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

Climate response to off-equatorial stratospheric sulfur injections in three Earth system models – Part 2: Stratospheric and free-tropospheric response. By E.M. Bednarz et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Observations of gravity wave refraction and its causes and consequences. By M. Geldenhuys et al. in the Journal of geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Gravity-wave-induced cross-isentropic mixing: a DEEPWAVE case study. By H.-C. Lachnitt et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Not all Clear Air Turbulence is Kolmogorov − The fine-scale nature of atmospheric turbulence. By P.R. Imazio et al. in the Journal of Atmospheric Research: Atmospheres.

Estimation of stratospheric intrusions during Indian cyclones. By C. Roy et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Climate response to off-equatorial stratospheric sulfur injections in three Earth system models – Part 1: Experimental protocols and surface changes. By D. Visioni et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Arctic tropospheric ozone: assessment of current knowledge and model performance. By C.H. Whaley et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Opinion: How Nuclear Winter has Saved the World, So Far. by A. Robok et al. in Atomspheric Chemistry and Physics.

WCRP is delighted to open a call for proposals to host a dedicated project office in support to one of WCRP’s core projects: the Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC).

SPARC is the focal point for climate science related to the atmosphere within WCRP. Atmospheric and climate sciences are increasingly a focus of decision-making across policy, research, and industry, and of wide interest to the general public. In its 30-year (1992-2022) history, SPARC’s activities have generated a wealth of cutting-edge research and valuable datasets. SPARC has a major role in key international scientific assessment reports, including the WMO/UNEP Ozone Assessment Reports which are requested by the Parties of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments. SPARC is moving forward with an ambitious new strategic plan from 2023, which will further advance those achievements by taking a leadership role at the forefront of international atmospheric science research. All SPARC efforts are part of WCRP’s activities and embedded in its overarching WCRP Science and Implementation Plan.

Benefits to the Host Institution

The Host Institution will significantly benefit from hosting the SPARC IPO by having a close interaction with this critical domain of research. It will serve as a great opportunity for the host to help deliver the exciting new goals of SPARC to the international community. In addition, the host institution will have the benefit of:

• enhancing their international profile through clear identification with the WCRP international community,
• underscoring the commitment of the national research community for international cooperation,
• association and participation with a range of international meetings, workshops, and regional activities,
• collaboration with other networks including those of early career scientists,
• contributing to the well-established links that the engagement of scientists from the host institute has already established through international research projects to the global community of climate researchers.
• career development for early career scientists in connecting them with the international research community and involvement in SPARC activities and outreach panel, 
• playing an important role in refining and implementing WCRP’s new strategy. 

Further, development of an active scientific partnership between SPARC and scientists at the Host Institution is encouraged, with the aim of increased international exposure and additional scientific publications.

The SPARC IPO’s role will be to support this work on all related levels in close cooperation with the SPARC co-chairs and Scientific Steering Group, the WCRP leadership and the WCRP Secretariat in Geneva.

• To download the call, click here.
• The deadline for proposals is 15 April 2022.

All communication, material and enquiries regarding this calls shall be directed in English to Hindumathi Palanisamy () in the WCRP Secretariat.

Director of the Regional Information for Society (RIfS) International Project Office, Ouranos, Montreal, Canada

The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and Ouranos invite applications for the position of Director of the Regional Information for Society (RIfS) International Project Office (IPO).

The director will assemble the new IPO team, define the IPO’s identity and fulfill its mandate, in support to the implementation of the RIfS Science Plan.

For details about the position and how to apply, click here.

The deadline for application is on 17 February 2023.

The 12th Atmospheric Limb Workshop is organized by BIRA-IASB’s ALTIUS team.

Dates: 22-26 May 2023
Location: Brussels, Belgium

The call for abstracts is now open until January 16. The scientific programme will be built based on the contributions submitted in the following topics:

– Upcoming limb instruments
– Limb scatter: techniques, algorithms, products
– Occultation: techniques, algorithms, products
– Emissions: techniques, algorithms, products
– Aerosol and clouds: profiles, composition, trends
– Trace gases: profiles, trends
– Limb products validation
– Assimilation of limb products, and synergistic exploitation
– ALTIUS

Further information can be found on the event page https://events.spacepole.be/event/146, including abstract submission. When submitting your abstract, you may choose one or more applicable topics. You may also write in the comments section if you have a preference for an oral or poster presentation. There is no cost for submitting an abstract.

We look forward to welcoming all interested colleagues!

