The energy budget of the stratosphere during 1965

Abstract

A monthly statistical analysis was made of the effects of large scale horizontal eddy transport processes on the zonal momentum, heat and energy budgets for three layers of the 1965 stratosphere. Geostrophic wind components were computed from IQSY data at 100, 50, 30 and 10 mb for use in calculating the statistical quantities -used in the analysis. It was found that temporal and spatial variances and covariances -computed from monthly means of temperature and geostrophic wind components give meaningful results when used in the computation of momentum, heat and energy balances. Monthly meridional distributions of eddy transports and energy conversions show large latitudinal and height variations. They also indicate a physically reasonable compatibility with month to month changes in zonal mean values of temperature, zonal wind and geo-potential. It was further determined that in the winter, the eddies in the middle stratosphere convert a self contained source of zonal available potential energy into eddy available potential energy. It is speculated that further conversion of this energy eventuates in its availability as a significant source for the mean zonal motions.