Go here and here for background information on Polar Vortices.
Wind
Southern Polar Wind – It is recommended that click down through each height in succession so you that can see polar vorticity with depth:
10 hPa/mb – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet) Wide and Focused Perspective
70 hPa/mb – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet) Wide and Focused Perspective
250 hPa/mb – Approximately 10,400 meters (34,000 feet) Wide and Focused Perspective
Geopotential Height
Southern Hemisphere – Vertical Cross Section of Geopotential Height Anomalies (Polar Vortex)
1 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet):
2 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):
5 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet):
10 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet):
30 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet):
50 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet):
70 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet):
100 hPa/mb Height Analysis – Approximately 15,000 meters (49,000 feet)
Global – 200-hPa/mb Height Anomalies – Atmospheric Pressure Anomalies at Approximately 12,000 meters (40,000 feet)
Southern Hemisphere – 500-hPa /mb Height Anomalies – Atmospheric Pressure Anomalies At Approximately 5500 meters (18,000 feet)
Southern Hemisphere – 500-hPa/mb Geopotential Height and Vorticity – Approximately 5500 meters (18,000 feet)
Temperature
1 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet)
2 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):
5 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet)
10 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet)
30 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet)
50 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet)
70 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet)
100 hPa/mb Temperature Analysis – Approximately 15,000 (49,213 feet)
Southern Hemisphere Area Where Temperature is Below 195K or -78C (Temperature below which Polar Stratospheric Clouds May Form)
Zonal Temperature Anomaly Time Series
50-hPa/mb Zonal Mean Temperature Anomalies – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet)
Global – 10-hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies At Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet)
Global – 30-hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies At Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet)
Global – 50-hPa/mb Height Temperature Anomalies – Atmospheric Temperature Anomalies At Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet)
Southern Polar Temperature Lower Stratosphere (TLS) – 1979 to Present
Ozone
Ozone Mixing Ratio map showing a slight “Ozone Hole” within the Vortex:
1 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 50,000 meters (164,000 feet)
2 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 42,500 meters (140,000 feet):
5 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 35,000 meters (115,000 feet)
10 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 31,000 meters (101,700 feet)
30 hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 23,700 meters (77,800 feet)
50-hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 20,100 meters (66,000 feet)
70-hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 18,000 meters (59,000 feet)
100-hPa/mb Ozone Mixing Ratio – Approximately 15,000 (49,213 feet)
Southern Hemisphere Total Stratospheric Ozone
Planetary Waves
Zonal Wave #1 Amplitude Time Series:
Zonal Wave #2 Amplitude Jan, Feb, March Time Series:
Coriolis Torque
Vertical and Zonal Integral Of Coriolis Torque
Mountain Torque
Vertical and Zonal Integral Of Mountain Torque
Eddy Heat Flux
10 day Averaged Eddy Heat Flux Towards The South Pole At 100mb
Atmospheric Transmission of Solar Radiation
UV Erythemal Daily Dosage
Source Guide
Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) – Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES)
Home Page – http://wxmaps.org/pix.html
Height and Vorticity Analyses Page – http://wxmaps.org/pix/analyses.html?bandwidth=high
Hurricane Potential Page – http://wxmaps.org/pix/hurpot.html?bandwidth=high
Forecast Page – http://wxmaps.org/pix/forecasts.html?bandwidth=high
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
Home Page – http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/
Physical Sciences Division (PSD) Products Page – http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/products/
Physical Sciences Division (PSD) Data Data Page – http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/
Physical Sciences Division (PSD) Data Maps Page – http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/map/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Home Page – http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/about/about.html?bandwidth=high
Products Page – http://www.ncdc.noaa.govgov/oa/ncdc.html?bandwidth=high
Stratosphere Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/?bandwidth=high
FTP Page – http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/?bandwidth=high
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Weather Service – Climate Prediction Center
Home Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Products Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/
Monitoring and Data Products Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/MD_index.shtml
Atmospheric & SST Indices Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/indices/
Regional Climate Maps – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/
Monitoring and Data Page – http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/monitoring_and_data/
FTP Page – ftp://ftp.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Policlimate.com | Ryan Maue’s Weather Maps (NCEP GFS, NAM, WRF and ECMWF)
http://policlimate.com/weather/
Remote Sensing Systems (RSS)
Home Page – http://ssmi.com/?bandwidth=high
MSU Page – http://ssmi.com/msu/msu_browse.html?bandwidth=high
MSU FTP Page – ftp://ftp.ssmi.com/msu/?bandwidth=high
FTP Page – ftp://ftp.ssmi.com/?bandwidth=high
StormSurf.com
Home Page – http://www.stormsurf.com/
Model Products Page – http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu.html
Weather Model – Global Jet Stream Wind and 250 mb Pressure – http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display_alt.cgi?a=glob_250
Wave Mode – North Atlantic Surface Pressure and Wind – http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=natla_slp
Very interesting, thank you.
Readers are reminded that “changes” in the (southern) polar vortex (due to climate change) are regularly blamed for the many years of steadily increasing Antarctic sea ice extents and sea ice area surrounding Antarctica. Supposedly, the increased winds blow the sea ice away from the shoreline, opening up new ocean water to the fresh water-diluted Antarctic Ocean surrounding the continent (the increased fresh water volume being due to the increased melting of the Antarctic land ice), and thus allowing sea ice to freeze. Winds increase again, get blow away from the continent, more sea ice freezes.
The concept does not make sense thermodynamically, nor physically – since the air temperature above Antarctica has been decreasing, the polar vortex winds have not been increasing, and the mass of land ice above the continental land mass has been increasing everywhere except the 4% of land in the West Antarctic Peninsula. (Which is the only area on the continent that is warming.) Further, the small bit of “fresh water” that does melt under glacier ice on the continental edge immediately re-freezes as long runnels of ice underwater as soon as it hits the below-freezing (very salty) ocean water around the coasts. It cannot dilute the tens-of-thousands-times larger Antarctic Ocean surrounding the continent.
This reference page will be a very useful source.