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

State of the Climate in 2019. By J. Blunden and D.S. Arndt in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

A supplement to this article is available online (PDF; 10.1175/2020BAMSStateoftheClimate.2).

Non‐additivity of the mid‐latitude circulation response to regional Arctic temperature anomalies: the role of the stratosphere. By B. De, Y. Wu, and L.M. Polvani in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Impact of Interannual Ozone Variations on the Downward Coupling of the 2002 Southern Hemisphere Stratospheric Warming. By H.H. Hendon, E-P. Lim, and S. Abhik in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Evaluation of tropospheric ozone reanalyses with independent ozonesonde observations in East Asia. By S. Park et al. in the Geoscience Letters.

Lagrangian gravity wave spectra in the lower stratosphere of current (re)analyses. By A. Podglajen et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Discussion papers – open for comments:

Local and Remote Response of Ozone to Arctic Stratospheric Circulation Extremes. By H-J Hong and T. Reichler in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Role of equatorial planetary and gravity waves in the 2015–16 quasi-biennial oscillation disruption. By M-J Kang, Y-Y Chung, and R.R. Garcia 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).

Facility for Weather and Climate Assessments (FACTS): A Community Resource for Assessing Weather and Climate Variability. By D. Murray et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Discussion Papers – open for comment:

Stratospheric aerosol layer perturbation caused by the 2019 Raikoke and Ulawun eruptions and climate impact. By C. Kloss et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Changes in stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient after the 2018 Ambae eruption as seen by OMPS-LP and ECHAM5-HAM. By E. Malinina et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Potential of future stratospheric ozone loss in the mid-latitudes under climate change and sulfate geoengineering. By S. Robrecht et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Ship- and island-based atmospheric soundings from the 2020 EUREC4A field campaign. By C.C. Stephan et al. in Earth System Science Data.

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

Numerical impacts on tracer transport: A proposed intercomparison test of Atmospheric General Circulation Models. By A. Gupta, E.P. gerber, and P.H. Lauritzen in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Predictability of European winter 2019/20: Indian Ocean dipole impacts on the NAO. By S.C. Hardiman et al. in the Atmospheric Science Letters.

Representation of the equatorial stratopause semiannual oscillation in global atmospheric reanalyses. By Y. Kawatani et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

A statistical analysis of the energy dissipation rate estimated from the PMWE spectral width in the Antarctic. By M. Kohma et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Differing responses of the quasi-biennial oscillation to artificial SO2 injections in two global models. By U. Niemeier, J.H. Richter, and S. Tilmes in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

North Atlantic climate far more predictable than models imply. By D.M. Smith et al. in nature.

Can the Madden‐Julian oscillation affect the Antarctic total column ozone? By C. Yang et al. in the Geophysical Research Letters.

The Key Role of Coupled Chemistry–Climate Interactions in Tropical Stratospheric Temperature Variability. By S. Yook et al. in the Journal of the Climate.

The QBO community paper: The SPARC Quasi Biennial Oscillation initiative is now available online.

Opening letter from Detlef Stammer and Helen Cleugh on the future of WCRP

WCRP is evolving to ensure that the Programme is fit for purpose and fit for the future. WCRP Chair, Detlef Stammer, and Vice-Chair, Helen Cleugh, explain where we are at with implementing the new WCRP Strategic Plan and outline opportunities that will arise in the coming months. More here.

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

Why Does a Colder (Warmer) Winter Tend to Be Followed by a Warmer (Cooler) Summer over Northeast Eurasia? By S. Chen et al. in the Journal of the Climate.

Overestimated acceleration of the advective Brewer‐Dobson circulation due to stratospheric cooling. Ba R. Eichinger and P. Šácha in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Impact of convection on the upper-tropospheric composition (water vapor and ozone) over a subtropical site (Réunion island; 21.1° S, 55.5° E) in the Indian Ocean. By D. Héron et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

First Lidar Observations of Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation‐Induced Interannual Variations of Gravity Wave Potential Energy Density at McMurdo via a Modulation of the Antarctic Polar Vortex. By Z. Li et al. in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Observations of Upper-Tropospheric Temperature Inversions in the Indian Monsoon and Their Links to Convectively Forced Quasi-Stationary Kelvin Waves. By R. Newton and W. Randel in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sceinces.

Robust Enhancement of Tropical Convective Activity by the 2019 Antarctic Sudden Stratospheric Warming. By S. Noguchi et al. in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Discussion Papers – open for comment:

First description and classification of the ozone hole over the Arctic in boreal spring 2020. By M. Dameris 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).

Highlight article (office choice):

An analysis of ways to decarbonize conference travel after COVID-19. By M. Klöwer et al. in nature

(pdf available upon email request to the SPARC office)

GLOBE Observer Data: 2016‐2019. By H.M. Amos et al. in Earth and Space Science.

Changes in future synoptic circulation patterns: consequences for extreme event attribution. By D. Farada et al. in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Short-lived climate forcers have long-term climate impacts via the carbon–climate feedback. By B. Fu et al. in Nature Climate Change.

Context for interpreting equilibrium climate sensitivity and transient climate response from the CMIP6 Earth system models. By G.A. Meehl et al. in Science Advances.

Study of the dependence of long-term stratospheric ozone trends on local solar time. By E. Maillard Barras et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Intermittency of Gravity Waves in the Antarctic troposphere and lower stratosphere revealed by the PANSY radar observation. By Y. Minamihara, K. Sato, and M. Tsutsumi in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Discussion papers – open for comments:

Monitoring Sudden Stratospheric Warmings using radio occultation: a new approach demonstrated based on the 2009 event. By Y. Li et al. in Atmospheric measurement Techniques.

