Tropospheric Stratospheric Turbulence and Vertical Diffusivities

Book excerpt: The determination of winds and temperature by rawinsonde allows us to calculate the Richardson number, a measure of atmospheric instability. From this, we can then determine the turbulent atmospheric parameters, diffusivity (K), rate of heat deposition (epsilon), and the vertical turbulent intensity (w2). Comparison of these data, for the spring periods, with contours of residual stratospheric radioactivity demonstrate that, at the tropopause, the isocountours of turbulent diffusivity accurately follow the isodensity contours of the residual radioactivity. We also demonstrate that the rapid cessation of the turbulent diffusivity accurately predicts the level of the tropopause. (Author).