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.

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.

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.

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.

The SPARC Data Center website has moved and is now available at >http://www.aparc-climate.org/data-center/. Most of the content from the ‘old’ site hosted by the Stony Brook University has been transferred. Recent additions to the website include SPARC Data Initiative Trace Gas and Aerosol Climatologies; and High Vertical Resolution Radiosonde Data.

In a recent ACPD article, G. Chiodo and co-authors use the WACCM chemistry-climate model to perform transient simulations looking at the solar cycle in the tropics. They investigate the relative role of volcanic eruptions, ENSO, and the QBO signals in the tropical stratosphere temperatures and ozone commonly attributed to the 11-year solar cycle. Simulations from 1960-2004 were carried out and a multiple regression technique used to diagnose the 11-year solar signal. Results show that most of the solar-induced lower stratospheric temperature and ozone increase diagnosed in the simulation including all forcing factors is due to the two major volcanic eruptions during the period studied (El Chichón and M. Pinatubo), which were concurrent with periods of high solar activity. Thus, the portion of decadal variability that can unambiguously be linked to the solar cycle may be smaller than previously thought. The full abstract can be found here.

In a new JGR article, K. Imai and co-authors compare ozone profiles measured by the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) with those from ozonesondes. Comparing profiles between the 16-30km range, they found generally good agreement (within 5-7% for 18-30km at mid- and high latitudes). At low latitudes the SMILES observations showed higher ozone values (6-15% larger between 20-26km). Exploring several possible issues that may induce bias, they found that a biases from the ozonesonde pressure sensors were likely to be within a few percent. In contrast, they found that the ozonesonde response time could account for a negative bias of the ascending ozonesonde measurement of up to 7% at 20km in equatorial latitudes. Applying a bias correction for this factor improved the agreement between ozonesondes and SMILES. The full abstract can be found here.

S.-W. Son and co-authors show that the ozone hole has not only affected long-term climate change, but also interannual variability of the southern hemisphere (SH) surface climate. In their new GRL article, they show that a significant negative correlation is observed between September ozone concentration and the October Southern Annular Mode index, resulting in systematic variations in precipitation and surface air temperature throughout the SH. This time-lagged relationship is independent of those associated with ENSO and the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode, suggesting that SH seasonal forecasts could be improved through including Antarctic stratospheric variability. The full abstract can be found here.