Middle atmosphere cooling trend in historical rocketsonde data

Data from the historical rocketsonde network demonstrate that significant cooling of the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere (∼30–60 km) occurred in northern midlatitudes of the western hemisphere and in the tropics during 1962–1991. The downward trend of temperature averaged over this layer was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 1998-09, Vol.25 (17), p.3371-3374
Main Authors: Dunkerton, Timothy J., Delisi, Donald P., Baldwin, Mark P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
General properties of the high atmosphere
Physics of the high neutral atmosphere
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Summary:Data from the historical rocketsonde network demonstrate that significant cooling of the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere (∼30–60 km) occurred in northern midlatitudes of the western hemisphere and in the tropics during 1962–1991. The downward trend of temperature averaged over this layer was about −1.7 K/decade and temperatures were apparently modulated by the solar cycle with amplitude ∼1.1 K. The trend was a function of height and somewhat larger in the lower mesosphere relative to the middle and upper stratosphere.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/98GL02385