Separating the mechanisms of transient responses to stratospheric ozone depletion-like cooling in an idealized atmospheric Model

Here, the authors show that the pattern and timing of observed trends, characterized by downward propagation of signals, can be approximately captured in an idealized atmospheric global circulation model (AGCM) by imposing ozone depletion-like radiative cooling.

It is further shown that the synoptic eddies dominantly contribute to the transient tropospheric response to polar stratospheric cooling. The authors examine three possible mechanisms on the downward influence of polar stratospheric cooling. The polar stratospheric cooling affects tropospheric synoptic eddies via (i) the direct influences on the lower-stratospheric synoptic eddies, (ii) the planetary wave-induced residual circulation, and (iii) the planetary eddy-synoptic eddy nonlinear interaction.