Southern Polar Vortex Page

Go here and here for background information on Polar Vortices.

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Wind

Southern Polar Wind – It is recommended that you click down through each height in succession so that you can see polar vorticity with depth:

10 hPa/mb – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet)   Wide and Focused Perspective

70 hPa/mb – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet)   Wide and Focused Perspective

250 hPa/mb – Approximately 10,400 meters (34,000 feet)   Wide and Focused Perspective

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Geopotential Height

Southern Hemisphere – Vertical Cross Section of Geopotential Height Anomalies (Polar Vortex):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

1 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

2 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

5 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

10 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

30 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

50 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

70 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

100 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 15,000 meters (49,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Global – 200 hPa/mb Height Anomalies – Atmospheric Pressure Anomalies at Approximately 12,000 meters (40,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Click the pic to view at source

Southern Hemisphere – 500 hPa/mb Height Anomalies – Atmospheric Pressure Anomalies at Approximately 5,500 meters (18,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Southern Hemisphere – 500 hPa/mb Geopotential Height and Vorticity – Approximately 5,500 meters (18,000 feet):

Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) – Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES) – Click the pic to view at source

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Temperature

1 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

2 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

5 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

10 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

30 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

50 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

70 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

100 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 15,000 meters (49,213 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Southern Hemisphere Area Where Temperature is Below 195K or -78°C (Temperature below which Polar Stratospheric Clouds May Form):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Zonal Temperature Anomaly Time Series:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source | → CPC Stratosphere-Troposphere Monitoring

50 hPa/mb Zonal Mean Temperature Anomalies – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Global – 10 hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies at Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Global – 30 hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies at Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Global – 50 hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies at Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Southern Polar Temperature Lower Stratosphere (TLS) – 1979 to Present:

RSS/AMSU lower stratosphere temperature time series for the Southern Polar region are available via the RSS interactive browser. Select Channel TLS (v4.0) and Region South Polar.

→ Open RSS MSU/AMSU Time Series Browser

Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) – Microwave Sounding Units (MSU/AMSU)

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Ozone

“The word hole isn’t literal; no place is empty of ozone. Scientists use the word hole as a metaphor for the area in which ozone concentrations drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units.“

Ozone Mixing Ratio map showing a slight “Ozone Hole” within the Vortex:

1 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

2 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

5 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

10 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

30 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

50 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

70 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

100 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 15,000 meters (49,213 feet):

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

Southern Hemisphere Total Stratospheric Ozone:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

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Planetary Waves

Zonal Wave #1 Amplitude Time Series:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source | → CPC Stratosphere-Troposphere Monitoring

Zonal Wave #2 Amplitude Time Series:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source | → CPC Stratosphere-Troposphere Monitoring

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Coriolis Torque

Vertical and Zonal Integral of Coriolis Torque:

NOAA – Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) – Click the pic to view at source

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Mountain Torque

Vertical and Zonal Integral of Mountain Torque:

NOAA – Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) – Click the pic to view at source

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Eddy Heat Flux

“Strong negative fluxes indicate poleward flux of heat via eddies. Multiple strong poleward episodes will result in a smaller polar vortex, Sudden Stratospheric Warmings and an earlier transition from winter to summer circulations. Relatively small flux amplitudes will result in a more stable polar vortex and will extend the winter circulation well into the Spring.“

10 Day Averaged Eddy Heat Flux Towards The South Pole at 100mb:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source | → CPC Stratosphere Monitoring

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Atmospheric Transmission of Solar Radiation

UV Erythemal Daily Dosage:

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center – Click the pic to view at source

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Source Guide

Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) – Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES)
Home Page – https://wxmaps.org/pix.html
Height and Vorticity Analyses – https://wxmaps.org/pix/analyses.html
Hurricane Potential – https://wxmaps.org/pix/hurpot.html
Forecast Page – https://wxmaps.org/pix/forecasts.html

NOAA – Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) (formerly Earth System Research Laboratory / ESRL)
Home Page – https://psl.noaa.gov/
Products Page – https://psl.noaa.gov/products/
Data Page – https://psl.noaa.gov/data/
Maps Page – https://psl.noaa.gov/map/

NOAA – National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (formerly National Climatic Data Center / NCDC)
Home Page – https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/
Products Page – https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products

NOAA – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center (CPC)
Home Page – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Stratosphere Monitoring – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/polar/polar.shtml
Stratosphere-Troposphere Monitoring – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat-trop/
Atmospheric & SST Indices – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/indices/
Regional Climate Maps – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/

Weather Models – Ryan Maue’s Weather Maps (NCEP GFS, NAM, and ECMWF)
https://weathermodels.com/

Remote Sensing Systems (RSS)
Home Page – https://www.remss.com/
Upper Air Temperature (MSU/AMSU) – https://www.remss.com/measurements/upper-air-temperature/
Time Series Browser – https://images.remss.com/msu/msu_time_series.html

StormSurf.com
Home Page – https://www.stormsurf.com/
Model Products Page – https://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu.html
Global Jet Stream Wind and 250 mb Pressure – https://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display_alt.cgi?a=glob_250
North Atlantic Surface Pressure and Wind – https://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=natla_slp