Historically SPARC concentrated on the role of the stratosphere in climate, but now includes foci throughout the atmosphere in recognition of the latest research, which clearly calls for a "whole atmosphere" approach.

The new SPARC implementation plan 2016-2020 is organised around three refined scientific themes and a number of current and future activities of which many reflect the more regional focus and interdisciplinary nature of SPARC research.

Find the SPARC implementation plan 2016-2020.

Find information on current SPARC activities and themes.

Call for abstracts

This is the first call for abstracts for the 2016 QOS.

The symposium website is now live and ready to take submissions:
http://www.ozone-symposium-2016.org/
(Online registration opens at the end of January.)

All 5 sessions will likely be of interest to the CCMI community – please see the website for further details.

1. Stratospheric Ozone
2. Tropospheric Ozone
3. Ozone chemistry-climate interactions
4. Global ozone observations and measurement techniques
5. Effects of ozone on climate, human health, ecosystems and food production

Deadlines:

Abstracts – 1st March 2016
Early bird registration – 31st May 2016
Standard registration – 31st July 2016

Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy, 28 Aug – 2 Sep 2016

CETEMPS (Center of Excellence for remoTE sensing and numerical Modeling for the Prediction of Severe weather, http://cetemps.aquila.infn.it) is organizing the 12th edition of the International Summer School on Atmospheric and Oceanic Science (ISSAOS) with the title:

“Advanced Programming Techniques for the Earth System Science”

The intent of the ISSOAS-2016 summer school is to review and to provide the basics for the effective exploitation of increasingly available High Performance Computing (HPC) resources in the field of Earth System Science.

The location of the ISSAOS-2016 school will at the:

Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy, from August 28 to September 2, 2016.

More details can be found at the URL:

http://cetemps.aquila.infn.it/issaos

A free pre-registration to the school is now open with the deadline of February 29, 2016:
http://cetemps.aquila.infn.it/issaos/index.php/presentation/pre-registration/

For more information, please contact Gabriele Curci ().

Looking forward to seeing you in L’Aquila for this exciting experience!

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Climate model biases in the width of the tropical belt. By N. Davis and T. Birner in the Journal of Climate.

Sensitivity of polar stratospheric cloud formation to changes in water vapour and temperature. By F. Khosrawi et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

The Climate-system Historical Forecast Project: Do stratosphere-resolving models make better seasonal climate predictions in boreal winter? By A.H. Butler et al. in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological society.

Ozonesonde profiles from the West Pacific Warm Pool: measurements and validation. By R. Newton et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Forced Atmospheric Teleconnections During 1979-2014. By T. Zhang et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Intercomparison of in situ water vapor balloon-borne measurements from Pico-SDLA H₂O and FLASH-B in the tropical UTLS. By M. Ghysels et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

The impact of the ozone effective temperature on satellite validation using the Dobson spectrophotometer network. By M.E. Koukouli et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

The representation of solar cycle signals in stratospheric ozone – Part 1: A comparison of satellite observations. By A. Maycock et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Exploring atmospheric blocking with GPS radio occultation observations. By L. Brunner et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

The airborne mass spectrometer AIMS – Part 1: AIMS-H₂O for UTLS water vapor measurements. By S. Kaufmann et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

The airborne mass spectrometer AIMS – Part 2: Measurements of trace gases with stratospheric or tropospheric origin in the UTLS. By T. Jurkat et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

Regional and global climate response to anthropogenic SO2emissions from China in three climate models. By M. Kasoar et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Effect of tropical cyclones on the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange observed using satellite observations over north Indian Ocean. By M. Venkat Ratnam et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Stratosphere-troposphere exchange in the vicinity of a tropopause fold. By C. Hofmann et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Measurement of horizontal wind profiles in the polar stratosphere and mesosphere using ground based observations of ozone and carbon monoxide lines in the 230–250 GHz region: Proof of concept. By D.A. Newnham et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

On instrumental errors and related correction strategies of ozonesondes: possible effect on calculated ozone trends for the nearby sites Uccle and De Bilt. By R. van Malderen et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions.

