Stratospheric climate anomalies and ozone loss caused by the Hunga Tonga
volcanic eruption
Abstract
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcanic eruption in January 2022
injected extreme amounts of water vapor (H2O) and a moderate amount of
the aerosol precursor (SO2) into the Southern Hemisphere (SH)
stratosphere. The H2O and aerosol perturbations have persisted and
resulted in large-scale SH stratospheric cooling, equatorward shift of
the Antarctic polar vortex, and slowing of the Brewer-Dobson circulation
associated with a substantial ozone reduction in the SH winter
midlatitudes. Chemistry-climate model simulations forced by realistic
HTHH inputs of H2O and SO2 reproduce the observed stratospheric cooling
and circulation effects, demonstrating the observed behavior is due to
the volcanic influences. Furthermore, the combination of aerosol
transport to polar latitudes and a cold polar vortex enhances springtime
Antarctic ozone loss, consistent with observed polar ozone behavior in
2022.