Stratospheric dynamics

The large-scale dynamics of the extratropical stratosphere are reviewed. The role of Rossby waves and vortex dynamics in shaping the winter stratospheric circulation and the dynamics of the longitudinal mean flow are first discussed separately. The important effects of two-way interaction between waves and mean flow are then described, with emphasis on how mechanisms discovered in simple models can be followed through to models that are closer to the real stratosphere. A final topic is the possible effect of the stratosphere on the troposphere, with emphasis on dynamical mechanisms for such an effect.