Changes in stratospheric ozone concentrations shape air temperature distributions on the Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is a climate change hotspot, in which any alterations to the atmospheric circulation can lead to significant impacts on the cryosphere. Even though substantial evidence has been found on the effects of human-related greenhouse gas emissions on the climate of the AP, less studies have analyzed the effect of variations in stratospheric ozone concentrations on the regional climate, and that is the focus of this paper. Results show significant links between the concentration of stratospheric ozone and the regional circulation, as well as with variations on the frequency and intensity of cold air snaps east of the AP. Significant relationships are found between changes in ozone concentrations and minimum/maximum temperature distributions over AP weather stations over most of the seasons. A strong link is also found with the location, depth and intensity of the Amundsen Sea Low west of the AP, which is in most cases responsible for the temperature anomalies identified in this study.