In a recent ACPD article, A. Parrish and co-authors use microwave observations from the Mauna Loa NDACC station to investigate the diurnal variation of stratospheric ozone. They compare these microwave observations with satellite measurements from Aura-MLS, UARS-MLS, SMILES and SBUV/2, as well as with output from the GEOSCCM chemistry climate model. The measurements agree with the model to better than 1.5% in most cases except the morning-night differences, which are significantly higher in the observations (2-3% from ~39-43km). The full abstract can be found here.

Today, a total of 300 scientists is gathering at the opening of the Fifth SPARC General Assembly in Queenstown, New Zealand.

This 6-day conference takes place approximately every five years attracting atmospheric and climate physicists and chemists, climate modellers, water cycle and cloud specialists and other experts from across the world. A traditional Maori welcome dance opened the conference followed by a warm welcome by Prof. Jim Metson, Chief Science Advisor at New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

In his address SPARC co-chair and conference convener Greg Bodeker welcomed the growing community, which is increasingly focusing on the troposphere as well as the stratosphere. In particular he welcomed the new delegates to these "family reunions", saying that "here it is where we share our latest research results and our passion for what we do. SPARC is a vibrant organisation and the value that you can derive from SPARC will, in a large part, be determined by your contribution to SPARC. So have a good week. Talk a lot. Have fun. Learn a lot. You can sleep next week."

The dense programme is organised around plenary sessions with invited lectures, poster sessions with one-minute pitches to introduce presenters and their research topics, and a series of side events. Some 80 early-career and developing country scientists sponsored by partners to the conference are attending the assembly. Sponsors include: the World Climate Research Programme; the World Meteorological Organisation and its research programmes WIGOS, GAW, and WWRP; the US National Science Foundation; the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research; the Canadian Space Agency; NIWA; the Australian Research Council’s Center of Excellence for Climate System Science; ESA; Antarctica New Zealand; the Committee on Space Research COSPAR; Bodeker Scientific; TOF Werk; Aerodyne Research Inc.; Macquarie University; University of Otago; and the sponsors of the SPARC International Project Office including the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; the Federal Office for the Environment, and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology.

Find the SPARC General Assembly website.

This major scientific assessment on Lifetimes of Stratospheric Ozone-Depleting Substances, their Replacements, and Related Species was edited by M.K.W. Ko, P.A. Newman, S. Reimann, S.E. Strahan.

Find full report.

Order copy by contacting the SPARC Office.

Today, SPARC has published its 6th Scientific Assessment Report.

The new report entitled "Lifetimes of Stratospheric Ozone-Depleting Substances, their Replacements, and Related Species" is edited by M.K.W. Ko, P.A. Newman, S. Reimann, and S.E. Strahan.

Find full report; printed copies will be produced in 2014.

In an interview and article published by International Innovation in December 2013, the SPARC Office director Johannes Staehelin explains the SPARC project’s role within the wider atmospheric science community and the process by which the team organises the focus of vital research activities.

Find article published in International Innovation.

As a core project of the World Climate Research Programme, SPARC seeks to ensure that their General Assemblies are as environmentally responsible as possible. While we have implemented a carbon offsetting programme for the GA, uptake of this initiative can best be described as weak. If you have not already done so, we would encourage you to consider making use of the programme we have established to offset your CO₂ emissions resulting from your travel to Queenstown. The easiest way to do that is to go to:

http://www.sparc2014.org/sustainability

and go to the "Make a Donation" section at the bottom.

Please register for the IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative Workshop 2014 to be held on 20-22 May 2014, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.

Find 1st announcement, find website.

CosMos, the 4th COSPAR Scientific Assembly will be held on 2-10 August 2014, in Moscow, Russia. The event is supported by the SPARC Office.

Abstract submission closes on 14 February 2014; early Registration opens on 17 May 2014.

Find website.

In a new GRL article, W. Wang and co-authors investigate recent variability of the tropopause temperature and the tropopause inversion layer (TIL) using GPS-RO observations and the WACCM chemistry-climate model. They find that the tropopause temperature increased by 0.8K from 2001-2011, while the TIL decreased in strength by 0.4K over the same period. This indicates that the vertical temperature gradient in the tropopause region has declined, and therefore the stability above the tropopause weakened. Model simulations show that the increased tropopause temperature and weaker TIL are related to weakened tropical upwelling. Such changes in the thermal structure of the UTLS may have important consequences, including, for example, a possible increase in water vapour entering the lower stratosphere. The full abstract can be found here.

Future Earth has just published the final report of the Transition Team, the group of experts that led the initial design of the research initiative on global sustainability.

The report sets out the initial design of Future Earth, comprising a research framework and governance structure, preliminary reflections on communication and engagement, capacity-building and education strategies, and implementation guidelines.

It was developed by the Future Earth Transition Team, a group of more than 30 researchers and experts from many countries and representative of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as from international organisations, research funders and business.

The recommendations of this report are now being taken forward by the Future Earth interim secretariat, and the full initiative is expected to be up and running by the end of 2014.

Find report.