Solenoidal index

solenoidal index

A measure of the atmospheric general circulation related to the zonal index and meridional index. It is usually expressed as the difference in the atmospheric layer thickness between 35° and 55°N latitudes, where the thickness is calculated as the mean virtual temperature from the surface to some specified upper level. This index effectively measures the strength of the vertical wind shear per the thermal wind relationship.

Forsdyke, A. G., 1951. Zonal and other indices. Meteor. Mag.,, 80, 156–161.

Namias, J., and P. F. Clapp, 1951. Observational studies of general circulation Patterns. Compendium of Meteorology, T. F. Malone, Ed., Amer. Meteor. Soc., 551–567.

Term edited 4 October 2023.