Contribution of Tropical Winds to Subseasonal Fluctuations in Atmospheric Angular Momentum and Length of Day
Abstract
Changes in the globally integrated angular momentum of the atmosphere from 1983 to 1987 were computed from Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center wind analyses and compared to astronomically measured changes in length of day obtained from the U.S. Naval Observatory. In agreement with previous studies, the two time series are highly coherent and in phase at periods ranging from 40 days up to the longest periods that are resolved by the data. By examining the contribution to the global atmospheric angular momentum from the tropical and extra-tropical regions separately, it is found that fluctuations in the Earth's angular momentum and length of day at subseasonal periods of 50-100 days are dominated by wind changes in the tropics. Reprints.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 20, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA204479
Entities
People
- Robert L. Haney
- William L. Benedict
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School