Table Of ContentThe Stratosphere
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
Karin G. Labitzke · Harry van Loon
The Stratosphere
Phenomena, History, and Relevance
With 86 Figures, 46 in colour
" Springer
Karin G. Labitzke
Freie Universităt Berlin
Institut fur Meteorologie
Carl-Heinrich-Becker-Weg 6-10
12165 Berlin, Germany
Email: [email protected]
Harry van Loon
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
P. O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307
Email: [email protected]
ISBN 978-3-642-63637-0
Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Labitzke, Karin G.: The stratosphere : phenomena, history, and relevance 1 Karin G. Labitzke;
Harry van Loon. - Berlin; Heidelberg ; New York; Barcelona ; Hong Kong ; London ; Milan ; Paris;
Singapore; Tokyo: Springer, 1999
Dt. Ausg. u. d. T.: Labitzke, Karin G.: Die Stratosphăre
ISBN 978-3-642-63637-0 ISBN 978-3-642-58541-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-58541-8
This work is subject to copyright. AII rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specificalIy the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broad
casting, reproduction on microfIlms or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of
this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law
of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from
Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999
Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 1999
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1999
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does
not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
SPIN 10568864 32/3020 - 5 43210 - Printedon acid-free paper
"The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution,
which mayor may not be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental
skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from
a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks the real advance in
science."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Dedication
We dedicate this book to the memory of
Richard Scherhag (1907-1970)
who was called to the newly established Freie Universitat in West Berlin in
1952 after the political division of Berlin. Scherhag built a modern scientific
meteorological institute from scratch at the university. Until his too early
death he cared especially about the exploration of the stratosphere, a region
which was at the time of relatively little interest to most meteorologists.
Through his foresight he laid the foundation for the creation of a series of
data with which we today can tackle relevant problems and questions about
the stratosphere and its variations.
Preface
This book is intended not only for meteorologists but also for scientists
in other fields, for teachers, and for interested lay persons who do not want
to acquaint themselves with its topics through an academic textbook. In
addition to painting a picture of the stratosphere, we want to show how the
approach to an understanding of Nature's complex structure oft ell is along;
winding, unexpected paths.
At the beginning of the 20th century observations were accumulating
which were essential to understanding climate and its variability. but they
could not be treated systematically because important links were missing.
among them the realization that there is a stratosphere or an ozone layer.
When, however, one reads the scientific papers from the turn of the century
and judges them on the basis of our present knowledge -- which llndoubtedlr
is still incomplete - one must admire the early workers in this field for the
care and imagination with which they approached the subject.
The discoveries we describe in this book have been important to the
progress of meteorology; and it is apposite here to quote Kuhn (1962) on
the course science normally takes after a discovery.
Discovery commences with the awareness of anomaly, i.e .. with
the recognition that nature has somehow violated the paradigm
induced expectations that govern normal science. It then con
tinues with a more or less extended exploration of the area of
anomaly. And it closes only when the paradigm theory has been
adjusted so that the anomalous has become the expected.
We may add, though, that sometimes the resistance to the unexpected slows
down the pace of progress on the smooth path Kuhn outlines.
We have tried to bring historical aspects into the scientifically oriented
text, hoping that this will bring perspective to the descriptions. We also
hope that the enthusiasm with which we have followed the discovery and
explanation of the various stratospheric phenomena during the past several
decades will be shared by our readers.
Berlin, June 1999 Karin Labitzke and Harry van Loon
Acknowledgements
We should like to thank all members of the "Stratospheric Research
Group" in the Meteorological Institute of the Freie Universitat Berlin who
untiringly and skillfully prepared the daily stratospheric maps. Many have
helped us patiently with the production of material which we needed for this
book and we should like to mention here especially Ms. B. Kobbert and Ms.
M. Wiesner. Our sincere thanks go to Ms. S. Leder and Dr. P. Braesicke,
because without their help we should never have finished.
We also thank Prof. 1. Hirota and Prof. S. Fukao of the University of
Kyoto for their hospitality which gave us the opportunity to work on this
book while K.L. was spending a sabbatical there.
And K.L. wants to thank her husband, Michael Labitzke, for his patience
and understanding.
For kindly providing figures, photos, and data we thank:
Dr. A. Beck and Dipl. Phys. R. Alfier, Institut £iir Meteorologie, FU
Berlin (model results, p. 98 and 99); Dr. H. Claude, Observatorium Ho
henpeissenberg des DWD (ozone from Hohenpeissenberg, p. 135); Dr. U.
Feister, Observatorium Potsdam des DWD (ozone from Potsdam, p. 136);
Dipl. Met. D. Fiedler, Institut £iir Meteorologie, FU Berlin (photo of the
start of a radiosonde at the radiosonde station of the Freie Universitat at
the airport Berlin-Tempelhof, p. 42); Dr. H. Gernandt, Dr. M. Rex and
Dr. P. von der Gathen, Alfred Wegener Institut, Potsdam (ozone profiles
of Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen and Neumayer Station, Antarctica, p.132); Dr.
