Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere

The thermal structure of the troposphere remains a hot topic, including modelling issues as well as temperature field simulations. This study evaluates the relationship between the air temperature at the Earth’s surface and the temperature of various layers of the troposphere over the Northern Hemis...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zbigniew Ustrnul, Jadwiga Woyciechowska, Agnieszka Wypych
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/9/1423
_version_ 1827727208854061056
author Zbigniew Ustrnul
Jadwiga Woyciechowska
Agnieszka Wypych
author_facet Zbigniew Ustrnul
Jadwiga Woyciechowska
Agnieszka Wypych
author_sort Zbigniew Ustrnul
collection DOAJ
description The thermal structure of the troposphere remains a hot topic, including modelling issues as well as temperature field simulations. This study evaluates the relationship between the air temperature at the Earth’s surface and the temperature of various layers of the troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere, as well as attempts to identify determinants of its variability. Vertical differentiation has been analyzed from the layer σ = 0.995 representing the surface (surface air temperature, SAT), up to an isobaric level of 300 hPa with a focus on the main pressure levels, i.e., 925 hPa, 850 hPa, 700 hPa, 500 hPa. The data were obtained from an NCEP/NCAR reanalysis with a resolution of 2.5 degrees latitude and longitude for the period 1961–2020. The relationship between the SAT and the temperature at each level was expressed using a simple but effective correlation coefficient by Pearson (PCC). These relationships obviously, according to Tobler’s law, weaken with an increasing altitude. However, the distribution of PCC (both horizontal and vertical) proves the impact of geographic factors associated with the relief and also with the surface itself (e.g., land cover). These factors are the main drivers of inversion layers and significantly disturb the straight vertical structure of the atmosphere. The research has shown a significant interannual differentiation of these interactions, as well as their spatial diversity in geographic space. The altitude–temperature relationship becomes weaker in all seasons, but much faster during summer and winter, relative to both spring and autumn.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T23:03:19Z
format Article
id doaj.art-33e495c412af44228b342a96be9cabf4
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-4433
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T23:03:19Z
publishDate 2023-09-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Atmosphere
spelling doaj.art-33e495c412af44228b342a96be9cabf42023-11-19T09:31:05ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332023-09-01149142310.3390/atmos14091423Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern HemisphereZbigniew Ustrnul0Jadwiga Woyciechowska1Agnieszka Wypych2Department of Climatology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, 30-387 Krakow, PolandInstitute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, 01-683 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Climatology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, 30-387 Krakow, PolandThe thermal structure of the troposphere remains a hot topic, including modelling issues as well as temperature field simulations. This study evaluates the relationship between the air temperature at the Earth’s surface and the temperature of various layers of the troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere, as well as attempts to identify determinants of its variability. Vertical differentiation has been analyzed from the layer σ = 0.995 representing the surface (surface air temperature, SAT), up to an isobaric level of 300 hPa with a focus on the main pressure levels, i.e., 925 hPa, 850 hPa, 700 hPa, 500 hPa. The data were obtained from an NCEP/NCAR reanalysis with a resolution of 2.5 degrees latitude and longitude for the period 1961–2020. The relationship between the SAT and the temperature at each level was expressed using a simple but effective correlation coefficient by Pearson (PCC). These relationships obviously, according to Tobler’s law, weaken with an increasing altitude. However, the distribution of PCC (both horizontal and vertical) proves the impact of geographic factors associated with the relief and also with the surface itself (e.g., land cover). These factors are the main drivers of inversion layers and significantly disturb the straight vertical structure of the atmosphere. The research has shown a significant interannual differentiation of these interactions, as well as their spatial diversity in geographic space. The altitude–temperature relationship becomes weaker in all seasons, but much faster during summer and winter, relative to both spring and autumn.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/9/1423air temperaturetropospherevertical structureNorthern Hemisphere
spellingShingle Zbigniew Ustrnul
Jadwiga Woyciechowska
Agnieszka Wypych
Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
Atmosphere
air temperature
troposphere
vertical structure
Northern Hemisphere
title Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
title_full Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
title_fullStr Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
title_full_unstemmed Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
title_short Relationships between Temperature at Surface Level and in the Troposphere over the Northern Hemisphere
title_sort relationships between temperature at surface level and in the troposphere over the northern hemisphere
topic air temperature
troposphere
vertical structure
Northern Hemisphere
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/9/1423
work_keys_str_mv AT zbigniewustrnul relationshipsbetweentemperatureatsurfacelevelandinthetroposphereoverthenorthernhemisphere
AT jadwigawoyciechowska relationshipsbetweentemperatureatsurfacelevelandinthetroposphereoverthenorthernhemisphere
AT agnieszkawypych relationshipsbetweentemperatureatsurfacelevelandinthetroposphereoverthenorthernhemisphere