Tropopause occurs due to the general circulation of the atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the Earth's rotation-induced centrifugal force creates a non-hydrostatic pressure gradient, explaining the formation of the tropopause and the structure of atmospheric circulation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism involving centrifugal force to explain the tropopause's occurrence and atmospheric circulation patterns.

Findings

Centrifugal force generates a non-hydrostatic vertical pressure gradient.

The atmosphere's temperature decreases from surface to tropopause and remains constant above.

The circulation consists of three streams with polar and tropical tropopauses as boundaries.

Abstract

The general circulation of the atmosphere determines the long-term variability of weather processes. This circulation is driven by the temperature differences between the poles and the equator, causing air to move along the Earth's surface. However, this requires enhanced pressure at the poles, which is not observed. To sustain the circulation, an additional non-hydrostatic pressure gradient is required. Here I propose the emergence of an additional non-hydrostatic pressure gradient resulting from the centrifugal force generated by the Earth's rotation. This centrifugal force creates a non-hydrostatic vertical pressure gradient, which is essential for the closed circulation of unequally heated air in the meridional direction. The circulation is composed of three distinct streams flowing in opposite directions, with the polar and tropical tropopause acting as boundaries. The temperature in the atmosphere decreases from the surface to the polar tropopause and remains constant above it.