Non-zonal gravity wave forcing of the Northern Hemisphere winter circulation and effects on middle atmosphere dynamics

Abstract

Abstract. Gravity waves (GWs) are a major yet poorly constrained driver of middle-atmosphere dynamics. Using the high-top UA-ICON global circulation model, we conducted a set of six-member ensemble simulations in which orographic GW drag was selectively intensified over three Northern Hemisphere hotspots identified from observational and modeling studies – e.g., Himalayas (HI), Northwest America (NA), and East Asia (EA) – to assess their long-term dynamical impacts on the stratosphere. The imposed forcing generated distinctive vertical–horizontal drag structures in each region, yet produced a coherent hemispheric response. Resolved waves compensated the local drag through compensation mechanisms. In all three cases, added westward momentum suppressed upward and equatorward propagation of planetary waves, particularly of wavenumber 1, strengthening westerlies in the upper stratosphere–mesosphere. The frequency of sudden stratospheric warmings remained unchanged in the HI and NA experiments, but increased notably in EA, while the ratio of split to displacement events was unaffected. These results highlight the sensitivity of stratospheric variability to non-zonal GW forcing and underscore the importance of improving our understanding of GW–climate interactions. The simulation dataset presented here offers a valuable resource for future studies on gravity wave–induced variability in the climate system.