A study of climatological temperature profiles in the Northern Hemisphere

Present day atmospheric and aeronautic applications use the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) US Standard Atmosphere Standard Atmosphere, which is an average, piece-wise continuous, mid-latitude temperature profile of the earth's atmosphere. The ICAO temperature profile has been used in the aviation field for over 30 years. Nevertheless, seasonal changes in conjunction with latitudinal variations can produce temperature profiles that can significantly differ from the standard atmosphere, especially for geographical regions located at high latitudes. This study investigates a parameterization of the climatological temperature profiles in the Northern Hemisphere. The parameterization is based on the ICAO atmosphere supplement and the incoming solar insolation at the top of the atmosphere. Radiosonde temperature profiles from Santa Teresa, New Mexico were used as a test case to evaluate the temperature profile parameterization's performance. Specific practical applications are outlined and highlighted. Recommendations on improving or enhancing the current parameterization will be discussed and future studies will be summarized.