The vernal breakdown of the stratospheric cyclone over the South Pole

Abstract

The synoptic properties of the springtime breakdown of the strong cyclonic vortex characteristic of the polar stratosphere in winter, which has been much studied in the northern hemisphere, are amplified by a description of similar events in Antarctica. The IGY data from the continent were well distributed in longitude in the spring of 1957, and it was possible to construct a model of the baroclinic wave responsible for the breakdown. The model appears to fit what is known about the north polar breakdown. It is concluded that the breakdown of 1957 accompanied the amplification of a single wave disturbance, almost stationary in longitude during its growth.