The delayed effect of the 2019 southern SSW on polar mesospheric cloud
occurrence
Abstract
A strong stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) event occurred in the
southern hemisphere (SH) in September 2019 and significantly weakened
the stratospheric polar vortex. Due to the positive zonal wind anomalies
in the troposphere, the barotropic/baroclinic instability, primarily
controlled by the horizontal/vertical wind shear, weakened in the
mid-latitude upper troposphere from September 17 to October 15. As a
result, planetary waves (PWs) deflect equatorward near the tropopause
rather than vertically into the stratosphere, resulting in less
perturbing of the polar vortex. After October 15, the westward zonal
wind anomalies propagate downward and reach the troposphere, increasing
the tropospheric barotropic/baroclinic instability. This benefits the
propagation of PWs into the stratosphere, leading to the early breaking
of the stratospheric polar vortex. The anomalous cooling due to enhanced
upwelling in the SH mesosphere is caused by stronger stratospheric wind
filtering of gravity waves (GWs), governing the early onset of polar
mesospheric clouds (PMCs).