Kind regards,
Noel Baker, on behalf of the local organizing committee

The demand for and interest in CMIP data is growing rapidly with users coming from an increasingly diverse range of backgrounds beyond the climate research community including climate services, impact modelling, regional and local policy/decision makers and indigenous communities from across the globe. This task team will seek to smooth the path between the conception of experiments and the use of the resulting data. We are looking for a diverse and multidisciplinary team of 8-12 experts representing the range of CMIP-like data providers, data users, and infrastructure providers. We are especially keen to ensure representation from all global regions and across career stages and have therefore extended the call deadline to promote wider participation. Find out more here where the call text can be downloaded for further information on the aims and objectives of the Task Team, and the relevant point of contact.

Applications should be submitted via this form (office) by Monday 23rd January 2023 and if you have any questions please contact .

Registration and abstract submission for the upcoming QBO workshop are now available here (google doc). The workshop will be held March 27-31, 2023 in Oxford, UK and is organized by the QBOi (Quasi-Biennial Oscillation initiative) SPARC activity in conjunction with CCMI and the GW (Gravity Wave) SPARC activities.

For in-person presenters needing to arrange travel, we will send abstract acceptance notices as soon as possible (beginning in early January). 

Workshop scientific program:

• Processes driving the QBO, including its recent disruptions and future projections
• Tropical gravity waves: observations, high resolution models, and parametrizations
• QBO interactions with atmospheric composition, including ozone and stratospheric aerosols from geoengineering and volcanic eruptions
• Wave-mean flow interactions and their role in predictability on seasonal to decadal timescales.
• Atmospheric teleconnections, including the QBO’s links with the MJO and Northern and Southern Annular Modes.  

We are pleased to announce the following invited speakers: 

Ewa Bednarz, Martina Bramberger, Mohamadou Diallo, Rolando Garcia, Chaim Garfinkel, Marco Giorgetta, Peter Hitchcock, Kaoru Sato, Adam Scaife, and Seok-Woo Son.

Updates and further information will be available on the workshop website. The workshop is organised by QBOi in conjunction with the CCMI and GW activities. Please feel free to forward any colleagues that you think may be interested.

Best wishes,

QBOi coordinators

(James, Neal, Yoshio, Scott, Yaga)

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

Dependence of strategic solar climate intervention on background scenario and model physics. By J.T. Fasullo and J.H. Richter in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Heterogeneity and chemical reactivity of the remote troposphere defined by aircraft measurements – corrected. By H. Guo et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Underestimated Passive Volcanic Sulfur Degassing Implies Overestimated Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcing. By U.A. Jongebloed et al. in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Secondary gravity waves from the stratospheric polar vortex over ALOMAR Observatory on 12-14 January 2016: Observations and modelling. By S.L. Vadas et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Monitoring the 2021 Cumbre Vieja Volcanic Eruption Using Satellite Multi-Sensor Data Fusion. By E. Weisz and W.P. Menzel in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Discussion papers – open for comment:

A Colorful look at Climate Sensitivity. By B. Stevens and L. Kluft in the EGU Sphere.

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

Potential impact of tropopause sharpness on the structure and strength of the general circulation. By L. Boljka and T. Birner in  npj climate and atmospheric science.

Climatology of Clear-Air Turbulence in Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere in the Northern Hemisphere Using ERA5 Reanalysis Data. By J.-H. Lee et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Diverse Interannual Variability of Asian Summer Monsoon Onset Process. By B. Liu and Y. Duan in the Geophysical Research Letters.

A Multimodel Investigation of Asian Summer Monsoon UTLS Transport Over the Western Pacific. By L.L. Pan et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Early Career Presentation awards at the recent 7^th SPARC General Assembly. In keeping with the multi-hub nature of the meeting, we awarded prizes for best oral and best poster presentation at each of our three hubs.

Best ECR oral and poster presentations

Thank you to everyone who helped us to judge the presentations and particularly to Alison Ming for her organisation of the process.

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

Driving mechanisms for the El Niño–Southern Oscillation impact on stratospheric ozone. By S. Benito-Barca, N. Calvo, and M. Abalos in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Understanding model-observation discrepancies in satellite retrievals of atmospheric temperature using GISS ModelE. By M.C. Casas et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Satellite-Borne Observations of Ozone Impact by the November 2001 Solar Proton Event. By K. Nilsen, A. Kero, P.T. Verronen, and M.E. Szeläg in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Vertical structure of the lower-stratospheric moist bias in the ERA5 reanalysis and its connection to mixing processes. By K. Krüger et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Climatology and variability of air mass transport from the boundary layer to the Asian monsoon anticyclone. By M. Nützel et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.