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Further evidence in stratospheric-tropospheric coupling: Biennial oscillations in the tropical total cloud cover

Ein weiteres Zeugnis für die stratosphärisch-troposphärische Kuppelung: die biennale Oszillation in der tropischen Gesamtwolkendecke

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Summary

An analysis of monthly mean total cloud cover fractions in the tropics showed the existence of a quasi-biennial oscillation in total cloud cover. The amplitude of the oscillation is between 1 and 2.5 percent in zonal total cloud cover fractions, over the equatorial and southern latitudes. This oscillation is also compared with the corresponding oscillations in zonal mean stratospheric temperatures. The QBO in the tropical total cloud cover is superimposed on longer-term fluctuations (trends) which are discussed in the text.

Zusammenfassung

Eine Analyse der Monatsmittel der Gesamtwolkendecke in den Tropen weist die Existenz einer quasibiennalen Oszillation der Gesamtwolkendecke nach. Die Amplitude dieser Oszillation liegt zwischen 1 und 2,5% in den zonalen Anteilen der Gesamtwolkendecke über den äquatorialen und südlichen Breiten. Diese Oszillation wurde auch mit den entsprechenden Oszillationen der stratosphärischen Temperaturen verglichen. Die quasibiennale Oszillation der tropischen Gesamtwolkendecke ist längerzeitigen Schwankungen überlagert, was im Text besprochen wird.

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  1. C. S. Zerefos &  C. C. Repapis

    Present address: Research Center for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, 3rd September Str. 131, 813, Athens, Greece

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    1. C. S. Zerefos
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    2. C. C. Repapis
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    Zerefos, C.S., Repapis, C.C. Further evidence in stratospheric-tropospheric coupling: Biennial oscillations in the tropical total cloud cover. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. A. 28, 341–348 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310048

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