Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Connections between Upper Tropospheric and Lower Stratospheric Circulation Responses to Increased CO2

Molly E. Menzel aNASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York
bDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9598-2996
,
Darryn W. Waugh bDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

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Clara Orbe aNASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York

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Online Publication:
23 May 2023
Print Publication:
15 Jun 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0851.1
Page(s):
4101–4112
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Abstract

There are myriad ways atmospheric circulation responds to increased CO2. In the troposphere, the region of the tropical upwelling narrows, the Hadley cells expand, and the upper-level subtropical zonal winds that comprise the subtropical jet strengthen. In the stratosphere, the tropical upwelling narrows and strengthens, enhancing the Brewer–Dobson circulation. Despite the robustness of these projections, dynamical coupling between the features remains unclear. In this study, we analyze output from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) ModelE coupled climate model to examine any connection between the upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric circulation by considering the features’ seasonality, hemispheric asymmetry, scaling, and transient response to a broad range of CO2 forcings. We find that a narrowing and strengthening of upper tropospheric upwelling occurs with a strengthening of the subtropical jet. There is also a narrowing and strengthening of lower stratospheric upwelling that is related to an equatorward shift in critical latitude for wave breaking and the associated strengthening of the subtropical lower stratosphere’s zonal winds. However, the stratospheric responses display different seasonal, hemispheric, and transient patterns than those in the troposphere, indicating independent circulation changes between the two domains.

© 2023 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Molly Menzel, molly.menzel@nasa.gov

Abstract

There are myriad ways atmospheric circulation responds to increased CO2. In the troposphere, the region of the tropical upwelling narrows, the Hadley cells expand, and the upper-level subtropical zonal winds that comprise the subtropical jet strengthen. In the stratosphere, the tropical upwelling narrows and strengthens, enhancing the Brewer–Dobson circulation. Despite the robustness of these projections, dynamical coupling between the features remains unclear. In this study, we analyze output from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) ModelE coupled climate model to examine any connection between the upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric circulation by considering the features’ seasonality, hemispheric asymmetry, scaling, and transient response to a broad range of CO2 forcings. We find that a narrowing and strengthening of upper tropospheric upwelling occurs with a strengthening of the subtropical jet. There is also a narrowing and strengthening of lower stratospheric upwelling that is related to an equatorward shift in critical latitude for wave breaking and the associated strengthening of the subtropical lower stratosphere’s zonal winds. However, the stratospheric responses display different seasonal, hemispheric, and transient patterns than those in the troposphere, indicating independent circulation changes between the two domains.

© 2023 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Molly Menzel, molly.menzel@nasa.gov

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