Vertical wind retrieved by airborne lidar and analysis of island induced gravity waves in combination with numerical models and in-situ particle measurements. By F. Chouza et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

A novel technique including GPS radio occultation for detecting and monitoring volcanic clouds. By R. Biondi et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Future Arctic ozone recovery: the importance of chemistry and dynamics. By E.M. Bednarz et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Find the January 2016 issue of the SPARC Newsletter as well as BibTex/Endnote information at:

http://www.aparc-climate.org/publications/newsletter/

The CLIVAR Early Career Scientists Symposium takes place on 18 and 24-25 September 2016 before and after the CLIVAR Open Science Conference which will be held in Qindao, PR China.

Early Career Scientists Symposium

The Early Career Scientists* Symposium (ECSS) is a 3-day programme designed by, and for, early career scientists. It is a unique opportunity for young scientists with outstanding research potential to interact and exchange ideas with their peers and senior scientists on what is required to better understand aspects of the climate system and address research challenges of societal relevance. An ambitious agenda is being developed to engage the ECS in the science topics addressed in the OSC, discussing the future of international efforts to address critical science needs, considering current pressing scientific and related societal challenges. The ECSS will include career development workshops, as well opportunities for the participants to discuss their scientific achievements, while building lasting relationships and collaborations with colleagues from different countries. To apply for a place at the Symposium, participants must submit an abstract as first author to the main conference, and indicate that they would like to take part in the Symposium. Those selected to attend the ECSS will be notified at the end of May 2016.

* ECS are defined as students or those researchers within 5 years of their most recent degree.

Travel Grants

Limited resources are available to support attendance of researchers from developing countries and early career scientists. Financial assistance can be requested only via the conference website on submission of an abstract. Deadline for requests is 15 March 2016. Participants requesting support will be notified of the availability of funds in May and June.

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Tropospheric ozonesonde profiles at long-term U.S. monitoring sites: 1. A climatology based on self-organizing maps. By R.M. Stauffer et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Effects of sulfate aerosol forcing on East Asian summer monsoon for 1985-2010. By M.J. Kim et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Contrasting fast precipitation responses to tropospheric and stratospheric ozone forcing. By C.R. Macintosh et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

A nudged chemistry–climate model simulation of chemical constituent distribution at northern high–latitude stratosphere observed by SMILES and MLS during the 2009/2010 stratospheric sudden warming. By H. Akiyoshi et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

On the emissions and transport of bromoform: sensitivity to model resolution and emission location. By M.R. Russo et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Validation of MIPAS IMK/IAA methane profiles. By A. Laeng et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Observational uncertainty of Arctic sea-ice concentration significantly affects seasonal climate forecasts. By F. Bunzel et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

The importance of the Montreal Protocol in mitigating the potential intensity of tropical cyclones. By L.M. Polvani et al. in the Journal of Climate.

The seasonally varying effect of the Tibetan Plateau on Northern Hemispheric blocking frequency and amplitude. By K.-S. Yun et al. in Climate Dynamics.

Large Amplitude Mesospheric Response to an Orographic Wave Generated Over the Southern Ocean Auckland Islands (50.7°S) During the DEEPWAVE Project. By P.-D. Pautet et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Advancing polar prediction capabilities on daily to seasonal time scales. By T. Jung et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Effect of gravity wave temperature fluctuations on homogeneous ice nucleation in the tropical tropopause layer. By T. Dinh et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Projected response of East Asian summer monsoon system to future reductions in emissions of anthropogenic aerosols and their precursors. By Z. Wang et al. in Climate Dynamics.

Effect of solar zenith angle specification in models on mean shortwave fluxes and stratospheric temperatures. By R.J. Hogan and S. Hirahara in Geophysical Research Letters.

Modulation of subtropical stratospheric gravity waves by equatorial rainfall. By N.Y. Cohen and W.R. Boos in Geophysical Research Letters.

