J4.3
Variations in stratospheric water vapor and tropical tropopause temperatures
William J. Randel, NCAR, Boulder, CO
Interannual variations in stratospheric water vapor observed by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) over 1991-2002 are examined, together with time series of tropical tropopause temperatures observed by a network of tropical radiosonde stations. There is strong coherence between the annual cycle in tropopause temperatures and stratospheric water vapor (producing the so-called stratospheric 'tape recorder'), and the focus of this work is to determine how well interannual changes in water vapor are correlated with observed tropopause fluctuations (associated with ENSO, the QBO, and decadal trends). These observations test and constrain our understanding of water vapor entry into the stratosphere.
Joint Session 4, Water Vapor Observations and Processes (Joint with 14th Symp. on Global Change and Climate Variations, 7th Symp. on IOS, Fifth Conf. on Atmospheric Chemistry, and Symp. on Observing and Understanding the Varability of Water in Weather and Climate)
Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM
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