Numerical Simulation of the Global Neutral Wind System of the Earth’s Middle Atmosphere for Different Seasons

• Main Authors: Galina I. Mingaleva, Victor S. Mingalev, Igor V. Mingalev
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2012-03-01
• Series: Atmosphere
• Subjects: global circulation model; numerical simulation; circumpolar vortices
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/3/1/213/

A non-hydrostatic model of the global neutral wind system of the Earth’s atmosphere, developed earlier, is utilized to simulate the large-scale global circulation of the middle atmosphere for conditions of different seasons. In the model calculations, not only the horizontal components, but also the vertical component of the neutral wind velocity, are obtained by means of a numerical solution of a generalized Navier-Stokes equation for compressible gas, so the hydrostatic equation is not applied. Moreover, the global temperature field is assumed to be a given distribution, (i.e., the input parameter of the model) and obtained from one of the existing empirical models. The results of simulation indicate that the horizontal non-uniformity of the neutral gas temperature, which is distinct in different seasons, ought to considerably influence the formation of the global neutral wind system in the middle atmosphere, in particular, the large-scale circumpolar vortices of the northern and southern hemispheres.