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Detecting ozone- and greenhouse gas-driven wind trends with observational data
Sukyoung Lee1, Steven B Feldstein
1Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. sxl31@meteo.psu.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 2, 2013
Summary
Antarctic ozone depletion significantly drives the poleward shift of the westerly jet, more so than greenhouse gas (GHG) increases. Observational data analysis confirms this finding, highlighting ozone
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Climate Science
- Ozone Layer Research
Background:
- Previous modeling studies linked Antarctic ozone depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG) increases to the poleward shift of the austral summer westerly jet.
- Separating the distinct contributions of ozone depletion and GHG forcing using observational data has been challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contributions of Antarctic ozone depletion and GHG increases to the observed poleward shift of the westerly jet using observational data.
- To differentiate the impacts of ozone depletion versus GHG forcing on atmospheric circulation patterns.
Main Methods:
- Applied cluster analysis to daily ERA-Interim reanalysis data.
- Identified two distinct 7- to 11-day wind clusters representing responses to GHG forcing and ozone depletion.
- Analyzed trends in the frequency of occurrence of these identified wind clusters.
Main Results:
- The analysis identified distinct wind patterns associated with GHG forcing and ozone depletion.
- Trends in cluster frequency indicated that ozone depletion contributed approximately 50% more to the westerly jet shift than GHG increases.
- Tropical convection was identified as a significant factor in the GHG-driven trend.
Conclusions:
- Observational data analysis supports modeling studies, confirming ozone depletion as the primary driver of the austral summer westerly jet shift.
- The findings underscore the significant impact of ozone layer recovery on Southern Hemisphere climate dynamics.
- Tropical convection's role in GHG-induced circulation changes warrants further investigation.
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