Collaborative Research: The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion/recovery on Antarctic climate
- Lead PI: Michael Previdi , Professor Lorenzo Polvani , Dr. Beate Gertrud Liepert
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Unit Affiliation: Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)
- January 2010 - April 2014
- Inactive
- Antarctica ; Southern Ocean
- Project Type: Research
DESCRIPTION: This project focuses on examining the role of stratospheric ozone depletion in late 20th century Antarctic climate change, and will also assess the impact of ozone recovery in the 21st century. Specifically, the goals are to 1) use observational datasets to estimate “climate response kernels”, which describe quantitatively the changes in different climate parameters resulting from stratospheric ozone changes; 2) compare the kernels derived from observations to modeling experiments in which stratospheric ozone is the only time-varying forcing; and 3) develop 21st century climate change projections for the Antarctic based on models that realistically simulate past changes in climate associated with ozone depletion.
OUTCOMES: The project represents the most systematic investigation to date of the effects of anthropogenic ozone depletion and recovery on Antarctic climate, and will therefore contribute significantly to our understanding of the causes of past and future climate change in the region. It will also lead to more confident climate change projections by ensuring that these projections are based on models that correctly simulate the response to stratospheric ozone forcing.