Articles | Volume 21, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-1593-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-1593-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Feb 2021
Research article |
| 05 Feb 2021
| 05 Feb 2021
Very long-period oscillations in the atmosphere (0–110 km)
Dirk Offermann
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institut für Atmosphären – und Umweltforschung, Bergische
Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
Christoph Kalicinsky
Institut für Atmosphären – und Umweltforschung, Bergische
Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
Ralf Koppmann
Institut für Atmosphären – und Umweltforschung, Bergische
Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
Johannes Wintel
Institut für Atmosphären – und Umweltforschung, Bergische
Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
now at: Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH, Langenselbold, Germany
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Atmospheric oscillations with periods between 5 and more than 200 years are believed to be self-excited (internal) in the atmosphere, i.e. non-anthropogenic. They are found at all altitudes up to 110 km and at four very different geographical locations (75° N, 70° E; 75° N, 280° E; 50° N, 7° E; 50° S, 7° E). Therefore, they hint at a global-oscillation mode. Their amplitudes are on the order of present-day climate trends, and it is therefore difficult to disentangle them.
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Planetary waves are important for driving large scale circulations. We observed planetary waves in a ground-based data set spanning more than 30 years. The waves can be assigned to expected waves due to their periods. The wave activity is strongest in winter for waves with periods greater than 20 days and shows maxima around equinoxes for periods below 20 days. The long-term behaviour shows a quasi-20 year oscillation of the wave activity with respect to the magnitude of the wave amplitudes.
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Atmospheric oscillations with periods between 5 and more than 200 years are believed to be self-excited (internal) in the atmosphere, i.e. non-anthropogenic. They are found at all altitudes up to 110 km and at four very different geographical locations (75° N, 70° E; 75° N, 280° E; 50° N, 7° E; 50° S, 7° E). Therefore, they hint at a global-oscillation mode. Their amplitudes are on the order of present-day climate trends, and it is therefore difficult to disentangle them.
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Short summary
Atmospheric oscillations with periods of up to several 100 years exist at altitudes up to 110 km. They are also seen in computer models (GCMs) of the atmospheric. They are often attributed to external influences from the sun, from the oceans, or from atmospheric constituents. This is difficult to verify as the atmosphere cannot be manipulated in an experiment. However, a GCM can be changed arbitrarily. Doing so, we find that long-period oscillations may be excited internally in the atmosphere.
Atmospheric oscillations with periods of up to several 100 years exist at altitudes up to...
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