Inter-annual variability of temperature in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere at Durban : research letters

We have investigated the inter-annual variability of temperature in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Durban for the 20-year period from 1980 to 1999. A spectral analysis of morning and afternoon temperatures at four heights (10, 12, 16 and 18 km) revealed a number of oscillations wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSouth African journal of science Vol. 99; no. 3; pp. 163 - 167
Main Authors Michaelis, M.M., Diab, R.D., Moorgawa, A., Sarcia, S., Bencherif, H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) 01.03.2003
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Summary:We have investigated the inter-annual variability of temperature in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Durban for the 20-year period from 1980 to 1999. A spectral analysis of morning and afternoon temperatures at four heights (10, 12, 16 and 18 km) revealed a number of oscillations which could be associated with the annual cycle, the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) and the El Niño / Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The annual and QBO (27 months) cycles were present at 10, 16 and 18 km, with the former being dominant. Peaks at ~2.7, 4 and 6.7 years were also detected and were linked to ENSO cycles. By contrast, these cycles were either absent or not well developed (in the case of the annual cycle) at a height of 12 km. Possible reasons for this lack of consistency were sought, with the presence of the jet stream at 12 km being a likely explanation.
ISSN:0038-2353
1996-7489