Equatorial Kelvin waves as revealed by EOS Microwave Limb Sounder observations and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses: Evidence for slow Kelvin waves of zonal wave number 3

[1] Temperature and ozone observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the EOS Aura satellite are used to study equatorial wave activity in the autumn of 2005. In contrast to previous observations for the same season in other years, the temperature anomalies in the middle and lower tropical stratosphere are found to be characterized by a strong wave-like eastward progression with zonal wave number equal to 3. Extended empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis reveals that the wave 3 components detected in the temperature anomalies correspond to a slow Kelvin wave with a period of 8 days and a phase speed of 19 m/s. Fluctuations associated with this Kelvin wave mode are also apparent in ozone profiles. Moreover, as expected by linear theory, the ozone fluctuations observed in the lower stratosphere are in phase with the temperature perturbations, and peak around 20–30 hPa where the mean ozone mixing ratios have the steepest vertical gradient. A search for other Kelvin wave modes has also been made using both the MLS observations and the analyses from one experiment where MLS ozone profiles are assimilated into the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data assimilation system via a 6-hourly 3D var scheme. Our results show that the characteristics of the wave activity detected in the ECMWF temperature and ozone analyses are in good agreement with MLS data.

Field meeting: Romney Marsh - its churches and geology, 22 May 2004

The building fabrics of seven churches situated either on Romney Marsh or the marshland fringe were examined briefly. These revealed important differences in the relative abundance of the two principal building stones. Ragstones from the Hythe Formation occurred more frequently in the northeast, while sandstones from the Ashdown 'Beds' were more common in the west. In the Romney Marsh area, both stones were quarried mainly from their adjoining coastlines, with, up to the thirteenth century, opportunist collection of beach boulders generally preceding the exploitation or hewn stone. Other building stones, possible distribution routes and impacts of the quarrying upon coastline development were also discussed.