Overview of the Major 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere Stratospheric Sudden Warming：Evolution and Its Association with Surface Weather

In this study, we analyzed the dynamical evolution of the ma jor 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere （NH） stratospheric sudden warming （SSW） on the basis of ERA-Interim reanalysis data provided by the ECMWF. The intermittent upward-propagating planetary wave activities beginning in late November 2012 led to a prominent wavenumber-2 disturbance of the polar vortex in early December 2012. However, no major SSW occurred. In mid December 2012, when the polar vortex had not fully recovered, a mixture of persistent wavenumber-1 and -2 planetary waves led to gradual weakening of the polar vortex before the vortex split on 7 January 2013. Evolution of the geopotential height and Eliassen-Palm flux between 500 and 5 hPa indicates that the frequent occurrence of tropospheric ridges over North Pacific and the west coast of North America contributed to the pronounced upward planetary wave activities throughout the troposphere and stratosphere. After mid January 2013, the wavenumber-2 planetary waves became enhanced again within the troposphere, with a deepened trough over East Asia and North America and two ridges between the troughs. The enhanced tropospheric planetary waves may contribute to the long-lasting splitting of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere. The 2012-2013 SSW shows combined features of both vortex displacement and vortex splitting. Therefore, the anomalies of tropospheric circulation and surface temperature after the 2012-2013 SSW resemble neither vortex-displaced nor vortex-split SSWs, but the combination of all SSWs. The remarkable tropospheric ridge extending from the Bering Sea into the Arctic Ocean together with the resulting deepened East Asian trough may play important roles in bringing cold air from the high Arctic to central North America and northern Eurasia at the surface.     

Influence of Major Stratospheric Sudden Warming on the Unprecedented Cold Wave in East Asia in January 2021

An unprecedented cold wave intruded into East Asia in early January 2021 and led to record-breaking or historical extreme low temperatures over vast regions.This study shows that a major stratospheric sudden warming(SSW)event at the beginning of January 2021 exerted an important influence on this cold wave.The major SSW event occurred on 2 January 2021 and subsequently led to the displacement of the stratospheric polar vortex to the East Asian side.Moreover,the SSW event induced the stratospheric warming signal to propagate downward to the mid-to-lower troposphere,which not only enhanced the blocking in the Urals-Siberia region and the negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation,but also shifted the tropospheric polar vortex off the pole.The displaced tropospheric polar vortex,Ural blocking,and another downstream blocking ridge over western North America formed a distinct inverted omega-shaped circulation pattern(IOCP)in the East Asia-North Pacific sector.This IOCP was the most direct and impactful atmospheric pattern causing the cold wave in East Asia.The IOCP triggered a meridional cell with an upward branch in East Asia and a downward branch in Siberia.The meridional cell intensified the Siberian high and low-level northerly winds,which also favored the invasion of the cold wave into East Asia.Hence,the SSW event and tropospheric circulations such as the IOCP,negative phase of Arctic Oscillation,Ural blocking,enhanced Siberian high,and eastward propagation of Rossby wave eventually induced the outbreak of an unprecedented cold wave in East Asia in early January 2021.     

Extreme Cold Events from East Asia to North America in Winter 2020/21: Comparisons,Causes, and Future Implications

Three striking and impactful extreme cold weather events successively occurred across East Asia and North America during the mid-winter of 2020/21.These events open a new window to detect possible underlying physical processes.The analysis here indicates that the occurrences of the three events resulted from integrated effects of a concurrence of anomalous thermal conditions in three oceans and interactive Arctic-lower latitude atmospheric circulation processes,which were linked and influenced by one major sudden stratospheric warming(SSW).The North Atlantic warm blob initiated an increased poleward transient eddy heat flux,reducing the Barents-Kara seas sea ice over a warmed ocean and disrupting the stratospheric polar vortex(SPV)to induce the major SSW.The Rossby wave trains excited by the North Atlantic warm blob and the tropical Pacific La Nina interacted with the Arctic tropospheric circulation anomalies or the tropospheric polar vortex to provide dynamic settings,steering cold polar air outbreaks.The long memory of the retreated sea ice with the underlying warm ocean and the amplified tropospheric blocking highs from the midlatitudes to the Arctic intermittently fueled the increased transient eddy heat flux to sustain the SSW over a long time period.The displaced or split SPV centers associated with the SSW played crucial roles in substantially intensifying the tropospheric circulation anomalies and moving the jet stream to the far south to cause cold air outbreaks to a rarely observed extreme state.The results have significant implications for increasing prediction skill and improving policy decision making to enhance resilience in“One Health,One Future”.     

