Seasonal differences between thermal tropopauses calculated using vertical temperature profiles from significant and standard levels of radiosondes for the South American aerological network
Keywords:
thermal tropopause, significant levels, mandatory levels, comparisons, radiosondes, South AmericaAbstract
An analysis on the differences between two thermal tropopauses at 59 South American upper-air stations was carried out. The original lapse rate tropopause (LRT) derived from significant-level radiosonde temperature profiles following the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) definition was compared with the tropopause estimated from radiosonde mandatory levels (LRTM) with a WMO-compliant algorithm. The study period encompasses January 1973–December 2019. The comparisons between the LRT and the LRTM were performed on a seasonal basis for pressure, height and temperature and the results were organized into latitudinal bands of 5° width. On average, the LRTM locates below or above the LRT, depending on the band considered, and in general the both tropopauses are statistically different. The Spearman’s correlation coefficients between the same LRTM and LRT variables were calculated in order to estimate whether there exists a relation between them. The coefficients resulted positive so the correlated variables can be related through monotonic increasing functions. A linear function was selected and the slopes and the intercepts for this relation were provided at each latitudinal band. Taking the LRTM variables as predictors enables the obtention of the corresponding LRT variables. The matching between the LRT and the LRTM-derived LRT was addressed through root mean squares, whose maximization occurs in the subtropical jet’s region of influence.
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