Observational evidence of the influence of Antarctic stratospheric ozone variability on middle atmosphere dynamics

Rao, N. Venkateswara; Espy, P.J.; Hibbins, R.E.; Fritts, D.C.; Kavanagh, A.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7360-7039. 2015 Observational evidence of the influence of Antarctic stratospheric ozone variability on middle atmosphere dynamics. Geophysical Research Letters, 42 (19). 7853-7859. 10.1002/2015GL065432

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Abstract/Summary

Modeling results have suggested that the circulation of the stratosphere and mesosphere in spring is strongly affected by the perturbations in heating induced by the Antarctic ozone hole. Here using both mesospheric MF radar wind observations from Rothera Antarctica (67°S, 68°W) as well as stratospheric analysis data, we present observational evidence that the stratospheric and mesospheric wind strengths are highly anti-correlated, and show their largest variability in November. We find that these changes are related to the total amount of ozone loss that occurs during the Antarctic spring ozone hole and particularly with the ozone gradients that develop between 57.5°S and 77.5°S. The results show that with increasing ozone loss during spring, winter conditions in the stratosphere and mesosphere persist longer into the summer. These results are discussed in the light of observations of the onset and duration of the Antarctic polar mesospheric cloud season

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1002/2015GL065432
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Space Weather and Atmosphere
ISSN:	0094-8276
Additional Keywords:	MLT dynamics, stratosphere, ozone variability, MF radar, PMC/PMSE
Date made live:	24 Nov 2015 09:34 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/511335

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1002/2015GL065432

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Space Weather and Atmosphere

ISSN:

0094-8276

Additional Keywords:

MLT dynamics, stratosphere, ozone variability, MF radar, PMC/PMSE

Date made live:

24 Nov 2015 09:34 +0 (UTC)