Articles | Volume 25, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13651-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13651-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Role of in situ-excited planetary waves in polar vortex splitting during the 2002 Southern Hemisphere sudden stratospheric warming event
Ji-Hee Yoo
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
Hye-Yeong Chun
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
Related authors
Ji-Hee Yoo, Hye-Yeong Chun, and Min-Jee Kang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10869–10881, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Han-Chang Ko and Hye-Yeong Chun
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-485, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-485, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a new method to detect turbulence in the atmosphere using global high-resolution balloon measurements of temperature and wind. Unlike earlier methods, ours can detect turbulence not only in unstable air but also in stable layers with strong wind changes. This approach better matches aircraft turbulence reports and reveals global patterns, such as seasonal shifts linked to jet streams and convection, helping improve flight safety and our understanding of extreme weather.
Ji-Hee Yoo, Hye-Yeong Chun, and Min-Jee Kang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10869–10881, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Soo-Hyun Kim, Jeonghoe Kim, Jung-Hoon Kim, and Hye-Yeong Chun
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2277–2298, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2277-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2277-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The cube root of the energy dissipation rate (EDR), as a standard reporting metric of atmospheric turbulence, is estimated using 1 Hz commercial quick access recorder data from Korean-based national air carriers with two different types of aircraft. Various EDRs are estimated using zonal, meridional, and derived vertical wind components and the derived equivalent vertical gust. Characteristics of the observed EDR estimates using 1 Hz flight data are examined to observe strong turbulence cases.
Min-Jee Kang and Hye-Yeong Chun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9839–9857, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9839-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9839-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In winter 2019/20, the westerly quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) phase was disrupted again by easterly winds. It is found that strong Rossby waves from the Southern Hemisphere weaken the jet core in early stages, and strong mixed Rossby–gravity waves reverse the wind in later stages. Inertia–gravity waves and small-scale convective gravity waves also provide negative forcing. These strong waves are attributed to an anomalous wind profile, barotropic instability, and slightly strong convection.
Min-Jee Kang, Hye-Yeong Chun, and Rolando R. Garcia
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14669–14693, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14669-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14669-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In winter 2015/16, the descent of the westerly quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) jet was interrupted by easterly winds. We find that Rossby–gravity and inertia–gravity waves weaken the jet core in early stages, and small-scale convective gravity waves, as well as horizontal and vertical components of Rossby waves, reverse the wind sign in later stages. The strong negative wave forcing in the tropics results from the enhanced convection, an anomalous wind profile, and barotropic instability.
Cited articles
Allen, D. R., Bevilacqua, R. M., Nedoluha, G. E., Randall, C. E., and Manney, G. L.: Unusual stratospheric transport and mixing during the 2002 Antarctic winter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017117, 2003.
Andrews, D. G., Holton, J. R., and Leovy, C. B.: Middle Atmosphere Dynamics. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 489 pp., ISBN 9780120585762, 1987.
Baldwin, M., Hirooka, T., O'Neill, A., and Yoden, S: Major stratospheric warming in the Southern Hemisphere in 2002: Dynamical aspects of the ozone hole split, SPARC Newsl., 20, 24–26, 2003.
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.
Charlton, A. J., O'Neill, A., Lahoz, W. A., and Berrisford, P.: The splitting of the stratospheric polar vortex in the Southern Hemisphere, September 2002: Dynamical evolution, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 590–602, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3318.1, 2005.
Charney, J. G. and Drazin, P. G.: Propagation of planetary-scale disturbances from the lower into the upper atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 66, 83–109, https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ066i001p00083, 1961.
Gray, L., Norton, W., Pascoe, C., and Charlton, A.: A possible influence of equatorial winds on the September 2002 Southern Hemisphere sudden warming event, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 651–667, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3339.1, 2005.
Dickinson, R. E.: Baroclinic instability of an unbounded zonal shear flow in a compressible atmosphere, J. Atmos. Sci., 30, 1520–1527, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1973)030<1520:BIOAUZ>2.0.CO;2, 1973.
Gelaro, R., McCarty, W., Suarez, M. J., Todling, R., Molod, A., Takacs, L., Randles, C. A., Darmenov, A., Bosilovich, M. G., Reichle, R., Wargan, K., Coy, L., Cullather, R., Draper, C., Akella, S., Buchard, V., Conaty, A., da Silva, A. M., Gu, W., Kim, G.-K., Koster, R., Lucchesi, R., Merkova, D., Nielsen, J. E., Partyka, G., Pawson, S., Putman, W., Rienecker, M., Schubert, S. D., Sienkiewicz, M., and Zhao, B.: The Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), J. Climate, 30, 5419–5454, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0758.1, 2017.
GMAO (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office): MERRA-2 inst3_3d_asm_Np: 3d,3-Hourly, Instantaneous, Pressure-Level, Assimilation, Assimilated Meteorological Fields V5.12.4, Greenbelt, MD, USA, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/QBZ6MG944HW0, 2015a.
GMAO (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office): MERRA-2 tavg3_3d_udt_Np: 3d,3-Hourly, Time-Averaged,Pressure-Level,Assimilation, Wind Tendencies V5.12.4, Greenbelt, MD, USA, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/CWV0G3PPPWFW, 2015b.
Harnik, N. and Heifetz, E.: Relating overreflection and wave geometry to the counterpropagating Rossby wave perspective: Toward a deeper mechanistic understanding of shear instability, J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 2238–2261, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3944.1, 2007.
Harris, F. J.: On the use of windows for harmonic analysis with the discrete Fourier transform, Proc. IEEE, 66, 51–83, https://doi.org/10.1109/PROC.1978.10837, 1978.
Holton, J. R. and Tan, H.-C.: The quasi-biennial oscillation in the Northern Hemisphere lower stratosphere, J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn., 60, 140–148, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj1965.60.1_140, 1982.
