A discussion on D and E region winds over Europe - Mesospheric temperatures and winds during a stratospheric warming

Abstract

The distributions of mean temperature, pressure, density and winds are given in several model atmospheres (C. I. R. A. 1965; Groves 1969, 1970) as functions of altitude, season and latitude. The main features of the variations in the temperature profiles are that the stratopause temperature is greatest near the summer pole and decreases through the equator to the winter pole, and that at the mesopause the latitudinal temperature gradient is reversed, with highest temperatures towards the winter pole; the latter is contrary to calculations of temperature from radiational heating, and theories of chemical heating and energy transport by dynamical processes have been proposed to explain the anomaly. The wind systems are mainly zonal with meridional winds being small in comparison. At 50° N and at 60 km there is a maximum westerly wind during winter of about 80 m s -1 and a maximum easterly wind during summer of about 60 m s -1 .