The Upper Stratospheric Solar Cycle Ozone Response


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Date

2019-02-16

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

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Data

Abstract

The solar cycle (SC) stratospheric ozone response is thought to influence surface weather and climate. To understand the chain of processes and ensure climate models adequately represent them, it is important to detect and quantify an accurate SC ozone response from observations. Chemistry climate models (CCMs) and observations display a range of upper stratosphere (1–10 hPa) zonally averaged spatial responses; this and the recommended data set for comparison remains disputed. Recent data‐merging advancements have led to more robust observational data. Using these data, we show that the observed SC signal exhibits an upper stratosphere U‐shaped spatial structure with lobes emanating from the tropics (5–10 hPa) to high altitudes at midlatitudes (1–3 hPa). We confirm this using two independent chemistry climate models in specified dynamics mode and an idealized timeslice experiment. We recommend the BASICv2 ozone composite to best represent historical upper stratospheric solar variability, and that those based on SBUV alone should not be used.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

46 (3)

Pages / Article No.

1831 - 1841

Publisher

American Geophysical Union

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

solar cycle; stratospheric ozone; climate models; satellite observations; specified dynamics; time series analysis

Organisational unit

03517 - Peter, Thomas (emeritus) / Peter, Thomas (emeritus) check_circle

Notes

Funding

138017 - SPARC International Project office (SNF)

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