Stratospheric Solar Response

Abstract

Data obtained from the Meteorological Rocket Network indicate gross stratospheric circulation responses to solar heat input which range as high as forty days late in the case of the reversal from winter westerly to summer easterly winds. A global westerly circulation occurs twice yearly for about forty days as the winter hemisphere westerlies begin and the zonal westerlies of the opposite hemisphere die down to reverse to the summer easterly circulation. This detailed inspection of the upper stratospheric circulation points out that the summer easterly circulation is a steady flow which dominates the summer hemisphere and penetrates into equatorial regions of the winter hemisphere to exert an effective limitation on the maximum development of the winter westerly circulation. A region of maximum shear is observed to be at 15-20 degrees latitude in the winter hemisphere from which circulation disturbances propagate toward the winter pole.