| Description |
Ozone is a key constituent of the stratosphere. The shortwave heating by ozone influences the stratospheric circulation, and the circulation, in turn, influences the distribution of ozone. This creates the potential for an interesting interaction between ozone and the circulation, which may also be important for the surface weather and climate because of the downward coupling from the stratosphere into the troposphere. Here, we use observations and modeling to study the ozone-circulation interaction and the role of it for extreme stratospheric circulation events. We find that extreme stratospheric circulation events create significant and long-lasting perturbations in ozone over both the Arctic and the tropics. From simulations with a simplified chemistry-climate model, we find interactive ozone prolongs circulation anomalies and the surface impacts of extreme stratospheric circulation events. We conclude that interactive ozone is important for predicting climate on subseasonal and longer time scales. |
