Something Cool about Middle Atmospheric Interhemispheric Coupling due to Gravity Waves

Abstract:

Interhemispheric coupling in the middle atmosphere has to this point been looked upon as a phenomenon triggered by planetary waves in the winter stratosphere. In this study we investigate the effect of this interhemispheric coupling in the absence of high dynamic activity in the winter stratosphere. More specifically, we here focus on the climatological state of the northern summer mesosphere and its dependence on the southern winter mesosphere. We hypothesize that the northern summer mesopause would be substantially warmer than it is if it was not connected to the southern hemisphere via interhemispheric coupling. Results from sensitivity experiments using the Kühlungsborn Mechanistic general Circulation Model (KMCM) confirm our proposition.