Upper-air temperatures around Greenland: 1964-2005

A 42-year collection of 12h balloon soundings from six sites surrounding Greenland reveal distinct patterns of tropospheric and stratospheric temperature variability. Seasonal mean upper-air temperatures exhibit statistically significant correlations with surface air temperature records. Over the full 1964 - 2005 record, patterns of statistically significant tropospheric warming and stratospheric cooling are evident. Overall, the magnitude of warming decreases with height, becoming cooling in the mid-stratosphere. During the recent 12-year period ( 1994 - 2005) lacking major volcanic forcing, statistically significant warming (+ 2.5 K to + 5 K) is evident throughout the troposphere at all sites, with seasonal changes in the + 3 K to + 9 K range near the surface at 1000 hPa. The recent ( 1994 - 2005) tropospheric warming has dominated the 1964 - 2005 lower troposphere temperature change, despite 1964 - 1982 upper-tropospheric cooling.