest a close relation of hemispheric symmetry to the position of the subsolar point with respect to the dip equator and a shift/expansion of the trough region of the EIA towards the summer hemisphere. The inter-hemispheric comparison of the hmF2 suggests a strong modulating influence of meridional winds at both the inner and outer stations which depend strongly on the relative position of the subsolar point with respect to the field line geometry. Theoretical (SAMI3/SAMI2) and empirical model (IRI) simulations show a meridional movement of the EIA region with the subsolar point. The winter to summer hemisphere movement of the EIA trough and crest region is also reproduced in the GIM-TEC along 100°E for 2015. This shifting or tailoring of the trough and the crest region is attributed primarily to the meridional wind field, which varies with the shifting position of subsolar point relative to the field line geometry. The seasonal and intra-seasonal difference in the NmF2 hemispheric asymmetry is attributed to the misalignment of the two centers of power viz., the thermospheric/neutral processes and the electromagnetic forces, due to the geographic-geomagnetic offset in this longitude.

Climatology of Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Residual Circulations and Mesopause Height Derived From SABER Observations.

In the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region, residual circulations driven by gravity wave breaking and dissipation significantly impact constituent distribution and the height and temperature of the mesopause. The distribution of CO2 can be used as a proxy for the residual circulations. Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) CO2 volume mixing ratio (VMR) and temperature measurements from 2003 to 2020 are used to study the monthly climatology of MLT residual circulations and the mesopause height. Our analyses show that (a) mesopause height strongly correlates with the CO2 VMR vertical gradient during solstices; (b) mesopause height has a discontinuity at midlatitude in the summer hemisphere, with a lower mesopause height at mid‐to‐high latitudes as a result of adiabatic cooling driven by strong adiabatic upwelling; (c) the residual circulations have strong seasonal variations at mid‐to‐high latitudes, but they are more uniform at low latitudes; and (d) the interannual variability of the residual circulations and mesopause height is larger in the Southern Hemisphere (SH; 4–5 km) than in the Northern Hemisphere (NH; 0.5–1 km).

A Multivariate Index for Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillations Based on the Seasonally‐Varying Modal Structures

AbstractThe spatial structure and propagation characteristics of tropical intraseasonal oscillations vary substantially by season. In this study, these seasonal variations are identified using a multivariate sliding‐window Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The two modes comprising the leading EOF pair have equal variances and depict the propagation of intraseasonal oscillations in convection and low‐level circulation over the Indian Ocean, the Maritime Continent, and the western Pacific region in the equatorial summer hemisphere. In contrast, the upper tropospheric circulation shows more structure in the winter hemisphere. It is suggested that this variation in seasonality with height is an inherent feature of intraseasonal oscillations. A new multivariate index for tropical intraseasonal oscillations (MII) is developed based on the leading EOFs and represents the three‐dimensional structure of intraseasonal variability in all seasons. The MII is computed by projecting intraseasonal anomalies onto the leading EOFs pair, and it exhibits clearly delineated but smooth seasonal transitions and rich meridional structure. The real‐time version of this new index, rMII, is shown to be similar to MII, with a correlation of 0.9. Compared to the widely used Real‐time Multivariate MJO (RMM) index, the power spectrum of rMII represents substantially greater intraseasonal variance, and the application of rMII in dynamical forecast models indicates rMII is skillfully predicted for an additional week compared to RMM.

A Survey of Statistical Relationships between Tropical Cyclone Genesis and Convectively Coupled Equatorial Rossby Waves

