Fig. 4: Schematic diagrams of the mechanisms that cause the IAE during summer from an atmospheric circulation perspective.
From: Inverse altitude effect disputes the theoretical foundation of stable isotope paleoaltimetry
a WUSA, western United States of America. b NTP, northern Tibetan Plateau. Note the plus (minus) signs within the circles indicate the inverse altitude effect (altitude effect), and the sizes of the circles represent the strength of the IAE (AE), i.e., larger circles represent a more pronounced IAE (AE). The white arrows indicate the moisture contributions from the mid-troposphere (above 825 hPa) to the target region. The gray arrows indicate the moisture contributions from the lower troposphere (below 825 hPa) to the target region. The different sizes of the arrows represent the relative moisture contribution percentages. In each panel, red dashed ellipses mark the levels (or altitudes) where the IAE occurs. Seas include the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Caspian Sea. The gray dots in air masses represent the intensity of the lateral mixing, i.e., denser dots, stronger the lateral mixing. IAE, inverse altitude effect. AE, altitude effect. This figure was created with Adobe Photoshop CC 2019.
