Laminae in the Tropical Middle Stratosphere: Origin and Age Estimation

Isentropic transport of stratospheric air from mid-latitudes into the tropics has been a subject of considerable interest recently. This exchange process is important for the understanding of the distribution of trace gases and ozone, and for the prediction of the exhaust dispersion of a proposed fleet of high speed civil transport aircraft (HSCT), which would operate in the 15 to 20 km altitude range.