Changes of interannual NAO variability in response to greenhouse gases forcing

Observations show that there was change in interannual North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in the mid-1970s. This change was characterized by an eastward shift of the NAO action centres, a poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies and a downstream extension of climate anomalies associated with the NAO. The NAO interannual variability for the period after the mid-1970s has an annular mode structure that penetrates deeply into the stratosphere, indicating a strengthened relationship between the NAO and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. In this study we have investigated possible causes of these changes in the NAO by carrying out experiments with an atmospheric GCM. The model is forced either by doubling CO₂, or increasing sea surface temperatures (SST), or both. In the case of SST forcing the SST anomaly is derived from a coupled model simulation forced by increasing CO₂. Results indicate that SST and CO₂ change both force a poleward and eastward shift in the pattern of interannual NAO variability and the associated poleward shift of zonal wind anomalies, similar to the observations. The effect of SST change can be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. The direct effect of CO₂ change, in contrast, can not be understood in terms of mean changes in the troposphere. However, there is a significant response in the stratosphere, characterized by a strengthened climatological polar vortex with strongly enhanced interannual variability. In this case, the NAO interannual variability has a strong link with the variability over the North Pacific, as in the annular AO pattern, and is also strongly related to the stratospheric vortex, indicating strengthened stratosphere-troposphere coupling. The similarity of changes in many characteristics of NAO interannual variability between the model response to doubling CO₂ and those in observations in the mid-1970s implies that the increase of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, and the resulting changes in the stratosphere, might have played an important role in the multidecadal change of interannual NAO variability and its associated climate anomalies during the late twentieth century. The weak change in mean westerlies in the troposphere in response to CO₂ change implies that enhanced and eastward extended mid-latitude westerlies in the troposphere might not be a necessary condition for the poleward and eastward shift of the NAO action centres in the mid-1970s.     

Observed Long- and Short-lived North Atlantic Oscillation Events: Role of the Stratosphere

Utilizing three different sets of reanalysis data, this study examines the long- and short-lived observed positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) events (referred to as NAO+_LE and NAO+_SE) and long- and short-lived observed negative NAO events (referred to as NAO?_LE and NAO?_SE). Composite results indicate that the NAO-like circulation anomalies associated with the long-lived NAO events can reach the stratosphere, while they are primarily confined to the troposphere in the short-lived NAO events. Thus, the coupling/connection of stratospheric and tropospheric circulation anomalies is much better (worse) in the long-lived (short-lived) NAO events. A series of modified stratospheric initial-value experiments conducted with a simplified model indicate that a better (worse) connection between stratospheric and tropospheric circulation anomalies in the initial-value fields tend to gradually induce the NAO-like tropospheric circulation anomalies in the troposphere on the subsequent days, and thus naturally elongate (reduce) the lifetimes of the original NAO events by altering the tropospheric synoptic eddy vorticity flux over the North Atlantic region.     

Winter AO/NAO modifies summer ocean heat content and monsoonal circulation over the western Indian Ocean

This paper analyzes the possible influence of boreal winter Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/ NAO) on the Indian Ocean upper ocean heat content in summer as well as the summer monsoonal circulation. The strong interannual co-variation between winter 1000-hPa geopotential height in the Northern Hemisphere and summer ocean heat content in the uppermost 120 m over the tropical Indian Ocean was investigated by a singular decomposition analysis for the period 1979–2014. The second paired-modes explain 23.8% of the squared covariance, and reveal an AO/NAO pattern over the North Atlantic and a warming upper ocean in the western tropical Indian Ocean. The positive upper ocean heat content enhances evaporation and convection, and results in an anomalous meridional circulation with ascending motion over 5°S–5°N and descending over 15°–25°N. Correspondingly, in the lower troposphere, significantly anomalous northerly winds appear over the western Indian Ocean north of the equator, implying a weaker summer monsoon circulation. The off-equator oceanic Rossby wave plays a key role in linking the AO/NAO and the summer heat content anomalies. In boreal winter, a positive AO/NAO triggers a down-welling Rossby wave in the central tropical Indian Ocean through the atmospheric teleconnection. As the Rossby wave arrives in the western Indian Ocean in summer, it results in anomalous upper ocean heating near the equator mainly through the meridional advection. The AO/NAO-forced Rossby wave and the resultant upper ocean warming are well reproduced by an ocean circulation model. The winter AO/NAO could be a potential season-lead driver of the summer atmospheric circulation over the northwestern Indian Ocean.     

