Analyzing ozone variations and associated transport mechanisms at high latitudes over Sudden Stratospheric Warming events

Abstract:

Disruption of stratospheric circulation during Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events dramatically influences the concentration of atmospheric tracers over the Arctic. SSWs are defined by an abrupt and intense stratospheric temperature increase and a reversal of the climatological westerly wind circulation. Recent studies have examined these perturbations to Arctic ozone using climate model simulations. This study uses observations and assimilation models to investigate the influence of six major SSWs since 2004 over the Greenland sector of the Arctic. Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) assimilates various satellite and in situ meteorological data to create 3 hourly global datasets. To evaluate uncertainties with MERRA2 over high northern latitudes, comprehensive comparisons using various observations are performed. Vertical profiles of ozone from MERRA-2 are compared with ozonesonde profiles and retrievals from solar-viewing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements from high-latitude Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) sites. The analysis shows magnified ozone variability during SSWs over the Greenland sector compared to the Arctic zonal average. The contributions of advection and eddy transport on ozone anomalies are investigated.