S. Lassen, Physical Institute, University of Oslo/Norway (ozone data from
Tromso, p. 134); Dr. C. Marquardt, Institut £iir Meteorologie, FU Berlin
(figures of the QBO, p. 102 and 108); Dipl. Met. B. Naujokat, Institut £iiI'
Meteorologie, FU Berlin (photo during a balloon-campaign in Kiruna, p.
112); Priv. Dozent S. Pawson, Institut £iir Meteorologie, FU Berlin (figures
2.1-2.3, p. 48 and 49); Dr. J. Pelz, Institut fur Meteorologie, FU Berlin
(Berlin temperature data since 1701, p. 2); Prof. Dr. T. Sakurai, National
Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo/Japan (photo of the sun in solar maxi
mum 1992, p. 144, which was taken with the "Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT)"
aboard the Yokoh-Satellite); Dr. M. Yamauchi, Institutet fOr Rymdfysik,
Kiruna/Sweden (photo of Mother-of-Pearl Clouds, p. 121).
Contents
1 Berlin and the Stratosphere 1
1.1 The first meteorological observations 1
1.2 The exploration of the free atmosphere . 3
1.2.1 Manned balloon flights ..... . 3
1.2.2 Unmanned instrumented balloons. 8
1.3 The discovery of the stratosphere . . . . . 10
1.4 The Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory at Lindenberg 16
1.4.1 The discovery of the Berson westerlies above the equator 19
1.5 The Institute of Meteorology at the Freie Universitat Berlin 28
1.5.1 The discovery of the Berlin Phenomenon .... 29
1.5.2 The first climatology of the stratosphere on the
Northern Hemisphere ............. . 32
1.5.3 The first daily weather maps of the stratosphere .. 36
1.5.4 The discovery of the solar signal in the stratosphere 38
Literature 40
2 A Brief Description of the Stratospheric Climate 43
2.1 What kind of data is available today? 43
2.2 Mean conditions in the stratosphere 47
2.2.1 The global temperatures. . . . 47
2.2.2 The global winds . . . . . . . . 49
2.2.3 The global circulation in the stratosphere 50
2.2.4 Monthly mean maps of the Northern Hemisphere 50
2.2.5 Monthly mean maps of the Southern Hemisphere 58
2.3 Variability and trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
2.3.1 Interannual variability of temperature . 64
2.3.2 Temperature trends in the stratosphere 65
Literature 67
3 Warm and Cold Winters in the Stratosphere 69
3.1 Introduction ................... . 69
3.2 Synoptic description of a major midwinter warming 71
3.2.1 Classification of the stratospheric warmings . 71
x Contents
3.2.2 The Major :\Iichvintf'r \Vanning in the winter of 1990-
1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
3.2.3 The typical cleveloplIlent of a stratospheric \\·arllling 79
3.3 Associations................... 84
3.3.1 The Southern Oscillatioll (SO) ..... 85
3.3.2 The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QEO) . 88
3.3.3 The solar signal in the northern winter. 90
3.3.4 Volcanoes and cold winters in the stratosphen: 91
3.4 A comparison hetween the Arctic and Antarctic. 94
3.5 Modd experiments 97
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4 The Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) 103
4.1 Early observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4.2 The discovery of the QEO in the equatorial stratosphen~ 100
4.3 Our present. concept of the QBO . . . . . . . . . . . .. 107
4.4 The ("OIlIlC'ction between the QBO and high northern latitudes 110
Literature ..... . 110
5 The Ozone Layer 113
5.1 Introduction.. 113
5.2 Early obscrvations . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 114
5.2.1 Dobson's early network of observations. 116
0.2.2 The amount of ozone above Tromsci 116
5.3 The natural distribution of total OZOIH' .. 121
0.4 Loss of stratospheric ozone caused by man 123
5.4.1 Catalytic destruction of ozone. . . 123
5.4.2 The antarctic ozone hole. . . . . . 124
5.4.3 Trends in the ozone content of the atmosphere 131
0.4.4 Measures adopted to reduce chlorine 140
Literature 142
6 The II-Year Sunspot Cycle and the Stratosphere 145
6.1 Introduction ...................... . 145
6.2 The solar signal in the stratosphere during the year. 148
6.2.1 The I\orthern Hemisphere 148
6.2.2 The Southern Hemisphere ........ . 151
6.2.3 Global correlations ............ . 1;"54
6.3 Is there a connection to the tropical troposphere? 1,"56
6.4 Total OZOIlC and the ll-year sunspot cycle .. 160
6.5 In search of a physical-dynamical lIlechanism 162
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 163
Contents xi
7 Final Remarks 165
7.1 A summary ................. . 165
7.2 Is the stratosphere relevant to our climate? 167
7.3 The unexpected ............... . 168
Table of Boxes 171
Glossary 173
Index 177
