Ermakova, T.; Koval, A.; Didenko, K.; Aniskina, O.; Okulicheva, A. Influence of Natural
Tropical Oscillations on Ozone Content and Meridional Circulation in the Boreal Winter Stratosphere. Atmosphere 2024, 15, 717. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/6/717
Abstract:
The dependence of ozone content in the polar stratosphere upon different phases of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the zonal wind and the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during winter was studied. The monthly (from November to January) mean residual meridional circulation (RMC) was calculated for four different combinations of the main phases of ENSO and QBO using MERRA2 reanalysis data. It has been demonstrated that the QBO phase manifests itself in different vertical distributions of ozone in the equatorial stratosphere, as well as in strengthening weakening of the secondary meridional circulation in the tropics. The enhancement of the RMC from the tropical to the polar stratosphere is stronger at altitudes where ozone is higher in the tropics under El Nino conditions. The RMC modification and intensification are observed from ozone-depleted areas under La Nina conditions. A “cumulative” effect is observed by February under La Nina conditions and the easterly QBO, which is expressed in the lowest ozone content in the polar stratosphere. The numerical experiments carried out using the Middle and Upper Atmosphere Model (MUAM) confirmed tendencies in changes in the meridional transport detected from the reanalysis
data for different combinations of QBO and ENSO.