Analysis of 200 mbar zonal wind for the period 1958-1997

The value of the analyses of the 200 mbar zonal winds is proposed as a particularly effective tool to assess variability and trends in atmospheric circulation. Using the thermal wind relation, the 200 mbar zonal wind results from the vertically integrated north-south temperature gradient between the Earth's surface and 200 mbar. We found a tendency for the 200 mbar winds to become somewhat stronger at higher latitudes since 1958.