A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE STRATOSPHERIC WARMING OF DECEMBER 1967–JANUARY 1968

Abstract

The major stratospheric warming of December 1967?January 1968, which reached its peak nearly 1 mo earlier in the winter than any other major warming of record, is compared with other stratospheric warming events, especially with that of January 1963, through the use of rawinsonde and rocketsonde information. This information is presented in the form of time sections, spatial cross-sections, and constant-pressure synoptic charts at various stratospheric levels for representative dates before the warming and at various stages of its development. Synoptic density charts at 30 and 40 km are presented showing marked changes in stratospheric densities during the warming from both standard atmosphere and nonwarming conditions. Spherical harmonic analyses of height fields are used to show the importance of components of zonal wave number 2 in changes of stratospheric circulation associated with the warming.