Convectively coupled equatorial Rossby waves (ERW) modulate tropical cyclone activities over tropical oceans. This study presents a survey of the statistical relationship between intraseasonal ERWs and tropical cyclone genesis (TCG) over major global TC basins using four-decade-long outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and TC best-track datasets. Intraseasonal ERWs are identified from the OLR anomalies using an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis method without imposing equatorial symmetry. We find that westward-propagating ERWs are most significant in four tropical ocean basins over the summer hemisphere and that ERWs exhibit similar northeast-southwest (southeast-northwest) tilted phase lines in the northern (southern) hemisphere, with an appreciable poleward advance of wave energy in most TC basins. The EOF-based ERW indices quantitatively show that ERWs significantly modulate TC genesis. The convectively active (suppressed) phases of ERWs coincide with increased (reduced) TCG occurrences. The TCG modulation by ERWs achieves the maximum where the ERWs propagate through the climatological TCG hotspots. As a result, the total number of TCG occurrences in the TC basins varies significantly according to the ERW phase. The ERW-TCG relationship is significant over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, northeastern Pacific Ocean, and the northern Indian Ocean during the northern summer seasons. In the southern summer season, the ERW-TCG relationship is significant over the southern Indian Ocean, Indonesian-Australia basin, and the southwestern Pacific Ocean. However, ERW activities are weak in the main TC development region of the Atlantic Ocean; and the impact on Atlantic TCG appears to be insignificant.

Inter‐Hemispheric Coupling During Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events With Elevated Stratopause

AbstractSudden stratospheric warmings (SSW) are large‐scale disruptions of the wintertime state of the stratosphere that can affect the circulation at synoptic and global scales, including altitudes up to the mesopause in both winter and summer hemispheres. In this study, the response of the summer mesosphere is analyzed during the SSW in the winter stratosphere. In particular, we focus on major SSW events where the climatological stratopause disappears and subsequently reforms at higher altitude, which we refer to as “extreme SSW” in this article. The summer mesosphere response to such extreme SSW events is analyzed in three different phases: (a) stratosphere warming phase, (b) stratopause discontinuity phase, and (c) stratopause reformation phase. Composites of anomalies with respect to climatology derived from the Microwave Limb Sounder and the extended version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with specified dynamics are analyzed. The polar summer mesosphere cools during the stratospheric warming phase and warms in subsequent phases. A detailed lag‐correlation analysis shows strong negative correlation of −0.6 to −0.8 between the summer mesosphere and the winter stratosphere during the stratosphere warming phase, and a positive correlation of 0.4–0.6 in the phases thereafter. An attempt is made to explain the apparent drivers and dynamics responsible for these couplings, supported with evidence from observations and model output.

Massive Multi‐Mission Statistical Study and Analytical Modeling of the Earth's Magnetopause: 2. Shape and Location

AbstractThe Earth magnetopause is the boundary between the magnetosphere and the shocked solar wind. Its location and shape are primarily determined by the properties of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) but the nature of the control parameters and to what extent they impact the stand‐off distance, the flaring, and the symmetries, on the dayside and night side, is still not well known. We present a large statistical study of the magnetopause location and shape based an extensive multi‐mission magnetopause database, cumulating 17,230 crossings on 17 different spacecraft, from the dayside to lunar nightside distances. The results confirm the power‐law dependency of the stand‐off position on the solar wind pressure. The IMF clock angle itself (all amplitudes combined) does not impact the stand‐off distance, nor does the cone angle. However, the magnetopause is found to move Earthward as the IMF gets stronger and more southward. All upstream conditions combined, it is found that the function used at the root of several analytical models still holds at lunar distances. We find that the equatorial flaring is larger than the meridional one. However, the meridional flaring is found to depend on the seasonal tilt conditions, being larger in the summer hemisphere. The flaring is also found to depend on the IMF clock angle. Meridional flaring increases as the IMF turns south and is then larger than the equatorial flaring. The equatorial flaring barely changes or weakly increases as the IMF turns northward, and is larger than the meridional flaring for northward conditions. The results of the study pave the way for the elaboration of a new analytical empirical expression of the magnetopause location and shape.

