Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Water vapor plays an important role in many aspects of the climate system, by affecting radiation, cloud formation, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. Even the low stratospheric water vapor content provides an important climate feedback, but current climate models show a substantial moist bias in the lowermost stratosphere. Here we report crucial sensitivity of the atmospheric circulation in the stratosphere and troposphere to the abundance of water vapor in the lowermost stratosphere. We show from a mechanistic climate model experiment and inter-model variability that lowermost stratospheric water vapor decreases local temperatures, and thereby causes an upward and poleward shift of subtropical jets, a strengthening of the stratospheric circulation, a poleward shift of the tropospheric eddy-driven jet and regional climate impacts. The mechanistic model experiment in combination with atmospheric observations further shows that the prevailing moist bias in current models is likely caused by the transport scheme, and can be alleviated by employing a less diffusive Lagrangian scheme. The related effects on atmospheric circulation are of similar magnitude as climate change effects. Hence, lowermost stratospheric water vapor exerts a first order effect on atmospheric circulation and improving its representation in models offers promising prospects for future research.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Edward Charlesworth, Felix Plöger, Thomas Birner, Rasul Baikhadzhaev, Marta Abalos, Nathan Luke Abraham, Hideharu Akiyoshi, Slimane Bekki, Fraser Dennison, Patrick Jöckel, James Keeble, Doug Kinnison, Olaf Morgenstern, David Plummer, Eugene Rozanov, Sarah Strode, Guang Zeng, Tatiana Egorova, Martin Riese
Institutions: Forschungszentrum Jülich, University of Wuppertal, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, University of Cambridge, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Environment, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR), NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, NSF NCAR Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, Goddard Space Flight Center, Morgan State University
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,287
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Morgan State University, New Zealand Government, Met Office, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Helmholtz Association, Serono Symposia International Foundation, Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration, Centro Svizzero di Calcolo Scientifico, National Supercomputing Centre Singapore, Goddard Space Flight Center, Natural Environment Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Awards: G3653964306, A study of spatio-temporal changes of aerosols and trace gases in South America by utilizing the SAVER-Net observing network, A study of transport processes of water vapor and ozone depleting substances to the lower stratosphere by high-resolution models, G5599649393, G628552264, Past and future of the Ozone Layer Evolution (POLE), TRR 301: Die Tropopausenregion in einer Atmosphäre im Wandel, G832678115
OpenAlex ID: W4382932329