Relationship Between Midstratospheric Temperatures and Tropospheric Synoptic Features

Abstract

The relationship between midtropospheric synoptic features and midstratospheric temperature in winter is investigated by examining averages of 5?10 yr of observations, monthly mean observations, and daily records. It is found that midstratospheric warm regions lie above midtropospheric troughs and subtropical ridges, while stratospheric cold regions occur above high-latitude tropospheric ridges. Thus, at high latitudes, an inverse correlation exists between 500-mb height and 10-mb temperatures; this correlation seems to be simultaneous in nature. The implications of these results are discussed with relation to the general circulation of the stratosphere, and in particular to the relative importance of hydrostatic adjustment, planetary wave propagation, and tidal energy.