[1] Ten years of high-resolution radiosonde data are contrasted with fifteen years of ECMWF reanalysis (ERA) data to explore the tropopause region above two midlatitude stations (Munich and Stuttgart) in Southern Germany. We present time-averaged vertical profiles of several meteorological parameters relative to the tropopause. A strong mean inversion at the tropopause is evident from the radio...

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the temperature and zonal wind biases in eight reanalysis data products, with a focus on stratospheric levels. The study identifies biases in each reanalysis from the “reanalysis mean” (defined as the mean of the MERRA, ERA-Interim, and JRA-55 reanalyses). It then examines reanalysis temperature biases with respect to HIRDLS (an independent satell...

It is known that atmospheric dynamics in the tropical stratosphere have an influence on higher altitudes and latitudes as well as on surface weather and climate. In the tropics, the dynamics are governed by an interplay of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and semiannual oscillation (SAO) of the zonal wind. The QBO is dominant in the lower and middle stratosphere, and the SAO in the upper st...

[1] A recent paper (Paltridge et al., 2009) found that specific humidity in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/ NCAR) reanalysis declined between 1973 and 2007, particularly in the tropical mid and upper troposphere, the region that plays the key role in the water vapor feedback. If borne out, this result suggests potential problems ...

The evolution of plateau monsoons is essential to synoptic climatology processes over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Based on ERA-Interim Reanalysis data covering 1979–2014 from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), we propose a new plateau monsoon index (ZPMI) that can effectively reflect the evolution of monsoons and compare this new index with the existing Plateau Mons...

Climate change can influence the transmission of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) through altering the habitat suitability of insect vectors. Here we present global climate model simulations and evaluate the associated uncertainties in view of the main meteorological factors that may affect the distribution of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), which can transmit pathogens that cause chik...

The Megha-Tropiques, an Indo French mission, with four on-board payloads was launched in October 2011 to improve our understanding on hydrological cycle and radiation budget. The SAPHIR (Sondeur Atmosphérique du Profil d’Humidité Intertropicale par Radiométrie), a sounder for profiling humidity, is a key payload and expected to play a major role in fulfilling the mission objectives. The present...