Spatial differences in seasonal variation of the upper-tropospheric jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere and its thermal dynamic mechanism
NCEP/NCAR reanalysis daily data from 1951 to 2008 are used in this study to reveal the spatial-asymmetric features in the seasonal variation of the upper-tropospheric jet stream (UTJS) and its thermal dynamic forcing mechanism. The jet occurrence percentage distribution of the UTJS demonstrates a spiral-like pattern in winter, but it is quasi-annular in summer. The jet occurrence percentage in the Eastern Hemisphere is larger than that in the Western Hemisphere, and its maximum area is located further south. The polar front jet stream (PJS) and subtropical jet stream (SJS) can be distinguished over the Northern Africa and Asian regions, whereas only one jet stream can be observed over the Western Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, a single peak pattern is found in the seasonal variation of the SJS occurrence frequency with the highest jet occurrence appearing in winter and the lowest in summer, while a double peak pattern is observed in the seasonal variation of the PJS occurrence, i.e., the jet occurrence reaches its peaks in autumn and spring for the PJS. Based on the thermal wind theory, air temperature gradient and atmospheric baroclinicity are calculated and compared with the jet occurrence variation to explore the thermal dynamic forcing mechanism for the UTJS variation. In addition, synoptic-scale transports of eddy heat and momentum are also calculated. The results indicate that the SJS variation is primarily determined by the air temperature gradient and atmospheric baroclinicity, while the PJS variation is under great influence of the transport of eddy heat and momentum over Northern Africa and East Asia. The UTJS variation over the area from 140E to 70W cannot be well individually explained by the air temperature gradient and atmospheric baroclinicity. Further analysis indicates that UTJS variation over this area is largely under control of combined effect of the transport of eddy heat and momentum as well as the atmospheric baroclinicity.