Application of deep learning to estimate stratospheric gravity wave potential energy

One of the most important dynamic processes in the middle and upper atmosphere, gravity waves (GWs) play a key role in determining global atmospheric circulation. Gravity wave potential energy (GW <i>E</i>_p) is an important parameter that characterizes GW intensity, so it is critical to understand its global distribution. In this paper, a deep learning algorithm (DeepLab V3+) is used to estimate the stratospheric GW <i>E</i>_p. The deep learning model inputs are ERA5 reanalysis datasets and GMTED2010 terrain data. GW <i>E</i>_p averaged over 20−30 km from 60°S−60°N, calculated by COSMIC radio occultation (RO) data, is used as the measured value corresponding to the model output. The results show that (1) this method can effectively estimate the zonal trend of GW <i>E</i>_p. However, the errors between the estimated and measured value of <i>E</i>_p are larger in low-latitude regions than in mid-latitude regions, possibly due to the large number of convolution operations used in the deep learning model. Additionally, the measured <i>E</i>_p has errors associated with interpolation to the grid; this tends to be amplified in low-latitude regions because the GW <i>E</i>_p is larger and the RO data are relatively sparse, affecting the training accuracy. (2) The estimated <i>E</i>_p shows seasonal variations, which are stronger in the winter hemisphere and weaker in the summer hemisphere. (3) The effect of quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) can be clearly observed in the monthly variation of estimated GW <i>E</i>_p, and its QBO amplitude may be less than that of the measured<i> E</i>_p.

Spatial distribution of radar bright band intensity

A radar bright band is a region of enhanced reflectivity in the radar echo. During precipitation, the falling snowflakes start melting when they encounter a warmer layer below freezing. The snowflakes' refractive index and diameter are higher than the snow above. Below the melting layer, where the melting is over, these snowflakes become raindrops that fall faster. So, the number of drops/volume reduces. Since the back-scattered power from the target is directly proportional to the refractive index of the target and the 6th power of its diameter, the reflectivity in the melting region is higher than above and below it. The paper investigates Bright Band Intensity (BBI) derived from 2A23 V6 of the Precipitation Radar (PR) onboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring (TRMM) in 35N-35S and 180E – 180W from 1999-2002, 2007, and 2008. The study shows that the bright band's occurrence is more over the ocean (mainly the Pacific) than on the continent. Thus, the Pacific Ocean plays a crucial role in weather and climate. It shows substantial seasonal variations. The BBI minima, in particular, show prominent belts across the two hemispheres and show North-South migration with the season in a direction opposite to the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the solar movement. The longitudinally averaged BBI minima occur in the higher latitudes in both hemispheres. The longitudinally averaged BBI maxima in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) occur at low latitudes, and in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), at high latitudes. The BBI (rainfall) maxima are higher in the winter (summer) hemisphere. The BBI maxima and minima, as also the rainfall maxima and minima, occur in opposite hemispheres. Over a location, the daily BBI maximum does not necessarily correspond to the maximum rainfall. But the maxima of longitudinally averaged BBI and rainfall occur in the same hemisphere, so also the minima.

Seasonal and Interhemispheric Effects on the Diurnal Evolution of EIA: Assessed by IGS TEC and IRI-2016 over Peruvian and Indian Sectors

The global total electron content (TEC) map in 2013, retrieved from the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Service (IGS), and the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2016) model are used to monitor the diurnal evolution of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The statistics are conducted during geomagnetic quiet periods in the Peruvian and Indian sectors, where the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) data and reliable TEC are available. The EEJ is used as a proxy to determine whether the EIA structure is fully developed. Most of the previous studies focused on the period in which the EIA is well developed, while the period before EIA emergence is usually neglected. To characterize dynamics accounting for the full development of EIA, we defined and statistically analyzed the onset, first emergence, and the peaks of the northern crest and southern crest based on the proposed crest-to-trough difference (CTD) profiles. These time points extracted from IGS TEC show typical annual cycles in the Indian sector which can be summarized as winter hemispheric priority, i.e., the development of EIA in the winter hemisphere is ahead of that in the summer hemisphere. However, these same time points show abnormal semiannual cycles in the Peruvian sector, that is, EIA develops earlier during two equinoxes/solstices in the northern/southern hemisphere. We suggest that the onset of EIA is a consequence of the equilibrium between sunlight ionization and ambipolar diffusion. However, the latter term is not considered in modeling the topside ionosphere in IRI-2016, which results in a poor capacity in IRI to describe the diurnal evolution of EIA. Meridional neutral wind’s modulation on the ambipolar diffusion can explain the annual cycle observed in the Indian sector, while the semiannual variation seen in the Peruvian sector might be due to additional competing effects induced by the F region height changes.

