A long-term record from 1953 to the present, this dataset contains monthly mean zonal wind components for the equatorial stratosphere. It was compiled by Freie Universität Berlin from radiosonde observations at stations including Canton Island, Gan/Maledive Islands, and Singapore. The data is intended to be representative of the equatorial belt for studying the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation.
Use Cases
- Analyzing the periodicity and phase of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation based on monthly mean zonal wind data.
- Studying long-term trends and variability in equatorial stratospheric winds from 1953 onward.
- Validating climate and atmospheric circulation models using the historical wind index.
- Investigating the vertical structure of the QBO using the higher-resolution Singapore data available from 1987.
Strengths
- Covers a long temporal range from 1953 to the present.
- Provides data at multiple pressure levels (e.g., 70, 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10 hPa).
- Includes a higher vertical resolution dataset from Singapore for years after 1987.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- The description notes uncertainties at higher levels during early years due to scarcity of observations.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- Freie Universität Berlin, compiled from radiosonde network observations.
- Collection Method
- Monthly means calculated from daily wind observations at selected equatorial stations.
- Time Range
- 1953 to present
- Geography
- Equatorial belt, with data from stations including Canton Island, Gan/Maledive Islands, and Singapore.