The Impact of Tropical Indian Ocean Warming on Southern Hemisphere Polar Climate
Dr. Judith Perlwitz
NOAA/CIRES
The impact of two distinct anthropogenic forcings on the Southern
Hemisphere's (SH) polar climate is investigated using idealized
climate model simulations. Chemical constituent changes are shown to
drive a cooling of the polar stratosphere during spring and
summer. Tropical Indian Ocean warming, itself a response to chemical
constituent changes, drives a warming of the polar stratosphere,
opposite to the local radiatively driven cooling. Our model
experiments suggest that warming of the tropical Indian Ocean
initiates a potent dynamical mechanism for changing high latitude
climate, one that must be considered for accurate attribution of SH
polar climate change.