The Sensitivity of the Extratropical Jet to the Stratospheric Mean State in a Dynamic-core General Circulation Model

Abstract

The sensitivity of the extratropical jet to the stratospheric mean state is investigated by conducting a series of idealized numerical experiments using a dynamic-core general circulation model. When the polar stratosphere is forced to be cold, the extratropical jet, defined by the 850-hPa zonal wind, tends to shift poleward without much change in its intensity. The opposite is also true when the polar stratosphere becomes warm. This jet response, however, is not exactly linear. A poleward jet shift under a cold vortex is much weaker than an equatorward jet shift under a warm vortex. The jet intensity change is also larger under a warm vortex. This result indicates that the stratosphere-troposphere downward coupling is more efficient for the warm and weak polar vortex. This finding is consistent with a stronger downward coupling during stratospheric sudden warming than vortex intensification events in the Northern Hemisphere winter, possibly providing a clue to better understand the observed stratosphere-troposphere downward coupling.