Signatures of stratosphere to troposphere transport near deep convective events in the southern subtropics

Overview & Synopsis

A climatology of tropospheric ozone profiles associated with tropical convection in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean and over South Africa is presented. Then case studies of stratospheric-tropospheric exchange are documented using radiosoundings, ozone lidar, satellite and ECMWF global model data. In three distinct cases of varying tropical convection intensity (depression and cyclone Guillaume near Reunion in February 2002 and convection near Irene in November 2000), strong interaction between convection-induced upper level circulation, jet front systems and Rossby Wave Breaking induces stratosphere to troposphere exchanges. Stratospheric filaments in the upper troposphere evident in the ECMWF analyses are in good agreement with ozone, humidity and temperature vertical profile observations. For the Guillaume case study near Reunion, filaments and subsidence occur in both cases (depression on 15 February and cyclone on 19 February 2002). On 15 February, a moderate enhancement of ozone in the free troposphere is observed and on 19 February, a 100 ppbv ozone peak is recorded. In the Irene case study, a large upper level depression coming from the stratosphere, fed by a filament wrapped around the convective area in the Mozambican channel, induces an ozone peak of larger magnitude (170 ppbv). Secondary ozone sources (jet front system in the Atlantic and biomass burning in South America) could further amplify this ozone enhancement. The radiosounding indicates a strong ozone enhancement in the upper troposphere, without a signature of pumping from the lower layers, in contrast to the Guillaume case.