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Influence of the Temperature of the Lower Subtropical Stratosphere on Antarctic Polar Vortex Dynamics

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Abstract

Stability of the stratospheric polar vortex in the winter–spring period is one of key factors of the duration and scales of stratospheric ozone depletion in a polar region. The Arctic polar vortex attains its peak intensity in winter, whereas the Antarctic vortex usually strengthens in early spring. As a result, large-scale ozone depletion occurs every year from August to November over the Antarctic, and short-term ozone loss occasionally occurs from January to March over the Arctic. In this work, we analyze the reason for the high strength and stability of the Antarctic polar vortex in the winter–spring period. A good agreement between the seasonal variations in the temperature of the subtropical lower stratosphere and in the zonal wind in the lower subpolar and polar stratosphere in the Southern Hemisphere is shown on the basis of ERA-Interim reanalysis data. The results of numerical simulations with the PlaSim-ICMMG-1.0 model show acceleration of zonal wind in the subpolar region with an increase in the temperature of the subtropical stratosphere. Thus, the winter–spring strengthening of the Antarctic polar vortex occurs due to an increase in the stratospheric equator-to-pole temperature gradient caused by the seasonal increase in the temperature of the lower subtropical stratosphere in this period.

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Funding

The study was carried out within the framework of state budgetary theme no. AAAA-A17-117013050038-7 and Fundamental Research Program no. 0315-2019-0003.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634055, Tomsk, Russia

    V. V. Zuev & E. S. Savelieva

  2. Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia

    I. V. Borovko & V. N. Krupchatnikov

  3. Siberian Regional Scientific Research Hydrometeorological Institute, 630099, Novosibirsk, Russia

    I. V. Borovko & V. N. Krupchatnikov

  4. Novosibirsk State University, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia

    I. V. Borovko & V. N. Krupchatnikov

Authors
  1. V. V. Zuev
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  2. I. V. Borovko
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  3. V. N. Krupchatnikov
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  4. E. S. Savelieva
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Correspondence to V. V. Zuev or E. S. Savelieva.

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Zuev, V.V., Borovko, I.V., Krupchatnikov, V.N. et al. Influence of the Temperature of the Lower Subtropical Stratosphere on Antarctic Polar Vortex Dynamics. Atmos Ocean Opt 33, 708–711 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856020060160

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856020060160

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