Comparison of ground-based and satellite data on spatiotemporal distribution of lightning discharges under solar minimum

Worldwide maps of lightning activity have been obtained from the ground-based World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) for 2007–2009. We have compiled these maps separately for different seasons and UT periods, using WWLLN data on the time and coordinates of each of the recorded lightning. The total number of flashes of lightning in WWLLN data is by an order of magnitude smaller than in satellite data from Optical Transient Detector and the Lightning Imaging Sensor satellites. However, the key features of the spatial distribution and seasonal trends coincide well. The main difference observed is the absence of diurnal variation (similar to Carnegie curve) in WWLLN data against the satellite one. This concerns the global lightning number as well as its density in major thunderstorm regions. The solar local time dependence is also weak in WWLLN data. We show that in 2007–2009 the mean latitude of lightning observation is shifted to the summer hemisphere up to 10° from the annual mean value. From the beginning of 2007 to the end of 2009, the global monthly average number of flashes of lightning increased threefold. We attribute this fact primarily to improved processing techniques in WWLLN. The constructed maps are necessary for numerical simulation of the Global Electric Circuit.

Сравнение наземных и спутниковых данных о пространственно-временном распределении грозовых разрядов при низкой солнечной активности

Worldwide maps of lightning activity have been obtained from the ground-based World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) for 2007–2009. We have compiled these maps separately for different seasons and UT periods, using WWLLN data on the time and coordinates of each of the recorded lightning. The total number of flashes of lightning in WWLLN data is by an order of magnitude smaller than in satellite data from Optical Transient Detector and the Lightning Imaging Sensor satellites. However, the key features of the spatial distribution and seasonal trends coincide well. The main difference observed is the absence of diurnal variation (similar to Carnegie curve) in WWLLN data against the satellite one. This concerns the global lightning number as well as its density in major thunderstorm regions. The solar local time dependence is also weak in WWLLN data. We show that in 2007–2009 the mean latitude of lightning observation is shifted to the summer hemisphere up to 10° from the annual mean value. From the beginning of 2007 to the end of 2009, the global monthly average number of flashes of lightning increased threefold. We attribute this fact primarily to improved processing techniques in WWLLN. The constructed maps are necessary for numerical simulation of the Global Electric Circuit.

Evaluations of the Climatologies of Three Latest Cloud Satellite Products Based on Passive Sensors (ISCCP-H, Two CERES) against the CALIPSO-GOCCP

In this study, the climatologies of three different satellite cloud products, all based on passive sensors (CERES Edition 4.1 [EBAF4.1 and SYN4.1] and ISCCP–H), were evaluated against the CALIPSO-GOCCP (GOCCP) data, which are based on active sensors and, hence, were treated as the reference. Based on monthly averaged data (ocean + land), the passive sensors underestimated the total cloud cover (TCC) at lower (TCC &lt; 50%), but, overall, they correlated well with the GOCCP data (r = 0.97). Over land, the passive sensors underestimated the TCC, with a mean difference (MD) of −2.6%, followed by the EBAF4.1 and ISCCP-H data with a MD of −2.0%. Over the ocean, the CERES-based products overestimated the TCC, but the SYN4.1 agreed better with the GOCCP data. The ISCCP-H data on average underestimated the TCC both over oceanic and continental regions. The annual mean TCC distribution over the globe revealed that the passive sensors generally underestimated the TCC over continental dry regions in northern Africa and southeastern South America as compared to the GOCCP, particularly over the summer hemisphere. The CERES datasets overestimated the TCC over the Pacific Islands between the Indian and eastern Pacific Oceans, particularly during the winter hemisphere. The ISCCP-H data also underestimated the TCC, particularly over the southern hemisphere near 60° S where the other datasets showed a significantly enhanced TCC. The ISCCP data also showed less TCC when compared against the GOCCP data over the tropical regions, particularly over the southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans near the equator and also over the polar regions where the satellite retrieval using the passive sensors was generally much more challenging. The calculated global mean root meant square deviation value for the ISCCP-H data was 6%, a factor of 2 higher than the CERES datasets. Based on these results, overall, the EBAF4.1 agreed better with the GOCCP data.