Decadal Variation of the Impact of La Niña on the Winter Arctic Stratosphere

The impact of La Ni?a on the winter Arctic stratosphere has thus far been an ambiguous topic of research. Contradictory results have been reported depending on the La Ni?a events considered. This study shows that this is mainly due to the decadal variation of La Ni?a's impact on the winter Arctic stratosphere since the late 1970 s. Specifically,during the period1951–78,the tropospheric La Ni?a teleconnection exhibits a typical negative Pacific–North America pattern,which strongly inhibits the propagation of the planetary waves from the extratropical troposphere to the stratosphere,and leads to a significantly strengthened stratospheric polar vortex. In contrast,during 1979–2015,the La Ni?a teleconnection shifts eastwards,with an anomalous high concentrated in the northeastern Pacific. The destructive interference of the La Ni?a teleconnection with climatological stationary waves seen in the earlier period reduces greatly,which prevents the drastic reduction of planetary wave activities in the extratropical stratosphere. Correspondingly,the stratospheric response shows a less disturbed stratospheric polar vortex in winter.     

Interannual variability of the winter stratospheric polar vortex in the Northern Hemisphere and their relations to QBO and ENSO

We investigated the interannual variations of the winter stratospheric polar vortex in this paper. EOF analysis shows that two modes of variability dominate the stratospheric polar vortex on interannual timescales. The leading mode (EOF1) reflects the intensity variation of the polar vortex and is characterized by a geopotential height seesaw between the polar region and the mid-latitudes. The second one (EOF2) exhibits variation in the zonal asymmetric part of the polar vortex, which mainly describes the stationary planetary wave activity. As the strongest interannual variation signal in the atmosphere, the QBO has been shown to influence mainly the strength of the polar vortex. On the other hand, the ENSO cycle, as the strongest interannual variation signal in the ocean, has been shown to be mainly associated with the variation of stationary planetary wave activity in the stratosphere. Possible influences of the stratospheric polar vortex on the tropospheric circulation are also discussed in this paper.     

2003～2004年冬季平流层爆发性增温动力诊断分析

利用逐日的欧洲中尺度天气预报中心(ECMWF)60层模式资料, 对2003年12月～2004年2月期间发生的一次非典型的爆发性增温中平流层结构的变化过程进行动力学诊断分析。充分利用资料层次高(最高层为0.1 hPa)和垂直分辨率高(垂直方向共60层)的优势, 通过对不同高度等熵面位涡分布的分析, 研究了极涡在平流层爆发性增温(SSW)发生前后的变化发展; 通过对EP通量及其散度的分析, 研究了SSW过程中行星波的变化特点; 通过对剩余环流的分析, 研究了在SSW过程中经圈环流的变化及其对动力过程的影响。得出: (1) 2003/2004年SSW增温过程持续时间长、强度大; (2) 增温最早发生在平流层上层并向下传播, 在10 hPa形成较强东风带后, 上层西风环流迅速恢复, 极涡再度形成, 下层则增温持续; (3) SSW前后行星波活动频繁, 有长时间多次的上传, 且以1波作用为主, 2波对其进行了补充; (4) 在SSW过程前后, 平流层中的剩余环流发生反转, 影响了平流层中、 高纬地区和低纬地区的物质交换以及上下层物质的重新分配。这一系列的工作为今后进一步研究平流层、 对流层交换, 发展完善气候模式打下基础。     

