Articles | Volume 23, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023
Research article
 | 
05 Oct 2023
Research article |  | 05 Oct 2023

Vortex preconditioning of the 2021 sudden stratospheric warming: barotropic–baroclinic instability associated with the double westerly jets

Ji-Hee Yoo, Hye-Yeong Chun, and Min-Jee Kang

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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Subject: Dynamics | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Stratosphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
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Cited articles

Albers, J. R. and Birner, T.: Vortex preconditioning due to planetary and gravity waves prior to sudden stratospheric warmings, J. Atmos. Sci., 71, 4028–4054, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-14-0026.1, 2014. 
Andrews, D. G., Holton, J. R., and Leovy, C. B.: Middle atmosphere dynamics, 1st Edn., Vol. 40, edited by: Dmowska, R., and Holton, J. R., San Diego, Calif., Academic Press Inc, p. 489, ISBN: 9780120585762, 1987. 
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Birner, T. and Albers, J. R.: Sudden Stratospheric Warmings and Anomalous Upward Wave Activity Flux, Scientific Online Letters on the Atmosphere, 13, 8–12, https://doi.org/10.2151/sola.13A-002, 2017. 
Charlton, A. J. and Polvani, L. M.: A New Look at Stratospheric Sudden Warmings, Part I: Climatology and Modeling Benchmarks, J. Climate, 20, 449–469, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3996.1, 2007. 
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The January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming was preceded by unusual double westerly jets with polar stratospheric and subtropical mesospheric cores. This wind structure promotes anomalous dissipation of tropospheric planetary waves between the two maxima, leading to unusually strong shear instability. Shear instability generates the westward-propagating planetary waves with zonal wavenumber 2 in situ, thereby splitting the polar vortex just before the onset.
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