Dynamic Structure of the Stratosphere and Mesosphere

Abstract

Meteorological rocket network synoptic exploration of the “Stratospheric Circulation” of the 25 ... 80 km altitude region has acquired a decade of data which are available for description of this middle atmospheric region. These data provide the information required to evaluate theoretical assumptions relative to the upper atmosphere which have evolved in the absence of significant amounts of data. Progress of this synoptic exploration has been documented [3, 4], showing attainment of 10⁴ stratospheric circulation wind profiles by 1968 and illustrating a wealth of new scientific knowledge which has come out of this observational system (see Table 1). The middle atmosphere can no longer be considered a steady, calm, quiescent region; the stratospheric circulation is clearly a turbulent fluid with a myriad collection of detail structures ranging over a broad spectrum which has yet to be completely delineated.