Spatiotemporal Distribution of Atmospheric Ducts in Alaska and Its Relationship with the Arctic Vortex

Abstract

In this paper, global position system high-resolution sounding data from 1998 to 2008 were used to statistically analyze the spatiotemporal distribution and determine the probability, thickness, and intensity of atmospheric ducts at 12 stations in Alaska. In addition, the singular value decomposition (SVD) was used to examine the relationship between the Arctic vortex and atmospheric ducts. The annual average probability of atmospheric ducts, primarily surface and elevation ducts, was approximately 30% in Alaska. The probability of elevation ducts was greater than that of surface ducts. The Arctic vortex area and intensity index of each subarea were significantly negatively correlated with the occurrence of atmospheric ducts. Thus, when the area of the Arctic vortex increased and the intensity index of each subarea strengthened, the probability of atmospheric ducts decreased and their characteristics weakened.