Atmospheric Waves and Climate Change

Professor Bob Vincent

School of Chemistry and Physics, The University of Adelaide

Abstract

It is sometimes said that one does not need to go to another planet to study a different atmosphere. The Earth’s southern hemisphere can be thought of as the “ocean” planet while the northern hemisphere as the “land” planet. This land-ocean difference manifests itself in the formation of an ozone hole in the southern hemisphere but not in the northern hemisphere. It leads to significant differences in the generation of atmospheric waves, such as planetary waves and gravity (buoyancy) waves that efficiently transfer energy and momentum between the lower and upper atmosphere. As climate responds to rising levels of greenhouse gases there will be changes in wave propagation and these changes need to be properly incorporated into climate models.

Satellites are often used to study planetary-scale waves, but investigations of smaller-scale gravity wave activity on a global basis are more difficult. In the spring of 2005 a major study of atmospheric gravity waves took place in the Antarctic lower stratosphere. The Vorcore campaign used super pressure balloons that float at heights near 18 km for periods of up to several months. It provides a unique view of gravity wave processes at high latitudes in the southern hemisphere. In this presentation the way the atmosphere works is discussed in general terms and results from Vorcore are presented.

Speaker Profile

Bob Vincent obtained his Ph D at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. He leads the University of Adelaide's Atmospheric Physics group, which develops and exploits a wide variety of techniques to study atmospheric processes from the ground to heights near 100 km. He is a highly cited author and is chair of the National Committee for Antarctic Research as well as President of the Scientific Committee for Solar-Terrestrial Physics. SCOSTEP organizes and conducts international solar-terrestrial research programs in cooperation with scientists from 40 countries worldwide.

Professor Vincent is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science since 2004.