Observed and simulated precursors of stratospheric polar vortex anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere stratospheric polar vortex is linked to surface weather. After Stratospheric Sudden Warmings in winter, the tropospheric circulation is often nudged towards the negative phase of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A strong stratospheric vortex is often associated with subsequent positive NAM/NAO conditions. For stratosphere?Ctroposphere associations to be useful for forecasting purposes it is crucial that changes to the stratospheric vortex can be understood and predicted. Recent studies have proposed that there exist tropospheric precursors to anomalous vortex events in the stratosphere and that these precursors may be understood by considering the relationship between stationary wave patterns and regional variability. Another important factor is the extent to which the inherent variability of the stratosphere in an atmospheric model influences its ability to simulate stratosphere?Ctroposphere links. Here we examine the lower stratosphere variability in 300-year pre-industrial control integrations from 13 coupled climate models. We show that robust precursors to stratospheric polar vortex anomalies are evident across the multi-model ensemble. The most significant tropospheric component of these precursors consists of a height anomaly dipole across northern Eurasia and large anomalies in upward stationary wave fluxes in the lower stratosphere over the continent. The strength of the stratospheric variability in the models was found to depend on the variability of the upward stationary wave fluxes and the amplitude of the stationary waves.     

平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用的研究:进展与问题

本文综述了近年来关于平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用动力过程的研究进展,特别是回顾了近年来关于平流层大气环流和行星波动力学、热带平流层大气波动及其与基本气流相互作用、平流层大气环流变异对对流层环流和气候变异的影响及其动力过程、平流层大气数值模拟以及在全球变暖背景下平流层大气的长期演变趋势预估等的研究进展。最近的研究揭示了大气准定常行星波传播波导的振荡现象、重力波在热带平流层准两年振荡和全球物质输送中的作用、平流层长期的变冷趋势变化、平流层在对流层天气和气候变化中的作用等现象,表明了平流层大气动力学研究的重要性。平流层大气动力学的深入研究,以及对数值模式中平流层模拟性能的提高,最终都会推动整个大气科学和气候变化研究的进一步发展。     

Stratospheric circulation in seasonal forecasting models: implications for seasonal prediction

Accurate seasonal forecasts rely on the presence of low frequency, predictable signals in the climate system which have a sufficiently well understood and significant impact on the atmospheric circulation. In the Northern European region, signals associated with seasonal scale variability such as ENSO, North Atlantic SST anomalies and the North Atlantic Oscillation have not yet proven sufficient to enable satisfactorily skilful dynamical seasonal forecasts. The winter-time circulations of the stratosphere and troposphere are highly coupled. It is therefore possible that additional seasonal forecasting skill may be gained by including a realistic stratosphere in models. In this study we assess the ability of five seasonal forecasting models to simulate the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropical winter-time stratospheric circulation. Our results show that all of the models have a polar night jet which is too weak and displaced southward compared to re-analysis data. It is shown that the models underestimate the number, magnitude and duration of periods of anomalous stratospheric circulation. Despite the poor representation of the general circulation of the stratosphere, the results indicate that there may be a detectable tropospheric response following anomalous circulation events in the stratosphere. However, the models fail to exhibit any predictability in their forecasts. These results highlight some of the deficiencies of current seasonal forecasting models with a poorly resolved stratosphere. The combination of these results with other recent studies which show a tropospheric response to stratospheric variability, demonstrates a real prospect for improving the skill of seasonal forecasts.     

Interannual-to-decadal variability of the North Atlantic from an ocean data assimilation system

An ocean analysis, assimilating both surface and subsurface hydrographic temperature data into a global ocean model, has been produced for the period 1958–2000, and used to study the time and space variations of North Atlantic upper ocean heat content (HC). Observational evidence is presented for interannual-to-decadal variability of upper ocean thermal fluctuations in the North Atlantic related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability over the last 40 years. The assimilation scheme used in the ocean analysis is a univariate, variational optimum interpolation of temperature. The first guess is produced by an eddy permitting global ocean general circulation forced by atmospheric reanalysis from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The validation of the ocean analysis has been done through the comparison with objectively analyzed observations and independent data sets. The method is able to compensate for the model systematic error to reproduce a realistic vertical thermal structure of the region and to improve consistently the model estimation of the time variability of the upper ocean temperature. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis shows that an important mode of variability of the wintertime upper ocean climate over the North Atlantic during the period of study is characterized by a tripole pattern both for SST and upper ocean HC. A similar mode is found for summer HC anomalies but not for summer SST. Over the whole period, HC variations in the subtropics show a general warming trend while the tropical and north eastern part of the basin have an opposite cooling tendency. Superimposed on this linear trend, the HC variability explained by the first EOF both in winter and summer conditions reveals quasi-decadal oscillations correlated with changes in the NAO index. On the other hand, there is no evidence of correlation in time between the NAO index and the upper ocean HC averaged over the whole North Atlantic which exhibits a substantial and monotonic warming trend during the last two decades of the analysis period. The maximum correlation is found between the leading principal component of winter HC anomalies and NAO index at 1 year lag with NAO leading. For SST anomalies significant correlation is found only for winter conditions. In contrast, for HC anomalies high correlations are found also in the summer suggesting that the summer HC keeps a memory of winter conditions.     

