Variations in North Pacific sea surface temperature caused by Arctic stratospheric ozone anomalies

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Fei Xie, Jianping Li, Jiankai Zhang, Wenshou Tian, Yongyun Hu, Sen Zhao, Cheng Sun, Ruiqing Ding, Juan Feng, Yun Yang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2017
• Subjects: Arctic stratospheric ozone (ASO); North Pacific SST; North Pacific Oscillation (NPO); Victoria Mode; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Arctic; Pacific
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa9005; https://doaj.org/article/6f57f680ba454e82a37f590402dd2a89

Recently, observations and simulations have shown that Arctic stratospheric ozone (ASO) variations affect the middle–high latitude tropospheric climate in the Northern Hemisphere. In particular, a connection from the ASO to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been reported. However, no detailed study has been made of a key process in the connection, the influence of ASO on the North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) and its underlying mechanism. Using observations, reanalysis and simulations, it is found that the ASO changes in March have the strongest connection with North Pacific SST variations in April. This implies a leading effect of ASO on North Pacific SST. The stratospheric circulation anomalies caused by March ASO changes can rapidly extend to the lower troposphere in the region 60°–90°N, 180°–120°W. Nevertheless, a theoretical analysis indicates that circulation anomalies from the region 60°–90°N, 180°–120°W in the lower troposphere would take about a month to propagate horizontally to the North Pacific middle latitudes (30°–60°N, 180°–120°W).