Attribution of variations in the quasi-biennial oscillation period from the duration of easterly and westerly phases. By M. Yang and Y. Yu in Climate Dynamics.

The NASA Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX): High-Altitude Aircraft Measurements in the Tropical Western Pacific. By J. Jensen et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

The impact of stratospheric volcanic aerosol on decadal-scale climate predictions. By C. Timmreck et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Combining AIRS and MLS Observations for Three-Dimensional Gravity Wave Measurement. By C.J. Wright et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Wavelet Analysis of Polar Vortex Variability over the 20^th Century. By G.M. Glovin et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Stratospheric temperature changes during the satellite era. By D.J. Seidel et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Discussion papers – open for comment

What controls the low ice number concentration in the upper troposphere? By C. Zhou et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Exploring atmospheric blocking with GPS radio occultation observations. By L. Brunner et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Abstract submission deadline: 19 Feb 2016

Dear ACAM Community,

We would like to inform you of an opportunity to share current research related to ACAM during the upcoming AOGS meeting in Beijing, 31 July – 5 August 2016.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 19 February 2016. This is a great opportunity to keep some momentum and to establish the identity of the ACAM community, so please consider attending and contributing an abstract.

Session AS13:
Interaction of Atmospheric Composition and The Asian Monsoon

Conveners:
Hiroshi Tanimoto (NIES, Japan), Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (AIT, Thailand), Manish Naja (ARIES, India), Jim Crawford (NASA Langley, USA), Laura Pan (NCAR, USA)

Session Description:
Monsoon Asia is a “frontier” of atmospheric science, and a variety of research programs are emerging with a great emphasis on the climate impact of regional emissions, air quality, and biogeochemical cycles and their coupling with monsoon dynamics. Increasing levels of trace species in the presence of high water vapor and intense solar radiation are raising the importance of understanding the physical, dynamical, and chemical processes over this region. Specific focus areas in this session include

1. emissions and air quality such as changes in atmospheric composition due to anthropogenic, biomass burning, and biogenic emissions,
2. chemistry-climate interactions such as aerosols and clouds in the Asian monsoon region, interplay of Asian monsoon convection and atmospheric chemistry, and UTLS response to the Asian monsoon,
3. the impacts of air quality on health and vegetation, and
4. biosphere-atmosphere interaction.

Both observational and modeling studies on these topics in the Asian Monsoon region are invited.

This session also seeks to foster a community of atmospheric composition studies in the Monsoon Asia and Oceania regions through introducing the Monsoon Asia and Oceania Networking Group (MANGO) and the Atmospheric Composition and the Asian Monsoon (ACAM) activity, both sponsored by IGAC and SPARC.

For more details on the conference, please visit:
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=home.htm

The full list of sessions can be found at:
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=sessionList.htm

For abstract submission:
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=abstract.htm

Cheers,
Hiroshi and Co-conveners

A selection of new science articles from the past week of interest to the SPARC community (a SPARC Office choice).

Do split and displacement sudden stratospheric warmings have different annular mode signatures? By A.C. Maycock and P. Hitchcock in Geophysical Research Letters.

Inertia gravity wave in the stratosphere and mesosphere observed by Doppler wind and temperature lidar. By G. Baumgartner et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Recent Hadley cell expansion: the role of internal atmospheric variability in reconciling modeled and observed trends. By C. Garfinkel et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

The switching between zonal and blocked mid-latitude atmospheric circulation: a dynamical system perspective. By C. Faranda et al. in Climate Dynamics.

Improved stratospheric aerosol extinction profiles from SCIAMACHY: validation and sample results. By C. von Savigny et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Validation of MIPAS IMK/IAA methane profiles. By A. Laeng et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Effects of stratospheric variability on El Niño teleconnections. By J.H. Richter et al. in Environmental Research Letters.

Discussion papers – open for comment

First continuous ground-based observations of long period oscillations in strato-/mesospheric wind profiles. By R. Rüfenacht et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Long-term trend analysis and climatology of tropical cirrus clouds using 16 years of lidar data set over Southern India. By A.K. Pandit et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.