The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing
<p>Stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) is an important source of ozone for the troposphere, particularly over western North America. STT in this region is predominantly controlled by a combination of the variability and location of the Pacific jet stream and the amount of ozone in the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/5101/2023/acp-23-5101-2023.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797833497236209664 |
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| author | D. Elsbury D. Elsbury A. H. Butler J. R. Albers J. R. Albers M. L. Breeden M. L. Breeden A. O. Langford |
| author_facet | D. Elsbury D. Elsbury A. H. Butler J. R. Albers J. R. Albers M. L. Breeden M. L. Breeden A. O. Langford |
| author_sort | D. Elsbury |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) is an important source
of ozone for the troposphere, particularly over western North America. STT
in this region is predominantly controlled by a combination of the
variability and location of the Pacific jet stream and the amount of ozone
in the lower stratosphere, two factors which are likely to change if
greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase. Here we use Whole
Atmosphere Community Climate Model experiments with a tracer of
stratospheric ozone (O3S) to study how end-of-the-century Representative
Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and
greenhouse gases (GHGs), in isolation and in combination, influence STT of
ozone over western North America relative to a preindustrial control
background state.</p>
<p>We find that O3S increases by up to 37 % during late winter at 700 hPa
over western North America in response to RCP8.5 forcing, with the increases
tapering off somewhat during spring and summer. When this response to RCP8.5
greenhouse gas forcing is decomposed into the contributions made by future
SSTs alone versus future GHGs alone, the latter are found to be primarily
responsible for these O3S changes. Both the future SSTs alone and the future
GHGs alone accelerate the Brewer–Dobson circulation, which modifies
extratropical lower-stratospheric ozone mixing ratios. While the future GHGs
alone promote a more zonally symmetric lower-stratospheric ozone change due
to enhanced ozone production and some transport, the future SSTs alone
increase lower-stratospheric ozone predominantly over the North Pacific via
transport associated with a stationary planetary-scale wave. Ozone
accumulates in the trough of this anomalous wave and is reduced over the
wave's ridges, illustrating that the composition of the lower-stratospheric
ozone reservoir in the future is dependent on the phase and position of the
stationary planetary-scale wave response to future SSTs alone, in addition
to the poleward mass transport provided by the accelerated Brewer–Dobson
circulation. Further, the future SSTs alone account for most changes to the
large-scale circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere compared to the
effect of future GHGs alone. These changes include modifying the position
and speed of the future North Pacific jet, lifting the tropopause,
accelerating both the Brewer–Dobson circulation's shallow and deep branches,
and enhancing two-way isentropic mixing in the stratosphere.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:24:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86b71bd91348467ebe72d5532f0dc00c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:24:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-86b71bd91348467ebe72d5532f0dc00c2023-05-04T09:14:09ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242023-05-01235101511710.5194/acp-23-5101-2023The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcingD. Elsbury0D. Elsbury1A. H. Butler2J. R. Albers3J. R. Albers4M. L. Breeden5M. L. Breeden6A. O. Langford7Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USANOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, USANOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, USACooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USANOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, USACooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USANOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, USANOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA<p>Stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) is an important source of ozone for the troposphere, particularly over western North America. STT in this region is predominantly controlled by a combination of the variability and location of the Pacific jet stream and the amount of ozone in the lower stratosphere, two factors which are likely to change if greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase. Here we use Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model experiments with a tracer of stratospheric ozone (O3S) to study how end-of-the-century Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs), in isolation and in combination, influence STT of ozone over western North America relative to a preindustrial control background state.</p> <p>We find that O3S increases by up to 37 % during late winter at 700 hPa over western North America in response to RCP8.5 forcing, with the increases tapering off somewhat during spring and summer. When this response to RCP8.5 greenhouse gas forcing is decomposed into the contributions made by future SSTs alone versus future GHGs alone, the latter are found to be primarily responsible for these O3S changes. Both the future SSTs alone and the future GHGs alone accelerate the Brewer–Dobson circulation, which modifies extratropical lower-stratospheric ozone mixing ratios. While the future GHGs alone promote a more zonally symmetric lower-stratospheric ozone change due to enhanced ozone production and some transport, the future SSTs alone increase lower-stratospheric ozone predominantly over the North Pacific via transport associated with a stationary planetary-scale wave. Ozone accumulates in the trough of this anomalous wave and is reduced over the wave's ridges, illustrating that the composition of the lower-stratospheric ozone reservoir in the future is dependent on the phase and position of the stationary planetary-scale wave response to future SSTs alone, in addition to the poleward mass transport provided by the accelerated Brewer–Dobson circulation. Further, the future SSTs alone account for most changes to the large-scale circulation in the troposphere and stratosphere compared to the effect of future GHGs alone. These changes include modifying the position and speed of the future North Pacific jet, lifting the tropopause, accelerating both the Brewer–Dobson circulation's shallow and deep branches, and enhancing two-way isentropic mixing in the stratosphere.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/5101/2023/acp-23-5101-2023.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. Elsbury D. Elsbury A. H. Butler J. R. Albers J. R. Albers M. L. Breeden M. L. Breeden A. O. Langford The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing |
| title_full | The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing |
| title_fullStr | The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing |
| title_full_unstemmed | The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing |
| title_short | The response of the North Pacific jet and stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone over western North America to RCP8.5 climate forcing |
| title_sort | response of the north pacific jet and stratosphere to troposphere transport of ozone over western north america to rcp8 5 climate forcing |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/5101/2023/acp-23-5101-2023.pdf |
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