GFDL Atmospheric Circulation Statistics

An extensive description of the three-dimensional, global structure of the general circulation of the atmosphere is presented in the form of a large number of global maps, cross sections, meridional profiles and hemispheric integrals. The parameters analyzed include the horizontal wind components, temperature, geopotential height and specific humidity, as well as their variances and covariances at 11 levels between the Earth's surface and the 50-mb level.

The basic analyses were performed for each month of the 180- month period, May 1958 through April 1973, covering only the Northern Hemisphere during the first five years, but the entire globe during the last ten years. This dataset consists of individual files, each containing various atmospheric measurements. The major variables that make up this file for the surface/1000 millibar and 950-, 900-, 850-, 700-, 500-, 400-, 300-, 200-, 100-, and 50-millibar constant pressure levels are: Files 1-6 - Monthly, horizontal departure fields from 1963-1983 and mean conditions for upper air during the 5-year period May 1958 through April 1963, Files 7-21 - Monthly, horizontal departure fields from 1963-1973 and mean conditions for the upper air during the 10-year period May 1963 through April 1973, Files 22-23 - Monthly, horizontal departure fields from 1963-1973 and mean conditions for the surface/1000-millibar during the 15-year period May 1958 through April 1973, Files 24-25 - Monthly, zonal-mean cross sections for individual months during the 15-year period May 1958 through April 1973, Files 26-29 - Means and standard deviations (1969-1973); horizontal fields for the upper air, Files 30 - Means and standard deviations (1963-1973) for the surface/1000- millibar for 23 parameters, Files 31 - Cross sections 1963-1973 means and standard deviations, Files 32 - Mountain topography and mountain tag fields.