Observed and simulated precursors of stratospheric polar vortex anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere stratospheric polar vortex is linked to surface weather. After Stratospheric Sudden Warmings in winter, the tropospheric circulation is often nudged towards the negative phase of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A strong stratospheric vortex is often associated with subsequent positive NAM/NAO conditions. For stratosphere?Ctroposphere associations to be useful for forecasting purposes it is crucial that changes to the stratospheric vortex can be understood and predicted. Recent studies have proposed that there exist tropospheric precursors to anomalous vortex events in the stratosphere and that these precursors may be understood by considering the relationship between stationary wave patterns and regional variability. Another important factor is the extent to which the inherent variability of the stratosphere in an atmospheric model influences its ability to simulate stratosphere?Ctroposphere links. Here we examine the lower stratosphere variability in 300-year pre-industrial control integrations from 13 coupled climate models. We show that robust precursors to stratospheric polar vortex anomalies are evident across the multi-model ensemble. The most significant tropospheric component of these precursors consists of a height anomaly dipole across northern Eurasia and large anomalies in upward stationary wave fluxes in the lower stratosphere over the continent. The strength of the stratospheric variability in the models was found to depend on the variability of the upward stationary wave fluxes and the amplitude of the stationary waves.     

北半球冬季平流层强、弱极涡事件演变过程的对比分析

利用1958～2017年逐日的NCEP/NCAR再分析资料对北半球冬季平流层强、弱极涡事件的演变过程进行了对比分析,同时比较了有平流层爆发性增温（SSW）和无SSW发生的两类弱极涡事件的环流演变和动力学特征。结果表明,强极涡的形成存在着缓慢发展和快速增强的过程,而弱极涡事件的建立非常迅速;和强极涡事件相比,弱极涡事件的峰值强度更强,异常中心的位置更高。此外,强、弱极涡事件的产生与波流相互作用的正反馈过程密切相关。对于强极涡事件,发展阶段的太平洋—北美（PNA）型异常削弱了行星波一波;当平流层西风达到一定强度,上传的行星波受到强烈抑制,使得极涡迅速增强达到峰值。而对于弱极涡事件,发展阶段一波型的异常增强了行星波上传,通过对纬向流的拖曳作用使得平流层很快处于弱西风状态,更多行星波进入平流层导致极涡急剧减弱甚至崩溃。针对有、无SSW发生的两类弱极涡事件的对比分析表明,有SSW发生的弱极涡事件发展阶段,平流层出现强的向上的一波Eliassen-Palm（EP）通量异常,通过正反馈过程使得一波和二波上传同时增强而导致极涡崩溃;无SSW发生的弱极涡事件发展阶段,平流层缺乏向上的一波通量,二波活动起到重要作用,其总的行星波上传远弱于有SSW发生的弱极涡事件。对于无SSW发生的弱极涡事件,其发展和成熟阶段对流层上部出现类似欧亚（EU）型的高度异常,伴随着强的向极的EP通量异常,导致对流层有极强的负北极涛动（AO）型异常。而有SSW发生的弱极涡事件发展阶段对流层上部主要表现为北太平洋上空来自低纬的波列异常,其后期的对流层效应更加滞后也不连续,对流层AO异常的强度明显弱于无SSW发生的弱极涡事件。     

On the Connection between Upper Atmospheric Dynamics and Tropospheric Parameters: Correlations between Mesopause Region Winds and the North Atlantic Oscillation

The middle- and high-latitude stratospheric and mesospheric wind field in winter is dominated by the stratospheric polar vortex, which reaches up into the mesopause region and leads to westerly winds there in winter. The tropospheric mean winter wind field is also connected with the stratospheric polar vortex, which thus can be considered as extending from the lower up to the upper atmosphere. We found that the January and February zonal winds of the mesopause region, as measured at the Collm Observatory of the University of Leipzig, are closely connected with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) which can be considered as a measure for part of the northern hemispheric mean circulation in the Atlantic and Europe domain, since it influences the circulation over that domain. The NAO itself is considered to be a measure for Central Europe winter winds and temperatures, since large NAO indices are connected with stronger westerlies in Central Europe. Thus, the mesopause region winds are also positively correlated to the Central European winter surface temperatures.     

