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Stratospheric climate anomalies and ozone loss caused by the Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption
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  • Xinyue Wang,
  • William Randel,
  • Yunqian Zhu,
  • Simone Tilmes,
  • Jon Starr,
  • Wandi Yu,
  • Rolando Garcia,
  • Brian Toon,
  • Mijeong Park,
  • Douglas Kinnison,
  • Adam Bourassa,
  • Landon Rieger,
  • Jianghanyang Li
Xinyue Wang
National Center for Atmospheric Research

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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William Randel
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Yunqian Zhu
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
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Simone Tilmes
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Jon Starr
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Wandi Yu
Hampton university
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Rolando Garcia
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Brian Toon
University of Colorado Boulder
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Mijeong Park
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Douglas Kinnison
National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Adam Bourassa
University of Saskatchewan
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Landon Rieger
University of Saskatchewan
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Jianghanyang Li
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
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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.