CROSS SECTIONS OF THE MEAN ZONAL FLOW AND TEMPERATURE ALONG 8O°W

Abstract

Mean meridional cross-sections were constructed from the equator to the North Pole along 80°W, for January, April, July and October. The profiles of the zonal flow extend to 25-millibar heights (circa 26 kilometers). The temperature profiles reach 10 mb (circa 31 km). The westerly component of the mean geostrophic flow and the laws governing the distribution of the mean temperature in the stratosphere are discussed. A comparison with earlier cross-sections for various meridians suggests that certain gross features of the general circulation in the 16- to 30-km layer along 8O°W may be common to most longitudes of both northern and southern hemispheres.