Numerical experiments with a general circulation model concerning the stratospheric distribution of ozone

Abstract

Three experiments have been performed using a three-dimensional, spectral quasi-geostrophic model in order to investigate the sensitivity of ozone transport to tropospheric orographic and thermal effects and to the zonal wind distribution. In the first experiment, the ozone distribution averaged over the last 30 days of a 60 day transport simulation was determined; in the second experiment, the transport simulation was repeated, but nonzonal orographic and thermal forcing was omitted; and in the final experiment, the simulation was conducted with the intensity and position of the stratospheric jets altered by addition of a Newtonian cooling term to the zonal-mean diabatic heating rate. Results of the three experiments are summarized by comparing the zonal-mean ozone distribution, the amplitude of eddy geopotential height, the zonal winds, and zonal-mean diabatic heating.