Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss
Abstract Recent studies have suggested that deep Arctic warming, extending from the surface to the upper troposphere, could trigger mid-latitude atmospheric circulation changes, while shallow Arctic warming, confined in the lowermost troposphere, induces comparatively weak remote responses. The caus...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-02-01
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| Series: | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00333-2 |
| _version_ | 1797865197674692608 |
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| author | Mian Xu Wenshou Tian Jiankai Zhang James A. Screen Chongyang Zhang Zhe Wang |
| author_facet | Mian Xu Wenshou Tian Jiankai Zhang James A. Screen Chongyang Zhang Zhe Wang |
| author_sort | Mian Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent studies have suggested that deep Arctic warming, extending from the surface to the upper troposphere, could trigger mid-latitude atmospheric circulation changes, while shallow Arctic warming, confined in the lowermost troposphere, induces comparatively weak remote responses. The causes of Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming are less clear compared with near-surface warming. Here, we demonstrate a new dynamical mechanism responsible for the polar mid-to-upper tropospheric warming associated with Arctic sea-ice loss, using both reanalysis and model simulations. The Barents-Kara sea-ice loss enhances the upward propagating waves, leading to the wave convergence anomalies in the sub-polar lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. The consequent eddy feedback leads to clockwise residual overturning anomalies in the sub-polar upper and middle troposphere, accompanied by anomalous descent and consequent adiabatic warming in the Arctic mid-to-upper troposphere. The essential role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling for deep Arctic warming induced by sea-ice loss is confirmed by model simulations with stratospheric variability suppressed, in which only the Arctic lower troposphere is warmed in response to sea-ice loss. Our results suggest that a considerable part of the observed Arctic mid-to-upper warming is caused by a dynamical response to sea-ice loss, in which stratosphere-troposphere coupling plays a major role. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:04:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77a29d1f60144e3eb93caf321abcbe9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-3722 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:04:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-77a29d1f60144e3eb93caf321abcbe9e2023-03-22T10:48:40ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222023-02-01611910.1038/s41612-023-00333-2Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice lossMian Xu0Wenshou Tian1Jiankai Zhang2James A. Screen3Chongyang Zhang4Zhe Wang5College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of ExeterCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityAbstract Recent studies have suggested that deep Arctic warming, extending from the surface to the upper troposphere, could trigger mid-latitude atmospheric circulation changes, while shallow Arctic warming, confined in the lowermost troposphere, induces comparatively weak remote responses. The causes of Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming are less clear compared with near-surface warming. Here, we demonstrate a new dynamical mechanism responsible for the polar mid-to-upper tropospheric warming associated with Arctic sea-ice loss, using both reanalysis and model simulations. The Barents-Kara sea-ice loss enhances the upward propagating waves, leading to the wave convergence anomalies in the sub-polar lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. The consequent eddy feedback leads to clockwise residual overturning anomalies in the sub-polar upper and middle troposphere, accompanied by anomalous descent and consequent adiabatic warming in the Arctic mid-to-upper troposphere. The essential role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling for deep Arctic warming induced by sea-ice loss is confirmed by model simulations with stratospheric variability suppressed, in which only the Arctic lower troposphere is warmed in response to sea-ice loss. Our results suggest that a considerable part of the observed Arctic mid-to-upper warming is caused by a dynamical response to sea-ice loss, in which stratosphere-troposphere coupling plays a major role.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00333-2 |
| spellingShingle | Mian Xu Wenshou Tian Jiankai Zhang James A. Screen Chongyang Zhang Zhe Wang Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| title | Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss |
| title_full | Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss |
| title_fullStr | Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss |
| title_full_unstemmed | Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss |
| title_short | Important role of stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Arctic mid-to-upper tropospheric warming in response to sea-ice loss |
| title_sort | important role of stratosphere troposphere coupling in the arctic mid to upper tropospheric warming in response to sea ice loss |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00333-2 |
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