ENSO influence on zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere

William J. Randel; Rolando R. Garcia; Natalia Calvo; Dan Marsh

doi:10.1029/2009GL039343

ENSO influence on zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere

William J. Randel, Rolando R. Garcia, Natalia Calvo, Dan Marsh

National Center for Atmospheric Research

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185 Scopus citations

Abstract

Analyses of a whole atmosphere chemistry-climate model simulation forced by historical sea-surface temperature variations show that tropospheric El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are linked to coherent variations of zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere, tied to fluctuations in tropical upwelling. ENSO temperature variations in the lower stratosphere are out of phase with tropospheric variations, and stratospheric ozone and temperatures are in phase. These model results motivated revisiting observational data sets for bom temperature and ozone, and the observational data reveal coherent signals in the tropical stratosphere, very similar to the model results. The stratospheric ENSO variability has been masked in the observational data to some degree by the volcanic eruptions of El Chichon (1982) and Pinatubo (1991), which both occurred during ENSO warm events. The coherent temperature and ozone signals are evidence that ENSO modulates upwelling in the tropical lower stratosphere.

Original language	English
Article number	L15822
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	36
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL039343
State	Published - Aug 16 2009

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abstract = "Analyses of a whole atmosphere chemistry-climate model simulation forced by historical sea-surface temperature variations show that tropospheric El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are linked to coherent variations of zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere, tied to fluctuations in tropical upwelling. ENSO temperature variations in the lower stratosphere are out of phase with tropospheric variations, and stratospheric ozone and temperatures are in phase. These model results motivated revisiting observational data sets for bom temperature and ozone, and the observational data reveal coherent signals in the tropical stratosphere, very similar to the model results. The stratospheric ENSO variability has been masked in the observational data to some degree by the volcanic eruptions of El Chichon (1982) and Pinatubo (1991), which both occurred during ENSO warm events. The coherent temperature and ozone signals are evidence that ENSO modulates upwelling in the tropical lower stratosphere.",

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T1 - ENSO influence on zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere

AU - Randel, William J.

AU - Garcia, Rolando R.

AU - Calvo, Natalia

AU - Marsh, Dan

PY - 2009/8/16

Y1 - 2009/8/16

N2 - Analyses of a whole atmosphere chemistry-climate model simulation forced by historical sea-surface temperature variations show that tropospheric El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are linked to coherent variations of zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere, tied to fluctuations in tropical upwelling. ENSO temperature variations in the lower stratosphere are out of phase with tropospheric variations, and stratospheric ozone and temperatures are in phase. These model results motivated revisiting observational data sets for bom temperature and ozone, and the observational data reveal coherent signals in the tropical stratosphere, very similar to the model results. The stratospheric ENSO variability has been masked in the observational data to some degree by the volcanic eruptions of El Chichon (1982) and Pinatubo (1991), which both occurred during ENSO warm events. The coherent temperature and ozone signals are evidence that ENSO modulates upwelling in the tropical lower stratosphere.

AB - Analyses of a whole atmosphere chemistry-climate model simulation forced by historical sea-surface temperature variations show that tropospheric El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are linked to coherent variations of zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere, tied to fluctuations in tropical upwelling. ENSO temperature variations in the lower stratosphere are out of phase with tropospheric variations, and stratospheric ozone and temperatures are in phase. These model results motivated revisiting observational data sets for bom temperature and ozone, and the observational data reveal coherent signals in the tropical stratosphere, very similar to the model results. The stratospheric ENSO variability has been masked in the observational data to some degree by the volcanic eruptions of El Chichon (1982) and Pinatubo (1991), which both occurred during ENSO warm events. The coherent temperature and ozone signals are evidence that ENSO modulates upwelling in the tropical lower stratosphere.

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DO - 10.1029/2009GL039343

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JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

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ER -

ENSO influence on zonal mean temperature and ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere

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