Wave-Driven Vertical Coupling in the Atmosphere: Evidence from ERA5 Zonal-Mean Diagnostics

Wave-Driven Vertical Coupling in the Atmosphere: Evidence from ERA5 Zonal-Mean Diagnostics | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Wave-Driven Vertical Coupling in the Atmosphere: Evidence from ERA5 Zonal-Mean Diagnostics Adarsh Raut This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494020/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Understanding the vertical coupling of the atmosphere is essential for interpreting large-scale circulation and its variability. In this study, we investigate the linkage between lower, middle, and upper atmospheric layers using zonal-mean diagnostics derived from ERA5 reanalysis data for the period 2000-2020. The climatological temperature structure reveals a well-defined troposphere-stratosphere transition, while pronounced seasonal contrasts highlight strong wintertime cooling and the formation of the polar vortex in the stratosphere. The corresponding zonal wind structure exhibits distinct jet streams and seasonal reversals, indicating a strong dynamical response to thermal gradients. To quantify this relationship, we examine the thermal wind balance by comparing meridional temperature gradients with vertical wind shear. The results demonstrate a clear consistency between these fields, confirming that large-scale zonal winds are dynamically governed by temperature gradients. Furthermore, analysis of temperature anomalies relative to the annual mean highlight’s significant seasonal deviations, particularly in high latitudes, suggesting enhanced dynamical variability. The combined results provide robust evidence of wave-driven vertical coupling across atmospheric layers, emphasizing the role of large-scale dynamics in shaping the observed circulation patterns. This study demonstrates how zonal-mean ERA5 diagnostics can be used as an effective framework to understand atmospheric structure, seasonal variability, and the fundamental physical mechanisms linking different layers of the atmosphere. ERA5 reanalysis Thermal wind balance Zonal-mean circulation Atmospheric dynamics Vertical coupling Seasonal variability Polar vortex Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 19 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 12 May, 2026 Editor invited by journal 11 May, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 28 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 28 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 22 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9494020","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":630786319,"identity":"4b6a6a79-7ea2-42c0-a503-dbf7d9423d63","order_by":0,"name":"Adarsh Raut","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFCCBAYGxgYQg/mAwQcgxcZOtBY2toTCGSCamXgtPAafecC2EdDA35787OPPHffkDe73GG62+bVNno+ZgfHDxxzcWiTOPDOezXum2HDDMbZi49y+24ZtzAzMkjO34bHmRoIxM2NbAuOGY8zbjHN7bjMCtbAx8+LRIn8j/TPjz7YE+w3HGMx/W/bctieoxeBGjjEDb1tC4oZjLAbGDD9uJxLUYnjmTTEzUEvyzGNpCYa9DbeT25gZm/H6Re54+maQw2z7Dh8+YPDjz23b+e3NBz98xOd9FMDYBiYbiFUPAn9IUTwKRsEoGAUjBQAACOtUetE3tvQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Adarsh","middleName":"","lastName":"Raut","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-22 09:38:06","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494020/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494020/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108193123,"identity":"9f4aa29f-67e2-4a82-951f-a2757fb739df","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-30 10:18:05","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":391587,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AtmosphericVerticalCouplingAdarshRautV02.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9494020/v1_covered_0cd4d5be-60c6-43f5-8c81-6b6d047e4213.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Wave-Driven Vertical Coupling in the Atmosphere: Evidence from ERA5 Zonal-Mean Diagnostics","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-applied-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Applied Sciences](https://link.springer.com/journal/42452)","snPcode":"42452","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42452/3","title":"Discover Applied Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"ERA5 reanalysis, Thermal wind balance, Zonal-mean circulation, Atmospheric dynamics, Vertical coupling, Seasonal variability, Polar vortex","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494020/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494020/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding the vertical coupling of the atmosphere is essential for interpreting large-scale circulation and its variability. 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