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

Absorbing and reflecting sudden stratospheric warming events and their relationship with tropospheric circulation. By K. Kodera et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Effects of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption on decadal climate prediction skill of Pacific sea surface temperatures. By G.A. Meehl et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Global temperature response to the major volcanic eruptions in multiple reanalysis data sets. By M. Fujiwara et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Wintertime Northern Hemisphere response in the Stratosphere to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. By A.C. Kren et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Stationary wave interference, and its relation to tropical convection and Arctic warming. By M. Goss et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Resolving the impact of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) on the sulfur cycle and surface ozone over the Tibetan Plateau using a cosmogenic ³⁵S tracer. By M. Lin et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Impact of different Asian source regions on the composition of the Asian monsoon anticyclone and of the extratropical lowermost stratosphere. By B. Vogel et al. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Oceanic bromoform emissions weighted by their ozone depletion potential. By S. Tegtmeier et al. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Updated ozone absorption cross section will reduce air quality compliance. By E.D. Sofen et al. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Modeling lightning-NO_x chemistry at sub-grid scale in a global chemical transport model. By A. Gressent et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Fast descent routes from within or near the stratosphere to Earth’s surface. By H. Itoh and Y. Narazaki in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Impact of major volcanic eruptions on stratospheric water vapour. By M. Löffler et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Satellite observations of stratospheric hydrogen fluoride and comparisons with SLIMCAT calculations. By J.J. Harrison et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Tuning of a convective gravity wave source scheme based on HIRDLS observations. By Q.T. Trinh et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Impact of the Asian monsoon on the extratropical lower stratosphere: trace gas observations during TACTS over Europe 2012. By S. Müller et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Submission deadline: 31 March 2016

The WCRP Data Advisory Council’s (WDAC) Observations for Model Evaluation Task Team seeks recommendations for data sets to be considered for inclusion in obs4MIPs.

Obs4MIPs refers to a limited collection of well-established and documented datasets that have been organized according to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5 and CMIP6 currently in preparation) model output requirements and made available on the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). Each obs4MIP dataset corresponds to a field that is output in (or derivable from) one or more of the CMIP5 or CMIP6 experiments. This technical alignment of observational products with climate model output can greatly facilitate model data comparisons.

At present, obs4MIPs is limited to regularly gridded datasets, with a focus on global or near-global satellite data products. Past contributions have mostly consisted of monthly, global data products. Consideration and emphasis on higher frequency, as well as basin- to global-scale gridded in situ data sets is increasing. Of central importance is the continued obs4MIPs requirement for demonstrated (e.g. peer-reviewed publications) model evaluation uses of the proposed data set(s). Of particular interest for this call are data products that are of direct relevance to CMIP6 endorsed model intercomparison projects (http://www.wcrpclimate.org/modelling-wgcm-mip-catalogue/modelling-wgcm-cmip6-endorsed-mips).

The WDAC Task Team encourages recommendations for new obs4MIPs data sets to be made
between 1 December 2015 and 31 March 2016, and is committed to responding no later than 1 June 2016. For instructions on the procedures for recommending a data set for obs4MIPs, please refer to: https://www.earthsystemcog.org/projects/obs4mips/how_to_contribute.

For additional information on obs4MIPs, including background, references, links to the data, contact information, etc., please see the project website at:
https://www.earthsystemcog.org/projects/obs4mips/

Questions should be addressed to D. Waliser () and P. Gleckler ().

Call for participation and for papers

The South-East Asian School on Tropical Atmospheric Science (SEASTAS) and the 1st International Workshop on Extreme Weather in Changing Climate in the Maritime Continent will be held in Bandung, Indonesia from 5 to 8 January 2016.

Please refer to the SEASTAS and IWS website for further details.

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

Characterizing the Lifetime and Occurrence of Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange Events in the Rocky Mountain Region Using High Resolution Ozone Measurements. By J.T. Sullivan et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Reassessment of MIPAS age of air trends and variability. By F.J. Haenel et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

A potential vorticity-based determination of the transport barrier in the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone. By F. Ploeger et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Metrology of ground-based satellite validation: co-location mismatch and smoothing issues of total ozone comparisons. By T. Verhoelst et al.in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

A Solar Irradiance Climate Data Record. By O. Coddington et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Vortex-wide chlorine activation by a mesoscale PSC event in the Arctic winter of 2009/10. By T. Wegner et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Atmospheric changes caused by galactic cosmic rays over the period 1960–2010. By C.H. Jackman et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

The Committee on Space Research will hold its 41st Scientific Assembly on 30 July – 7 August 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Note the deadline for abstracts on 12 February 2016.