2020/2021年冬季大范围低温寒潮过程中一种典型的平流层—对流层耦合演变模态

平流层爆发性增温（SSW）超前于对流层环流异常,是延长冬季寒潮低温预报时效的重要途径之一。然而强SSW事件前后地面温度响应的区域和时间存在不确定性,其中涉及的平流层—对流层耦合过程和机理也不十分清楚。本文采用1979～2021年ERA5再分析数据集,研究了2020/2021年冬季“偏心型”强SSW事件前后中高纬度地区地面温度异常的演变特征,并分析了其与等熵大气经向质量环流平流层—对流层分支的耦合演变模态的动力联系。结果表明,伴随此次强SSW事件,亚洲和北美中纬度地区的寒潮低温事件分别在绕极西风反转为东风之前和再次恢复为西风之后发生。SSW前后大气经向质量环流的平流层向极地暖支与对流层高层向极暖支、低层向赤道冷支之间呈现出三个阶段的耦合演变模态: 同位相“加强—加强”、反位相“加强—减弱”以及反位相“减弱—加强”。加强的质量环流对流层向赤道冷支是SSW前后寒潮低温事件的主要原因,而加强的向极地平流层暖支是SSW发生及其伴随的北极涛动负位相持续加强的主要原因。大气经向质量环流不同的垂直耦合模态取决于行星波槽脊在对流层顶和对流层中低层两个关键等熵面上的西倾角异常。西倾角异常表征大气波动的斜压性,主要通过影响关键等熵面以上向极地的净质量输送和其下向赤道的净质量输送进行调控。尤其在SSW发生后的极涡恢复期,对流层顶处异常偏弱的斜压性会加强对流层向极地暖支,进而加强向赤道冷支,有利于寒潮低温的发生。本次SSW事件前后大气经向质量环流三支的耦合演变模态,与历年平流层北半球环状模（NAM）负事件中极区平流层温度异常信号下传滞后的平流层—对流层耦合演变类型相一致,其在波动尺度方面也存在共同特征,即SSW事件或NAM负事件前期对流层一波加强且上传,后期对流层二波加强但较难上传。     

2019-2020冬季北半球超强极涡事件

2019-2020冬季北极平流层极涡异常并且持续的偏强,偏冷.利用NCEP再数据和OMI臭氧数据,本文分析了此次强极涡事件中平流层极涡的动力场演变及其对地面暖冬天气和臭氧低值的影响.此次强极涡的形成是由于上传行星波不活跃.持续的强极涡使得2020年春季的最后增温出现时间偏晚.平流层正NAM指数向下传播到地面,与地面AO指数和NAO指数相一致,欧亚大陆和北美地面气温均比气候态偏暖,在欧亚大陆的一些地区,2020年1月和2月的气温甚至偏高了 10K.2020年2月以来北极臭氧出现了2004年以来的最低值,2020年3-4月60°-90°N的平均臭氧柱总量比气候态偏低了 80DU.     

Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Hindcasts of Stratospheric Sudden Warming by BCC_CSM1.1(m):A Comparison with ECMWF

This study focuses on model predictive skill with respect to stratospheric sudden warming(SSW) events by comparing the hindcast results of BCC_CSM1.1(m) with those of the ECMWF's model under the sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction project of the World Weather Research Program and World Climate Research Program. When the hindcasts are initiated less than two weeks before SSW onset, BCC_CSM and ECMWF show comparable predictive skill in terms of the temporal evolution of the stratospheric circumpolar westerlies and polar temperature up to 30 days after SSW onset. However, with earlier hindcast initialization, the predictive skill of BCC_CSM gradually decreases, and the reproduced maximum circulation anomalies in the hindcasts initiated four weeks before SSW onset replicate only 10% of the circulation anomaly intensities in observations. The earliest successful prediction of the breakdown of the stratospheric polar vortex accompanying SSW onset for BCC_CSM(ECMWF) is the hindcast initiated two(three) weeks earlier. The predictive skills of both models during SSW winters are always higher than that during non-SSW winters, in relation to the successfully captured tropospheric precursors and the associated upward propagation of planetary waves by the model initializations. To narrow the gap in SSW predictive skill between BCC_CSM and ECMWF, ensemble forecasts and error corrections are performed with BCC_CSM. The SSW predictive skill in the ensemble hindcasts and the error corrections are improved compared with the previous control forecasts.     

