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Climate change and the middle atmosphere. II - The impact of volcanic aerosolsThe response of the middle atmosphere to an increase in stratospheric aerosols, normally associated with increased volcanic activity, is investigated. The aerosols are found to induce a direct stratospheric response, with warming in the tropical lower stratosphere, and cooling at higher latitudes. On the shorter time scales, this radiative effect increases tropospheric static stability at low- to midlatitudes, which reduces the intensity of the Hadley cell and Ferrel cell. There is an associated increase in tropospheric standing wave energy and a decrease in midlatitude west winds, which result in additional wave energy propagation into the stratosphere at lower midlatitudes in both hemispheres. On the longer time scale, a strong hemispheric asymmetry arises. In the Northern Hemisphere eddy energy decreases, as does the middle-atmosphere residual circulation, and widespread stratospheric cooling results. In the Southern Hemisphere, the large increase in sea ice increases the tropospheric latitudinal temperature gradient, leading to increased eddy energy, an increased middle-atmosphere residual circulation, and some high-latitude stratospheric warming.
Document ID
19920047862
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Rind, D.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Balachandran, N. K.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Suozzo, R.
(NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies New York, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Climate
Volume: 5
ISSN: 0894-8755
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
92A30486
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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