Find conference website.

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

Synchronisation of the equatorial QBO by the annual cycle in tropical upwelling in a warming climate. By K. Rajendran et al. in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Assessing the role of precursor cyclones on the formation of extreme Greenland blocking episodes and their impact on summer melting across the Greenland ice sheet. By J.T. McLeod and T.L. Mote in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

The changing ozone depletion potential of N₂O in a future climate. By L.E. Revell et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Instantaneous longwave radiative impact of ozone: an application on IASI/MetOp observations. By S. Doniki et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Radiative and Dynamical Influences on Polar Stratospheric Temperature Trends. By D.J. Ivy et al. in the Journal of Climate.

The hydrological cycle response to cirrus cloud thinning. By J.E. Kristjansson et al. in Geophysical Research Letters.

Enhanced internal gravity wave activity and breaking over the northeastern Pacific–eastern Asian region. By P. Šácha et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Modelled thermal and dynamical responses of the middle atmosphere to EPP-induced ozone changes. By K. Karami et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

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

Global Responses of Gravity Waves to Planetary Waves during Stratospheric Sudden Warming Observed by SABER. By C.Y. Cullens in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Attributing the forced components of observed stratospheric temperature variability to external drivers. By D. Mitchell in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Clouds and the atmospheric circulation response to warming. By P. Ceppi and D.L. Hartman in the Journal of Climate.

Feeling the pulse of the stratosphere: An emerging opportunity for predicting continental-scale cold air outbreaks one month in advance. By M. Cai et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

OMI total column ozone: extending the long-term data record. By R.D. McPeters et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Discussion papers – open for comment

Summertime nitrate aerosol in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over the Tibetan Plateau and the South Asian summer monsoon region. By Y. Gu and H. Liao in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Ozone changes under solar geoengineering: implications for UV exposure and air quality. By P.J. Nowack et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

On the climatological probability of the vertical propagation of stationary planetary waves. By K. Karami et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Characteristics of gravity waves generated in a baroclinic instability simulation. By Y.-H. Kim et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

We invite you to submit a contribution in this new session at the EGU General Assembly to be held 17-22 April 2016, in Vienna, Austria.

AS3.20 Atmospheric Composition and Asian Monsoon

Conveners: Federico Fierli, Co-Conveners: Gabriele Stiller, Ritesh Gautam
As a weather pattern, the Asian monsoon impacts the lives of more than a billion people. With rapid population and economic growth across the monsoon region, it becomes a pressing concern that the monsoon convection coupled to surface emissions is playing a significant role in the region’s air quality. The uplift of pollutants also enhances aerosol–cloud interactions that may change the behavior of the monsoon. The chemical transport effect of the monsoon system is seen from satellites as an effective transport path for pollutants to enter the stratosphere. The monsoon system is therefore relevant to scales and processes bridging regional air quality, climate change, and global chemistry-climate interaction. The scientific scope of the session includes a) the impact of Asian monsoon, coupled to local emission on air quality, (b) Aerosols, clouds, and their interactions with the Asian monsoon, (c) the role of the monsoon dynamics and convection on chemistry and chemical transport in the Upper-Troposphere Lower-Stratosphere. Both observations and model analyses on related topics are welcome.

Deadline for support applications: 1 December 2015.

Deadline for abstract submission: 13 January 2016.

At the 23^rd SPARC Scientific Steering Group meeting held from 10-13 November 2015 in Boulder, Colorado, USA, the emerging activities on Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCi), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBOi), and Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) were accepted as full SPARC activities.

Find more information about:

• Polar Stratospheric Clouds
• QBO initiative: Towards improving the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in global models
• CCl₄ (or CTC): Solving the mystery of Carbon Tetrachloride

A large CLIVAR Open Science Conference on "Charting the course for atmospheric and ocean research" is being organised in Qindao, China. Registration for this event that will take place on 18- 25 September 2016 opens in December.

Find more information on the CLIVAR OSC 2016.