Observational Properties of 15MLT‐PCA in the Southern Hemisphere and the Switching Effects of IMF By on 15MLT‐PCA Occurrence

AbstractBased on Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft (DMSP/SSUSI) observations in the Northern Hemisphere, a particular polar cap arc observed at ∼1,500 magnetic local time (MLT) sector was identified and was named 15MLT‐PCA. A 15MLT‐PCA model proposed for the Northern Hemisphere suggests that the 15MLT‐PCA is caused by a lobe reconnection related to the tilt angle and lobe field line twisting due to a long‐lasting positive interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By condition. However, it is unclear if the 15MLT‐PCA can be observed in the Southern Hemisphere and how the IMF By influences its occurrence and location. Using the long‐term DMSP/SSUSI observations in the Southern Hemisphere, we confirmed that the 15MLT‐PCA could be observed in the Southern Hemisphere in summer under long‐lasting negative IMF By and predominantly positive IMF Bx. The ion energy dispersion and some other statistical properties are also investigated. Further, we showed that the IMF By has a switching effect on the occurrence of the 15MLT‐PCA using multiple cases. We found that the 15MLT‐PCA disappear as soon as the IMF By changed to an unfavorable condition, but it seems that the favorable conditions need to be maintained for ∼1 hr for the occurrence of 15MLT‐PCA. We also found that the IMF By magnitude is well correlated to the MLT location of the 15MLT‐PCA. We suggest that all the results support the 15MLT‐PCA model and imply that a magnetotail lobe reconnection should be common in the summer hemisphere because the well‐known Parker Spiral favors meeting the model's IMF requirements.

Impact of Solar Activity on Global Atmospheric Circulation Based on SD-WACCM-X Simulations from 2002 to 2019

In this study, a global atmospheric model, Specified Dynamics Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere eXtension (SD-WACCM-X), and the residual circulation principle were used to study the global atmospheric circulation from the lower to upper atmosphere (~500 km) from 2002 to 2019. Our analysis shows that the atmospheric circulation is clearly influenced by solar activity, especially in the upper atmosphere, which is mainly characterized by an enhanced atmospheric circulation in years with high solar activity. The atmospheric circulation in the upper atmosphere also exhibits an ~11 year period, and its variation is highly correlated with the temporal variation in the F10.7 solar index during the same time series, with a maximum correlation coefficient of up to more than 0.9. In the middle and lower atmosphere, the impact of solar activity on the atmospheric circulation is not as obvious as in the upper atmosphere due to some atmospheric activities such as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), sudden stratospheric warming (SSW), volcanic forcing, and so on. By comparing the atmospheric circulation in different latitudinal regions between years with high and low solar activity, we found the atmospheric circulation in mid- and high-latitude regions is more affected by solar activity than in low-latitude and equatorial regions. In addition, clear seasonal variation in atmospheric circulation was detected in the global atmosphere, excluding the regions near 10−4 hPa and the lower atmosphere, which is mainly characterized by a flow from the summer hemisphere to the winter hemisphere. In the middle and low atmosphere, the atmospheric circulation shows a quasi-biennial oscillatory variation in the low-latitude and equatorial regions. This work provides a referable study of global atmospheric circulation and demonstrates the impacts of solar activity on global atmospheric circulation.

