All About Waves: Stratosphere-troposphere Coupling in the Southern Hemisphere 

While based on the same physics, stratosphere-troposphere coupling is different in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) compared to the Northern Hemisphere (NH). The polar vortex is much stronger, and that makes all the difference: it is all but impossible for waves smaller than wavenumber-1 to propagate into the stratosphere; the isolated vortex results in considerable ozone loss; Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) are almost impossible; the polar vortex forms earlier and breaks down later. So, is the southern stratosphere boring? Not at all! I will show some of the interesting things which still happen, and that the stratosphere — even in the absence of SSWs — still has a strong influence on surface weather and climate. And of course, it’s all about waves.