Stratospheric Dryness - Antiphased Desiccation over Micronesia and Antarctica
A. F. Tuck (1), J. M. Russell III (2) and J. E. Harries (3)
(1) NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80304
(2) NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681
(3) Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology,
and Medicine, University of London
ABSTRACT
HALOE observations of water vapor and methane during the period 21 September
- 15 October 1992 are used to examine the role of Antarctic drying in the
lower stratosphere. Zonal mean cross-sections of [2 CH4 + H2O] show the
probability of transport of Antarctic type dryness to latitudes as distant
as 20-degrees-N, with major water vapor deficits evident between 10 and
100 mb to 10-degrees-S. Examination of monthly mean tropical 100 mb temperatures
and of Antarctic temperatures suggests that the observations are consistent
with stratospheric dryness being achieved by the combined effects of tropopause
freeze- drying over the Micronesia region during northern winter and drying
through the influence of the very low temperatures over Antarctica during
southern winter. This paper presents these intriguing new results, and
offers a possible explanation.
Geophys. Res. Lett. (1993), Vol. 20, 1227-1230
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