Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Stratosphere–Troposphere Coupling in the Southern Hemisphere

David W. J. Thompson Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Search for other papers by David W. J. Thompson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Mark P. Baldwin Northwest Research Associates, Bellevue, Washington

Search for other papers by Mark P. Baldwin in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Susan Solomon National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Aeronomy Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado

Search for other papers by Susan Solomon in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Mar 2005
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3321.1
Page(s):
708–715
Restricted access

Abstract

This study examines the temporal evolution of the tropospheric circulation following large-amplitude variations in the strength of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) stratospheric polar vortex in data from 1979 to 2001 and following the SH sudden stratospheric warming of 2002. In both cases, anomalies in the strength of the SH stratospheric polar vortex precede similarly signed anomalies in the tropospheric circulation that persist for more than 2 months. The SH tropospheric circulation anomalies reflect a bias in the polarity of the SH annular mode (SAM), a large-scale pattern of climate variability characterized by fluctuations in the strength of the SH circumpolar flow. Consistent with the climate impacts of the SAM, variations in the stratospheric polar vortex are also followed by coherent changes in surface temperatures throughout much of Antarctica. The results add to a growing body of evidence that suggests that stratospheric variability plays an important role in driving climate variability at Earth’s surface on a range of time scales.

Corresponding author address: David W. J. Thompson, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1371. Email: davet@atmos.colostate.edu

Abstract

This study examines the temporal evolution of the tropospheric circulation following large-amplitude variations in the strength of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) stratospheric polar vortex in data from 1979 to 2001 and following the SH sudden stratospheric warming of 2002. In both cases, anomalies in the strength of the SH stratospheric polar vortex precede similarly signed anomalies in the tropospheric circulation that persist for more than 2 months. The SH tropospheric circulation anomalies reflect a bias in the polarity of the SH annular mode (SAM), a large-scale pattern of climate variability characterized by fluctuations in the strength of the SH circumpolar flow. Consistent with the climate impacts of the SAM, variations in the stratospheric polar vortex are also followed by coherent changes in surface temperatures throughout much of Antarctica. The results add to a growing body of evidence that suggests that stratospheric variability plays an important role in driving climate variability at Earth’s surface on a range of time scales.

Corresponding author address: David W. J. Thompson, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1371. Email: davet@atmos.colostate.edu

Save
Cover Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

  • Baldwin, M. P., and T. J. Dunkerton, 1999: Propagation of the Arctic Oscillation from the stratosphere to the troposphere. J. Geophys. Res., 104 , 30937–30946.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Baldwin, M. P., and T. J. Dunkerton, 2001: Stratospheric harbingers of anomalous weather regimes. Science, 294 , 581–584.

  • Baldwin, M. P., D. B. Stephenson, D. W. J. Thompson, T. J. Dunkerton, A. J. Charlton, and A. O’Neill, 2003: Stratospheric memory and extended-range weather forecasts. Science, 301 , 636–640.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Charlton, A. J., and Coauthors, 2005: The splitting of the stratospheric polar vortex in the Southern Hemisphere, September 2002: Dynamical evolution and impacts on ozone. J. Atmos. Sci., 62 , 590–602.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Charney, J. G., and P. G. Drazin, 1961: Propagation of planetary-scale disturbances from the lower into the upper atmosphere. J. Geophys. Res., 66 , 83–109.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gillett, N. P., and D. W. J. Thompson, 2003: Simulation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change. Science, 302 , 273–275.

  • Gong, D., and S. Wang, 1999: Definition of Antarctic Oscillation index. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26 , 459–462.

  • Graversen, R. G., and B. Christiansen, 2003: : Downward propagation from the stratosphere to the troposphere: A comparison of the two hemispheres. J. Geophys. Res., 108 .4780, doi:10.1029/2003JD004077.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hartmann, D. L., 1976: The structure of the stratosphere in the Southern Hemisphere during late winter 1973 as observed by satellite. J. Atmos. Sci., 33 , 1141–1154.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hartmann, D. L., and F. Lo, 1998: Wave-driven zonal flow vacillation in the Southern Hemisphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 55 , 1303–1315.

  • Jones, P. D., 1994: Hemispheric surface air temperature variations: A reanalysis and update to 1993. J. Climate, 7 , 1794–1802.

  • Kalnay, E., and Coauthors, 1996: The NCEP/NCAR 40-Year Reanalysis Project. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 77 , 437–471.

  • Karoly, D. J., 1990: The role of transient eddies in low-frequency zonal variations of the Southern Hemisphere circulation. Tellus, 42A , 41–50.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kidson, J. W., 1988: Indices of the Southern Hemisphere zonal wind. J. Climate, 1 , 183–194.

  • Kuroda, Y., and K. Kodera, 1998: Interannual variability in the troposphere and stratosphere of the Southern Hemisphere winter. J. Geophys. Res., 103 , 13787–13799.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Limpasuvan, V., and D. L. Hartmann, 2000: Wave-maintained annular modes of climate variability. J. Climate, 13 , 4414–4429.

  • Limpasuvan, V., D. W. J. Thompson, and D. L. Hartmann, 2004: The life cycle of Northern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming. J. Climate, 17 , 2584–2596.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lorenz, D. J., and D. L. Hartmann, 2001: Eddy-zonal flow feedback in the Southern Hemisphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 58 , 3312–3327.

  • McIntyre, M. E., 1982: How well do we understand the dynamics of sudden stratospheric warmings? J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 60 , 37–64.

  • Mechoso, C. R., 1988: Study of the stratospheric final warming of 1982 in the Southern Hemisphere. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 114 , 1365–1384.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Newman, P. A., and E. R. Nash, 2005: The unusual Southern Hemisphere stratosphere winter of 2002. J. Atmos. Sci., 62 , 614–628.

  • Orsolini, Y. J., C. E. Randall, G. L. Manney, and D. R. Allen, 2005: An observational study of the final breakdown of the Southern Hemisphere stratospheric vortex in 2002. J. Atmos. Sci., 62 , 735–747.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Shine, K. P., 1987: Middle atmosphere in the absence of dynamical heat fluxes. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 113 , 603–633.

  • Shiotani, M., 1990: Low-frequency variations of the zonal mean state of the Southern Hemisphere troposphere. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 68 , 461–471.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Thompson, D. W. J., and J. M. Wallace, 2000: Annular modes in the extratropical circulation. Part I: Month-to-month variability. J. Climate, 13 , 1000–1016.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Thompson, D. W. J., and S. Solomon, 2002: Interpretation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change. Science, 296 , 895–899.

  • von Storch, H., and F. W. Zwiers, 1999: Statistical Analysis in Climate Research. Cambridge University Press, 494 pp.

  • Zhou, S. T., A. J. Miller, and J. K. Angell, 2002: Downward-propagating temperature anomalies in the preconditioned polar stratosphere. J. Climate, 15 , 781–792.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 743 248 23
PDF Downloads 602 193 21