Abstract
Analyses of the structure and behavior of planetary waves in the upper stratosphere are made by the use of the meteorological rocket observations together with the daily stratospheric synoptic charts during the period of 1966 wintertime. The vertical time-sections of temperature for Fort Greely, Fort Churchill and other stations indicate that large-scale disturbances exist in the higher latitudes extending vertically from the lower to the upper stratosphere. The vertical cross sections of temperature along 60°N also indicate the evidence of planetary-scale wavelike disturbances characterized by the westward tilting of isotherms, as well as the trough axis, with increasing height.
The separation of traveling planetary waves from the standing wave is made by taking time derivatives of temperature along 60°N. The results show the existence of eastward moving waves of wave number two and westward moving waves of wave number one. The downward propagation of temperature phase as indicated by the vertical time-section at a given station is related to the westward movement of wave disturbances.
Finally discussion is extended to the relationship between the behavior of transient waves and the time variation of zonal wind in terms of stability properties of polar night westerlies.