平流层爆发性增温期间行星波的活动

利用逐日的NCEP再分析资料分析了1978～2004年期间发生的18次强爆发性增温时平流层中下层行星波1波和2波的异常以及极涡崩溃的形式.分析表明, 爆发性增温前期1波都异常增幅, 波振幅达到峰值之后的一段时间内发生爆发性增温, 然而在增温过程中行星波2波的变化却有明显不同, 可分为三种情况: (1) 在增温前期, 行星波2波很弱; 在增温期间, 行星波2波异常发展, 伴随着极涡崩溃的形式是由偏心型向偶极型过渡. (2) 在增温前期, 行星波2波较强; 在增温期间, 行星波2波明显减弱, 极涡的变化形式是远离极地, 在极地外围活动, 但不发生分裂.(3) 在增温前期, 行星波2波不太强; 在增温期间, 行星波2波有所发展, 但始终强不过1波, 极涡的变化是先偏离极地, 然后发生不对称的变形.作者还计算和分析了EP通量及其散度, 利用波流相互作用理论对这三种行星波的异常变化及其与爆发性增温的关系进行解释.     

Groundbased Doas UV/visible measurements at Kiruna (Sweden) during the sesame winters 1993/94 and 1994/95.

Zenith sky observations of O3, NO2, OClO and BrO are reported, which were performed at Kiruna (67.9°N, 21.1°E) within the SESAME winters 1993/1994 and 1994/95. For both winters large total amounts of OClO were observed inside the polar vortex at twilight, indicating the degree and the temporal variation of the halogen activation of the polar stratosphere. Occasionally OClO could also be observed outside the polar vortex, most likely due to export of halogen activated vortex air masses into the ambient stratosphere. BrO could also be detected in winter 1994/95, with the largest slant column amounts (5·1014/cm2) occuring in the polar vortex in mid-winter. Similar abundances of stratospheric BrO were observed at dusk and dawn, for both, air masses inside and outside the vortex. This observation is in reasonable agreement with previous studies on stratospheric BrO (observations and models) of Wahner et al. (1992), Arpag et al. (1994), Krug et al. (1996), and Lary et al. (1996a,b), but partly in disagreement with those of Solomon et al. (1989), Fish et al. (1995), and Sessler et al. (1996).     

平流层爆发性增温及其影响研究进展

平流层爆发性增温(stratospheric sudden warming,SSW)是冬季平流层大气环流结构的一种突变现象,在短时间内平流层中高纬度的温度、风和极涡都会发生剧烈变化。因此,SSW也就成为平流层大气环流及其变化研究的重要方面之一。在强SSW期间,高纬地区温度急剧升高,西风被东风取代,极涡几乎全部崩溃。SSW极大地影响着北半球对流层大气,甚至整个中高层大气,包括对平流层乃至中层大气微量气体分布的重要影响。随着临近空间飞行平台的研究应用,以及由此而提出的临近空间环境条件的保障问题,作为临近空间重要组成部分的平流层环流变化将更加引起人们的关注。本文就SSW的特征、发生机制、对上下层相互作用的重要影响,以及SSW与准两年振荡、ENSO等的密切关系和SSW的数值模拟等方面的研究工作,进行了回顾和总结。     

Observation of the Stratospheric NO2 Latitudinal Distribution in the Northern Winter Hemisphere

