Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events

Abstract This work explores dynamical arguments for statistical prediction of stratospheric sudden warming events (SSWs). Based on climate model output, it focuses on two predictors, upward wave activity in the lower stratosphere and meridional potential vorticity gradient in the upper stratosphere,...

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Main Authors: M. Jucker, T. Reichler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-12-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080691
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author M. Jucker
T. Reichler
author_facet M. Jucker
T. Reichler
author_sort M. Jucker
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This work explores dynamical arguments for statistical prediction of stratospheric sudden warming events (SSWs). Based on climate model output, it focuses on two predictors, upward wave activity in the lower stratosphere and meridional potential vorticity gradient in the upper stratosphere, and detects large values of these predictors. Then it quantifies how many SSWs are preceded by predictor events and, inversely, how many events are followed by SSWs. This allows to compute conditional probabilities of future SSW occurrence. It is found that upward wave activity leads to important increases in SSW probability within the following 3 weeks but is less important thereafter. A weak potential vorticity gradient is associated with increased SSW probability at short lags and, perhaps more importantly, decreased SSW probability at long lags. Finally, when both predictors are considered in combination, the information gain is large on the weekly and small but significant on the intraseasonal time scale.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-ac7088eabc754d2cb020da4004d35a3a2025-08-20T03:09:42ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-12-01452313,12413,13210.1029/2018GL080691Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming EventsM. Jucker0T. Reichler1School of Earth Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria AustraliaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USAAbstract This work explores dynamical arguments for statistical prediction of stratospheric sudden warming events (SSWs). Based on climate model output, it focuses on two predictors, upward wave activity in the lower stratosphere and meridional potential vorticity gradient in the upper stratosphere, and detects large values of these predictors. Then it quantifies how many SSWs are preceded by predictor events and, inversely, how many events are followed by SSWs. This allows to compute conditional probabilities of future SSW occurrence. It is found that upward wave activity leads to important increases in SSW probability within the following 3 weeks but is less important thereafter. A weak potential vorticity gradient is associated with increased SSW probability at short lags and, perhaps more importantly, decreased SSW probability at long lags. Finally, when both predictors are considered in combination, the information gain is large on the weekly and small but significant on the intraseasonal time scale.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080691stratospheric sudden warmingstratosphere‐troposphere couplingseasonal predictionstatistical analysisclimate model
spellingShingle M. Jucker
T. Reichler
Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
Geophysical Research Letters
stratospheric sudden warming
stratosphere‐troposphere coupling
seasonal prediction
statistical analysis
climate model
title Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
title_full Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
title_fullStr Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
title_full_unstemmed Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
title_short Dynamical Precursors for Statistical Prediction of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Events
title_sort dynamical precursors for statistical prediction of stratospheric sudden warming events
topic stratospheric sudden warming
stratosphere‐troposphere coupling
seasonal prediction
statistical analysis
climate model
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080691
work_keys_str_mv AT mjucker dynamicalprecursorsforstatisticalpredictionofstratosphericsuddenwarmingevents
AT treichler dynamicalprecursorsforstatisticalpredictionofstratosphericsuddenwarmingevents