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The General Circulation of the Atmosphere Above 60 Km

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Meteorological Investigations of the Upper Atmosphere

Part of the book series: Meteorological Monographs ((METEOR,volume 9))

Abstract

A review of the limited knowledge of the large-scale general circulation of the atmosphere above the mesopause is attempted and some specific suggestions are made for tests of the present theories. Energy, momentum and mass budgets are treated. Meridional cross sections of temperature are used as the basis for the discussion of the energy budget. Meteor trail winds are used as one item in the momentum budget. Atomic oxygen and ozone are treated as examples of important trace constituents above 60 km whose distributions are related to the atmospheric motions. It is concluded that in order to understand the energy and mass transfer between the lower atmosphere and the thermosphere a concerted effort to measure the state variables and trace constituents in the 60–120 km region is required.

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  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

    Reginald E. Newell

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R. S. Quiroz

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Newell, R.E. (1968). The General Circulation of the Atmosphere Above 60 Km. In: Quiroz, R.S. (eds) Meteorological Investigations of the Upper Atmosphere. Meteorological Monographs, vol 9. American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-935704-37-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-935704-37-9_12

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