Stratospheric contribution to the summertime high surface ozone events over the western united states

Abstract

The stratospheric influence on summertime high surface ozone (O3) events is examined using a twenty-year simulation from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. We find that O3 transported from the stratosphere makes a significant contribution to the surface O3 variability where background surface O3 exceeds the 95th percentile, especially over western U.S. Maximum covariance analysis is applied to O3 anomalies paired with stratospheric O3 tracer anomalies to identify the stratospheric intrusion and the underlying dynamical mechanism. The first leading mode corresponds to deep stratospheric intrusions in the western and northern tier of the U.S., and intensified northeasterlies in the mid-to-lower troposphere along the west coast, which also facilitate the transport to the eastern Pacific Ocean. The second leading mode corresponds to deep intrusions over the Intermountain Regions. Both modes are associated with eastward propagating baroclinic systems, which are amplified near the end of the North Pacific storm tracks, leading to strong descents over the western U.S.