Stratospheric ozone and QBO interaction with the tropical troposphere on intraseasonal and interanual time-scales: a wave interaction perspective. By B. Raphaldini et al. in Earth System Dynamics.

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

Estimating and Reporting Uncertainties in Remotely Sensed Atmospheric Composition and Temperature. By T. von Clarmann et al. in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Major Volcanic Eruptions and their impacts on Southern Hemisphere temperatures during the late‐19th and 20th centuries, as simulated by CMIP5 models. By P.J. Harvey, S.W. Grab, and J. Malherbe in the Geophysical Reearch Letters.

Unveiling assumptions through interdisciplinary scrutiny: Observations from the German Priority Program on Climate Engineering (SPP 1689). By J. Kreuter et al. in Climatic Change.

A robust relationship between multidecadal global warming rate variations and the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability. By Z. Li et al. in Climate Dynamics.

Normal mode perspective on the 2016 QBO disruption: evidence for a basic state regime transition. By B. Raphaldini et al. in the Geophysical Research Letters.

Feature-Based Jet Variability in the Upper Troposphere. By C. Spensberger and T. Spengler in the Journal of the Climate.

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project: History, uses, and structural effects on climate research. By L. Touzé‐Peiffer, A. Barberousse, and H. Le Treut in WIREs Climate Change.

Mysterious Engine of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation. By C. Zhang in Earth and Space Science News.

Discussion papers – open for comment:

Impact of Lagrangian Transport on Lower-Stratospheric Transport Time Scales in a Climate Model. By E. Charlesworth et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

PSCs initiated by mountain waves in a global chemistry-climate model: A missing piece in fully modelling polar stratospheric ozone depletion. By A. Orr et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

CCMi has announced that they plan to have a virtual Tri-MIP-athlon 3 workshop  this autumn to discuss future plans and recent progress within AerChemMIP, RFMIP and PDRMIP.

Dates: 16-20 November 2020

Place: zoom (web interface) or any other webtool tbd (possibly with breakout groups)

Times:

2 hours every day (incl. 1 hour discussion)

EU   3pm –   5pm

NY   9am – 11am

CA   6am –   8am

JP  10pm – 12midnight

CH   9pm – 11pm

More information will be posted in late Summer.

With best wishes for the summer from the organizers

Michael, Gunnar, Vaishali, Bill, Jean Francois, Robert

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

Highlight articles (office choice):

The SPARC Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation initiative. By J.A. Anstey, N. Butchart, K. Hamilton, and S.M. osprey in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal meteorological Society.

The combined influence of ENSO and PDO on the spring UTLS ozone variability in South America. By B.L. Gamelin, L.M.V. Carvalho and M. Kayano in Climate Dynamics.

Stratosphere–Troposphere Exchange and O3 Variability in the Lower Stratosphere and Upper Troposphere over the Irene SHADOZ Site, South Africa. By T. Mkolo et al. in Atmosphere.

An Array of Ringing Global Free Modes Discovered in Tropical Surface Pressure Data. By T. Sakazaki and K. Hamilton in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.

Propagation of gravity waves and its effects on pseudomomentum flux in a sudden stratospheric warming event. By I.-S. Song et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Tropical Widening: From Global Variations to Regional Impacts. By P.W. Staten et al. in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Warming reaches the South Pole. By S.E. Stammerjohn and T.A. Scambos in Nature Climate Change.

Synergy of Satellite- and Ground-Based Observations for Continuous Monitoring of Atmospheric Stability, Liquid Water Path, and Integrated Water Vapor: Theoretical Evaluations Using Reanalysis and Neural Networks. By M. Toporov and U. Löhnert in the Journal of Applied meteorology and Climatology.

Balloon‐borne observations of short vertical wavelength gravity waves and interaction with QBO winds. By R.A. Vincent and M.J. Alexander in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.

Will COVID’s Cleaner Skies Muddy Climate Models? By J. Wendel in earth and Space Science News.

Discussion papers – open for comments:

Measurement report: Immediate impact of the Taal volcanic eruption on atmospheric temperature observed from COSMIC-2 RO measurements. By S.R. Babu and Y.-A. Liou in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Seventeen years of ozone sounding at L’Aquila, Italy: evidence of mid-latitude stratospheric ozone recovery and tropospheric profile changes. By D. Visioni et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

The response of stratospheric water vapor to climate change driven by different forcing agents. By X. Wang and A.E. Dessler in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

4-6 August 2020

An international virtual symposium on drivers, predictability, and actionable information

Under the auspices of WMO, sponsored by the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Health Community of Practice, hosted the American Geophysical Union, and in partnership with several international and regional research organizations and entities from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the USA, a rapidly arranged international virtual symposium will take place in early August to examine the role of a range of environmental variables in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the symposium is to examine what has been learned, what is known, can be tested, is understood, and can be reliably predicted about the role of environmental variables’ influence on the trajectory and potential seasonality of COVID-19 over the next 24 months, from global, hemispheric, regional and local perspectives.

The outcome of the conference will include a synthesis of the information presented and recommendations for further research and applications of this information in combating the disease across scales. Further information, including a full description of the scope and format of the event and the call for contributions (abstract submission) can be found on the WMO website. For further announcements including the opening of registrations (no cost to delegates) please follow the symposium on Twitter @CovEnvSymp.

Abstract deadline: 10 July 2020