The Emergence of a Summer Hemisphere Jet in Planetary Atmospheres

AbstractZonal jets are common in planetary atmospheres. Their character, structure, and seasonal variability depend on the planetary parameters. During solstice on Earth and Mars, there is a strong westerly jet in the winter hemisphere and weak, low-level westerlies in the ascending regions of the Hadley cell in the summer hemisphere. This summer jet has been less explored in a broad planetary context, both due to the dominance of the winter jet and since the balances controlling it are more complex, and understanding them requires exploring a broader parameter regime. To better understand the jet characteristics on terrestrial planets and the transition between winter- and summer-dominated jet regimes, we explore the jet’s dependence on rotation rate and obliquity. Across a significant portion of the parameter space, the dominant jet is in the winter hemisphere, and the summer jet is weaker and restricted to the boundary layer. However, we show that for slow rotation rates and high obliquities, the strongest jet is in the summer rather than the winter hemisphere. Analysis of the summer jet’s momentum balance reveals that the balance is not simply cyclostrophic and that both boundary layer drag and vertical advection are essential. At high obliquities and slow rotation rates, the cross-equatorial winter cell is wide and strong. The returning poleward flow in the summer hemisphere is balanced by low-level westerlies through an Ekman balance and momentum is advected upward close to the ascending branch, resulting in a midtroposphere summer jet.

A Hemispheric and Seasonal Comparison of Tropospheric to Mesospheric Gravity‐Wave Propagation

AbstractDeep convection from monsoons has been shown to be a major tropospheric source of gravity waves (GWs) in the summer hemisphere. These GWs can propagate up to the upper mesosphere, either vertically (over the same latitude) or obliquely (latitudinal propagation away from their source), where they dissipate and release their momentum. These waves play an important role in the global dynamical structure of the middle atmosphere. Understanding their hemispheric and seasonal variations could improve the GW parameterization schemes in present global models. To this end, this paper reports on a GW ray‐tracing analysis using the GROGRAT model to simulate the propagation of GWs from the monsoon regions in the northern and the southern hemispheres during both the summer and the winter seasons. The 20 simulations show the southern hemisphere to be more conducive to both the vertical and the oblique propagation of mesospheric GWs compared to the northern hemisphere, regardless of season. This is partially due to a stronger GW filtering in the northern hemisphere near the tropopause where a third of the waves have been vertically reflected. We also show that an increase in the horizontal wavelength increases not only the latitudinal component but also the longitudinal component of the oblique propagation of GWs. The broad spectrum of waves with different horizontal wavelengths and horizontal phase speeds used in this study highlights the existence of an upper limit in the horizontal wavelength of GWs that can reach the upper mesosphere.

The three-dimensional life cycles of potential vorticity cutoffs: a global and selected regional climatologies in ERA-Interim (1979–2018)

Abstract. The aim of this study is to explore the nature of potential vorticity (PV) cutoff life cycles. While climatological frequencies of such near-tropopause cyclonic vortices are well known, their life cycle and in particular their three-dimensional evolution is poorly understood. To address this gap, a novel method is introduced that uses isentropic air parcel trajectories to track PV cutoffs as three-dimensional objects. With this method, we can distinguish the two fundamentally different PV cutoff lysis scenarios on isentropic surfaces: complete diabatic decay vs. reabsorption by the stratospheric reservoir. This method is applied to the ERA-Interim dataset (1979–2018), and the first global climatology of PV cutoffs is presented that is independent of the selection of a vertical level and identifies and tracks PV cutoffs as three-dimensional features. More than 150 000 PV cutoff life cycles are identified and analyzed. The climatology confirms known frequency maxima of PV cutoffs and identifies additional bands in subtropical areas in the summer hemispheres and a circumpolar band around Antarctica. The first climatological analysis of diabatic decay and reabsorption shows that both scenarios occur equally frequently – in contrast to the prevailing opinion that diabatic decay dominates. Then, PV cutoffs are classified according to their position relative to jet streams (equatorward (Type I), between two jets (Type II), and poleward (Type III)). A composite analysis shows distinct dynamical scenarios for the genesis of the three types. Type I forms due to anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking above subtropical surface anticyclones and hardly results in precipitation. Type II results from anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking in mid-latitudes in regions with split-jet conditions and is frequently accompanied by surface cyclogenesis and substantial precipitation. Type III cutoffs preferentially form due to cyclonic Rossby wave breaking within extratropical cyclones in the storm track regions. We show that important track characteristics (speed, travel distance, frequency of decay and reabsorption, isentropic levels) differ between the categories, while lifetime is similar in all categories. Finally, 12 PV cutoff genesis regions in DJF and JJA are selected to study the regional characteristics of PV cutoff life cycles. As a particularly novel aspect, the vertical evolution of PV cutoffs along the life cycle is investigated. We find that, climatologically, PV cutoffs reach their maximum vertical extent about one day after genesis in most regions. However, while in some regions PV cutoffs rapidly disappear at lower levels by diabatic decay, they can grow downward in other regions. In addition, regional differences in lifetimes, the frequencies of diabatic decay and reabsorption, and the link to surface cyclones are identified that cannot be explained only by the preferred regional occurrence of the different cutoff types as defined above. Finally, we also show that in many regions PV cutoffs can be involved in surface cyclogenesis even after their formation. This study is an important step towards quantifying fundamental dynamical characteristics and the surface impacts of PV cutoffs. The proposed classification according to the jet-relative position provides a useful way to improve the conceptual understanding of PV cutoff life cycles in different regions of the globe. However, these life cycles can be substantially modified by specific regional conditions.