During a series of flights in the winters 1991/92 to 1994/95 total stratospheric NO2 was measured by means of the DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) technique on board a C160 (Transall) aircraft. In an area covering 60°W to 60°E, and 16°N to 86°N, the total stratospheric NO2 was observed to vary markedly with latitude and season (winter and spring). In the mid-winter Arctic vortex extremely low total stratospheric NO2 (< 3.1014/cm2) was always found, generally larger amounts of NO2 occurred outside the vortex in winter and towards the spring both inside and outside the vortex. This behaviour of stratospheric NO2 can be explained by the denoxification of the wintertime polar stratosphere. Ambient to the vortex in mid-winter however, sudden increases of total stratospheric NO2 by about a factor of 3 were observed. These sudden increases in stratospheric NO2 coincide with a change in the wavenumber 2 of the geopotential height at 60°N, which indicates that most likely the events are caused by planetary waves efficiently transporting air masses rich in NOx from lower to higher latitudes. The monitoring of stratospheric NO2, during latitudinal traverses ranging from the Arctic (80°N) to the Subtropics (18°N) in spring also unexpectedly showed a large variability in total stratospheric NO2 at mid-latitudes. Since photochemistry almost certainly can be excluded, it is proposed that the observed variability may be due to the planetary wave activity of the stratospheric surf zone, known to dynamically connect the tropical and the polar stratosphere.     

The Role of Stationary and Transient Planetary Waves in the Maintenance of Stratospheric Polar Vortex Regimes in Northern Hemisphere Winter

Using 1958-2002 NCEPNCAR reanalysis data, we investigate stationary and transient planetary wave propagation and its role in wave-mean flow interaction which influences the state of the polar vortex (PV) in the stratosphere in Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. This is done by analyzing the Eliassen-Palm (E-P) flux and its divergence. We find that the stationary and transient waves propagate upward and equatorward in NH winter, with stronger upward propagation of stationary waves from the troposphere to the stratosphere, and stronger equatorward propagation of transient waves from mid-latitudes to the subtropics in the troposphere. Stationary waves exhibit more upward propagation in the polar stratosphere during the weak polar vortex regime (WVR) than during the strong polar vortex regime (SVR). On the other hand, transient waves have more upward propagation during SVR than during WVR in the subpolar stratosphere, with a domain of low frequency waves. With different paths of upward propagation, both stationary and transient waves contribute to the maintenance of the observed stratospheric PV regimes in NH winter.     

Interannual variations in total ozone fields at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, November to March 1998–2005

Synoptic analysis of monthly and daily mean total ozone fields is carried out using ground-based (Roshydromet) and TOMS measurements. Large interannual changes in the evolution of the stratospheric polar vortex and the North Pacific anticyclone influence the formation and dynamics of the winter-spring ozone fields in the stratosphere of high northern latitudes. The analysis shows considerable variations in the direction of zonal ozone transport from the sector of ozone inflow from low latitudes and accumulation in the Far East depending on the winter polar stratosphere temperature and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) phase. In years with the easterly QBO phase and the warm polar stratosphere, ozone at the end of winter is transported to northeastern Canada and Atlantic. In years with the easterly phase and cold polar stratosphere, ozone transport is directed to northern Eurasia. These characteristics will be verified on extensive observational data.     

Parallel Comparison of the 1982/83,1997/98 and 2015/16 Super El Nios and Their Effects on the Extratropical Stratosphere

This study uses multiple sea surface temperature(SST) datasets to perform a parallel comparison of three super El Ni os and their effects on the stratosphere. The results show that, different from ordinary El Ni os, warm SST anomalies appear earliest in the western tropical Pacific and precede the super El Ni o peak by more than 18 months. In the previous winter,relative to the mature phase of El Ni o, as a precursor, North Pacific Oscillation-like circulation anomalies are observed. A Pacific–North America(PNA) teleconnection appears in the extratropical troposphere during the mature phase, in spite of the subtle differences between the intensities, as well as the zonal position, of the PNA lobes. Related to the negative rainfall response over the tropical Indian Ocean, the PNA teleconnection in the winter of 1997/98 is the strongest among the three super El Ni os. The northern winter stratosphere shows large anomalies in the polar cap temperature and the circumpolar westerly, if the interferences from other factors are linearly filtered from the circulation data. Associated with the positive PNA response in a super El Ni o winter, positive polar cap temperature anomalies and circumpolar easterly anomalies,though different in timing, are also observed in the mature winters of the three super El Ni os. The stratospheric polar vortex in the next winter relative to the 1982/83 and 1997/98 events is also anomalously weaker and warmer, and the stratospheric circulation conditions remain to be seen in the coming winter following the mature phase of the 2015/16 event.