Spatio-temporal Structure of Diurnal and Semidiurnal Tides in Geopotential Height Field

The diurnal and semidiurnal tides in the global atmosphere are examined using 3-hourly geopotential height field of the state-of-the-art reanalysis data. Unlike the previous studies, the spatial structure and seasonality of those tides are analyzed from the surface of the earth to the stratosphere. It is found that, at most levels, diurnal tide is strong in the midlatitudes while semidiurnal tide is predominant in the tropics. The former shows strong seasonal cycle with a larger amplitude in summer than in winter in both hemispheres. This is different from the semidiurnal tide which has essentially no seasonal cycle. In term of the vertical structure, while semidiurnal tide has a barotropic structure, diurnal tide exhibits a distinct vertical structure with increased amplitude and height. Especially tropical diurnal tide exhibits a nearly opposite phase from the surface to the free troposphere, and to the upper stratosphere. Its amplitude also varies nonlinearly with height, possibly influenced by water vapor, ozone, gravity waves and solar radiation.