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Phase and amplitude relationships between ozone, temperature and circulation in the Quasi-biennial Oscillation
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  • Alison Ming,
  • Peter Hitchcock,
  • Clara Orbe,
  • Kimberlee Robyn Dubé
Alison Ming
University of Cambridge

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Peter Hitchcock
Cornell University
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Clara Orbe
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
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Kimberlee Robyn Dubé
University of Saskatchewan
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Abstract

The phase and amplitude relationships between dynamical quantities and ozone within the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) are explored. An initial assessment of this is done by applying a Principal Oscillation Pattern analysis to observations (SWOOSH for Ozone) and reanalysis data (ERA5). This analysis highlights features of the ozone and temperature variability including two peaks in amplitude in the QBO region as well as more subtle phase differences that cannot be explained by a simple QBO theory. We also quantify the sizes of the ozone and temperature advection terms and show that the contribution of background upwelling on variations in ozone gradient is not negligible (~25%). A radiative-convective equilibrium and photochemical equilibrium model, with the imposed ERA5 QBO variation in upwelling and OSIRIS NOx variations, is used to further understand ozone and temperature changes. The results show that photochemistry and transport are important at all levels and it is misleading to divide the QBO into separate regimes. Prominent aspects of the variability can be reproduced if ERA5 upwelling is reduced by ~60% between 15 and 50 hPa where ERA5 is likely over-predicting the strength of the secondary meridional circulation. Finally, we demonstrate that non-locality in the vertical plays a major role in QBO dynamics. This arises from ozone transport, the dependence on column ozone of photochemical production and radiative transfer between layers.
14 Sep 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
17 Sep 2024Published in ESS Open Archive