Edited by W. Randel, M.-L. Chanin and C. Michaut

WCRP – 116
WMO/TD – No. 1142
SPARC Report No. 3

Full report 3.5 MB

Table of Contents

Preface  I
Authors II
Acknowledgments III

1. Introduction

2. Climatological Data Sets for the Middle Atmosphere

A. Description of fundamental data and types of global analyses

B. Description of meteorological analyses and global data sets

C. Rocketsonde wind and temperature data

D. Lidar temperature data

3. Data Intercomparisons

A. Temperature

1. Zonal mean climatology
a. Comparisons with rocketsondes
b. Comparisons with lidars

2. Interannual variability in extratropics

3. Longitudinal structure

4. Tropical seasonal cycle in temperature
a. Tropical rocketsondes
b. Semi-annual oscillation (SAO)

5. Tropical temperature interannual variability

6. Temperatures for pre-1979 data

B. Zonal mean zonal winds

1. Zonal mean climatology
a. Comparison to rocketsondes

2. Interannual variability in extratropic

3. Tropical seasonal cycle
a. Tropical rocketsondes
b. Semi-annual oscillation

4. Tropical interannual variability and the QBO

C. Zonal averaged heat and momentum fluxes

D. Summary: Biases and outstanding uncertainties

1. Summary of largest biases

2. Outstanding uncertainties and problems areas

References

4. An Atlas of Middle Atmosphere Temperature and Zonal Winds

Appendices

Acronyms and Abbreviations

WCRP Reports