Fleming E.L., Chandra S., Shoeberl M.R., Barnett J.J. Monthly Mean Global Climatology of Temperature, Wind, Geopotential Height, and Pressure for 0-120 km (CIRA-86 model)

NASA Technical Memorandum 100697 (NASA-TM-100697), NASA, 1988, 96 pp. + datafiles
This report presents a monthly mean climatology of temperature, wind, and geopotential height with nearly pole-to-pole coverage (80°S-80°N) for 0-120 km which can be used as a function of altitude and pressure. The purpose of such a climatology is to provide a reference for various atmospheric research and analysis activities.
Data sources and methods of computation are described; in general, hydrostatic and thermal wind balance are maintained at all levels and latitudes. As observed in a series of cross sectional plots, this climatology accurately reproduces most of the characteristic features of the atmosphere such as the equatorial wind and the general structure of the tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause. A series of zonal wind profiles is also presented comparing this climatological wind with monthly mean climatological direct wind measurements in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The temperature and zonal wind climatology at stratospheric levels is compared with corresponding data from the National Meteorological Center (NMC -Washington, D.C.), and general agreement is observed between the two data sets.