Iida, C., Hirooka, T., and Eguchi, N.: Circulation changes in the stratosphere and mesosphere during the stratospheric sudden warming event in January 2009, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 119, 7104–7115, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD021252, 2014.
Jucker, M.: Scaling of Eliassen–Palm flux vectors, Atmos. Sci. Lett., 22, e1020, https://doi.org/10.1002/asl.1020, 2021.
Karoly, D. J. and Hoskins, B. J.: Three-dimensional propagation of planetary waves, J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn., 60, 109–122, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj1965.60.1_109, 1982.
Kosaka, Y., Kobayashi, S., Harada, Y., Kobayashi, C., Naoe, H., Yoshimoto, K., and Onogi, K.: The JRA-3Q reanalysis, J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn. Ser. II, 102, 49–109, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2024-004, 2024.
Koushik, N., Kumar, K. K., and Pramitha, M.: A tropical stratopause precursor for sudden stratospheric warmings, Sci. Rep., 12, 2937, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06864-7, 2022.
Krüger, K., Naujokat, B., and Labitzke, K.: The unusual midwinter warming in the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere 2002: A comparison to Northern Hemisphere phenomena, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 603–613, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3316.1, 2005.
McFarlane, N. A.: The effect of orographically excited gravity wave drag on the general circulation of the lower stratosphere and troposphere, J. Atmos. Sci., 44, 1775–1800, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1987)044<1775:TEOOEG>2.0.CO;2, 1987.
Manney, G. L., Sabutis, J. L., Allen, D. R., Lahoz, W. A., Scaife, A. A., Randall, C. E., Pawson, S., Naujokat, B., and Swinbank, R.: Simulations of dynamics and transport during the September 2002 Antarctic major warming, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 690–707, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3313.1, 2005.
Matsuno, T.: Vertical propagation of stationary planetary waves in the winter Northern Hemisphere, J. Atmos. Sci., 27, 871–883, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1970)027<0871:VPOSPW>2.0.CO;2, 1970.
McCarty, W., Coy, L., Gelaro, R., Huang, A., Merkova, D., Smith, E. B., Sienkiewicz, M., and Wargan, K.: MERRA-2 input observations: Summary and assessment, NASA Technical Report Series on Global Modeling and Data Assimilation, NASA/TM–2016–104606, Vol. 46, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA, 64 pp., https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20160014544 (last access: 10 September 2025), 2016.
McIntyre, M. E.: How well do we understand the dynamics of stratospheric warmings? J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn. Ser. II, 60, 37–65, https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj1965.60.1_37, 1982.
Molod, A., Takacs, L., Suarez, M., and Bacmeister, J.: Development of the GEOS-5 atmospheric general circulation model: Evolution from MERRA to MERRA-2, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 1339–1356, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1339-2015, 2015.
Newman, P. A. and Nash, E. R.: The unusual Southern Hemisphere stratosphere winter of 2002, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 614–628, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-3323.1, 2005.
O'Neill, A., Oatley, C. L., Charlton-Perez, A. J., Mitchell, D. M., and Jung, T.: Vortex splitting on a planetary scale in the stratosphere by cyclogenesis on a subplanetary scale in the troposphere, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 143, 691–705, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2957, 2017.
Rhodes, C. T., Limpasuvan, V., and Orsolini, Y. J.: Eastward-propagating planetary waves prior to the January 2009 sudden stratospheric warming, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 126, e2020JD033696, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033696, 2021.
Rhodes, C. T., Limpasuvan, V., and Orsolini, Y.: The composite response of traveling planetary waves in the middle atmosphere surrounding sudden stratospheric warmings through an overreflection perspective, J. Atmos. Sci., 80, 2635–2652, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-22-0266.1, 2023.
Ryoo, J. M. and Chun, H. Y.: Stratospheric major sudden warmings revealed in NCEP reanalysis data for 41 years (1958–1999), Asia-Pac. J. Atmos. Sci., 41, 173–190, 2005.
Salby, M. L.: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics, Int. Geophys. Ser. 61, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 648 pp., ISBN 9780080532158, 1996.
Simmons, A., Hersbach, H., Dee, D., and Berrisford, P.: Global stratospheric temperature bias and other stratospheric aspects of ERA5 and ERA5.1, ECMWF Tech. Rep., https://doi.org/10.21957/rcxqfmg0, 2020.
Song, B. G., Chun, H. Y., and Song, I. S.: Role of gravity waves in a vortex-split sudden stratospheric warming in January 2009, J. Atmos. Sci., 77, 3321–3342, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-20-0039.1, 2020.
Vallis, G. K.: Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107588417, 2017.
Yoo, J. H., Chun, H. Y., and Kang, M. J.: Vortex preconditioning of the 2021 sudden stratospheric warming: Barotropic–baroclinic instability associated with the double westerly jets, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10869–10881, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10869-2023, 2023.
Yoo, J. H., Chun, H. Y., and Song, I. S.: In situ generation of planetary waves in the mesosphere by zonally asymmetric gravity wave drag: A revisit, J. Atmos. Sci., 81, 1617–1639, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-24-0026.1, 2024.
Short summary
This study revisits the Southern Hemisphere's only major sudden stratospheric warming in September 2002, marked by an unprecedented polar vortex split. In addition to upward-propagating planetary wave 2 (PW2), westward PW2 generated in-situ by barotropic–baroclinic instability, contributed to the vortex split. Unstable PW2 growth resulted from nonlinear wave-wave interactions and over-reflection. Vortex destabilization occurred as the anomalously poleward-shifted vortex reversed to easterlies.
This study revisits the Southern Hemisphere's only major sudden stratospheric warming in...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint