Stratospheric Final Warmings fall into two categories with different evolution over the course of the year

Alain Hauchecorne (1) , Chantal Claud (2) , Philippe Keckhut (1) , Alexis Mariaccia (1)

1 STRATO - LATMOS
2 LMD - Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)

In early spring the stratospheric zonal circulation reverses from westerly to easterly. The transition, called Stratospheric Final Warming (SFW), may be smooth and late, mainly controlled by the solar radiative heating of the polar region, or early and abrupt with rapid increase of polar temperature and deceleration of the zonal wind, forced by the planetary wave activity. Here we present a study, based on 71 years meteorological reanalysis data. Two composites of radiative and dynamical SFWs have been built. There is a very significant difference in the evolution during the year of polar temperature and 60°N zonal wind between the two composites. The state of the polar vortex on given month is anticorrelated with its state 2 to 3 months earlier. Early winter is anticorrelated with midwinter and midwinter with late winter/early spring. The summer stratosphere keeps a memory of its state in April-May after the SFW until late June.

Domaines: Physique Atmosphérique et Océanique [physics.ao-ph]; Climatologie

Alain Hauchecorne, Chantal Claud, Philippe Keckhut, Alexis Mariaccia. Stratospheric Final Warmings fall into two categories with different evolution over the course of the year. Communications Earth & Environment, 2022, 3, pp.4. ⟨10.1038/s43247-021-00335-z⟩. ⟨insu-03527231⟩