50-MILLIBAR PATTERNS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO TROPOSPHERIC CHANGES

Abstract

Data from three recent winters are utilized to study the large changes in the temperature and flow fields at 50 mb. It is reasoned that the major changes in this region arise from the development of an unstable flow pattern through the radiational cooling of air in polar regions. An analysis of tropospheric changes during periods of major activity at 50 mb indicates that the tropospheric circulation can be influenced by the developments in the upper stratosphere.