Evaluating the Response of Global Column Resistance to a Large Volcanic Eruption by an Aerosol-Coupled Chemistry Climate Model

Global electric circuits could be the key link between space weather and lower atmosphere climate. It has been suggested that the ultrafine erosol layer in the middle to upper stratosphere could greatly contribute to local column resistance and return current density. In previous work by Tinsley, Zhou, and Plemmons (Atmos. Res., 2006, 79 (3–4), 266–295), the artificial ultrafine layer was addressed and caused a significant symmetric effect on column resistance at high latitudes. In this work, we use an updated erosol coupled chemistry-climate model to establish a new global electric circuit model. The results show that the ultrafine aerosol layer exits the middle stratosphere, but due to the Brewer-Dobson circulation, there are significant seasonal variations in the ion loss due to variations in the ultrafine aerosol layer. In the winter hemisphere in the high latitude region, the column resistance will consequently be higher than that in the summer hemisphere. With an ultrafine aerosol layer in the decreasing phase of solar activity, the column resistance would be more sensitive to fluctuations in the low-energy electron precipitation (LEE) and middle-energy electron precipitation (MEE) particle fluxes.

Global Distribution of Nighttime MSTIDs and Its Association With E Region Irregularities Seen by CHAMP Satellite

AbstractWe investigate the correlation of sporadic E (Es) with the occurrence of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) at night in middle latitudes (25°–40°N and 25°–40°S magnetic latitudes) by examining their occurrence climatology. The occurrence climatology of Es and MSTIDs is derived using the Challenging Minisatellite Payload satellite data acquired in 2001–2008 and 2001–2009, respectively. Electron density irregularities and radio scintillations are used as the detection proxies of MSTIDs and Es, respectively. The occurrence rate of MSTIDs shows a semi‐annual variation with the primary peak during June solstices and the secondary peak during December solstices in both hemispheres. However, the occurrence rate of Es shows a seasonal variation with a pronounced peak in summer in both hemispheres. The occurrence of MSTIDs during local summer and equinoxes is correlated with the occurrence of local Es, but the high occurrence rate of MSTIDs in local winter is not correlated with local winter hemisphere Es. MSTIDs in the winter hemisphere are correlated with magnetically conjugate MSTIDs in the summer hemisphere; these summer hemisphere MSTIDs are correlated with the occurrence of Es in the summer hemisphere. The occurrence rate of MSTIDs clearly shows an increase with decreasing solar activity, but the solar cycle dependence of Es is not obvious from the data. This observation suggests that the generation of MSTIDs is significantly affected by factors other than Es such as the growth rate of the Perkins instability, atmospheric gravity waves, and the F region conductance.