Shift in cold-point tropopause trends derived from radiosonde, satellite and reanalysis data

Zolghadrshojaee, Mona; Tegtmeier, Susann; Davis, Sean M.; Pilch Kedzierski, Robin; Haimberger, Leopold

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12213-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 19

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12213-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

The SPARC Reanalysis Intercomparison Project (S-RIP) Phase...

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12213-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 19

Research article

|

07 Oct 2025

Research article |

| 07 Oct 2025

Shift in cold-point tropopause trends derived from radiosonde, satellite and reanalysis data

Mona Zolghadrshojaee, Susann Tegtmeier, Sean M. Davis, Robin Pilch Kedzierski, and Leopold Haimberger

Data sets

Overview of the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/weather-balloon/integrated-global-radiosonde-archive) I. Durre et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3594.1

Monthly averaged MERRA-2 temperature fields on pressure levels Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/IUUF4WB9FT4W

Monthly mean ERA5 temperature data Copernicus Climate Change Service, Climate Data Store https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

JRA-3Q monthly mean data Numerical Prediction Division, Information Infrastructure Department https://doi.org/10.20783/DIAS.645

Short summary

The tropical tropopause layer (TTL) is a crucial region where the troposphere transitions into the stratosphere, influencing air mass transport. This study examines temperature trends in the TTL and lower stratosphere using data from weather balloons, satellites and reanalysis datasets. We found cooling trends in the TTL from 1980 to 2001, followed by warming from 2002 to 2023. These shifts are linked to changes in atmospheric circulation and impact water vapour transport into the stratosphere.