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Tropopause Structure and the Role of Eddies
- Source :
- Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 68:2930-2944
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- American Meteorological Society, 2011.
-
Abstract
- This paper presents a series of dynamical states using an idealized three-dimensional general circulation model with gray radiation and latent heat release. Beginning with the case of radiative–convective equilibrium, an eddy-free two-dimensional state with zonally symmetric flow is developed, followed by a three-dimensional state that includes baroclinic eddy fluxes. In both dry and moist cases, it is found that the deepening of the tropical tropospheric layer and the shape of the extratropical tropopause can be understood through eddy-driven processes such as the stratospheric Brewer–Dobson circulation. These results suggest that eddies alone can generate a realistic tropopause profile in the absence of moist convection and that stratospheric circulation is an important contributor to tropopause structure.
Details
- ISSN :
- 15200469 and 00224928
- Volume :
- 68
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........3788630a8dfde93600d4032f10310698