The Open Atmospheric Science Journal
2010, 4 : 53-56Published online 2010 March 30. DOI: 10.2174/1874282301004010053
Publisher ID: TOASCJ-4-53
On The Dominance of 28-Month Harmonic in the Equatorial- Stratospheric-Wind Quasi Biennial Oscillation
Meteorological Observatory,
Department of Earth Science – University of Naples Federico II, Largo S.
Marcellino 10, 80138 Naples, Italy.
ABSTRACT
The Quasi Biennial Oscillation, the downward propagating easterly and westerly wind regimes in the equatorial stratosphere, has been investigated according to robust statistics that utilizes the amplitude/vector probable error ratio to provide the confidence level of the investigated harmonic. The amplitude-to-noise ratio is found to be the highest in correspondence of the 28- month harmonic for each examined height; the relative amplitude and phase values are found, respectively, to decrease and increase with the height and to take about a year to descend from 15 to 70 hPa with a progressive lag of about 1 month/km. At the top of the stratosphere, easterlies dominate, while at the bottom, westerlies are more likely to be found.