平流层臭氧变化对对流层气候影响的研究进展

平流层对对流层的作用是准确评估、预测对流层气候变化的一个重要方面。其中平流层成分尤其是臭氧的变化,可以改变平流层乃至对流层的辐射平衡,从而影响平流层、对流层的热动力过程。本文从辐射、动力2个角度介绍了平流层臭氧影响对流层气候变化的若干研究进展。平流层臭氧可以通过长短波辐射的方式对对流层大气造成辐射强迫,利用大气化学气候模式可以定量计算平流层臭氧变化引起的辐射强迫,但是辐射强迫的估算受模式中辐射传输模块本身缺陷的影响存在不确定性。动力方面,平流层臭氧变化产生的辐射效应可以改变温度的垂直和经向梯度,造成波折射指数的变化,进而影响平流层甚至对流层内波的折射与反射,通过上对流层下平流层区域内的波—流相互作用,对对流层气候产生影响。另外,南极臭氧损耗可通过大气环状模影响冬春季中高纬度对流层的天气气候,但是其影响的强度大小以及物理机制仍需进一步的确认。值得注意的是,北极平流层臭氧的变化与北半球中高纬度气候变化之间的关系相比南半球要更加复杂,需要更为深入的研究。     

Vertical structure of recent arctic warming from observed data and reanalysis products

Spatiotemporal patterns of recent (1979–2008) air temperature trends are evaluated using three reanalysis datasets and radiosonde data. Our analysis demonstrates large discrepancies between the reanalysis datasets, possibly due to differences in the data assimilation procedures as well as sparseness and inhomogeneity of high-latitude observations. We test the robustness of arctic tropospheric warming based on the ERA-40 dataset. ERA-40 Arctic atmosphere temperatures tend to be closer to the observed ones in terms of root mean square error compared to other reanalysis products used in the article. However, changes in the ERA-40 data assimilation procedure produce unphysical jumps in atmospheric temperatures, which may be the likely reason for the elevated tropospheric warming trend in 1979–2002. NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data show that the near-surface upward temperature trend over the same period is greater than the tropospheric trend, which is consistent with direct radiosonde observations and inconsistent with ERA-40 results. A change of sign in the winter temperature trend from negative to positive in the late 1980s is documented in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere with a maximum over the Canadian Arctic, based on radiosonde data. This change from cooling to warming tendency is associated with weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex and shift of its center toward the Siberian coast and possibly can be explained by the changes in the dynamics of the Arctic Oscillation. This temporal pattern is consistent with multi-decadal variations of key arctic climate parameters like, for example, surface air temperature and oceanic freshwater content. Elucidating the mechanisms behind these changes will be critical to understanding the complex nature of high-latitude variability and its impact on global climate change.     

Midlatitude Mesosphere/Lower Thermosphere Region Winds and Their Connection with European and Asian Tropospheric Parameters

Summary Investigation of long-term measurements of winter mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) region zonal winds has shown a connection of northern hemisphere tropospheric parameters and MLT conditions. These are on one hand due to a connection of the stratospheric polar vortex and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and on the other hand forced by a coupling of the troposphere/lower stratosphere and the MLT region through planetary wave propagation and wave-mean flow interaction. The connection between European and Asian winter climatological parameters and the NAO leads to the fact, that the signal of Eurasian winter conditions can be found in the interannual variability of MLT winds. Some of these winter tropospheric parameters influence the strength of the Indian monsoon in the following summer, and this leads to a correlation between winter MLT winds and summer Indian rainfall, so that the midlatitude MLT winter dynamics can be used as a precursory signal of the strength of the Indian monsoon. Received July 21, 1998 Revised November 1, 1999     

Solar wind: A possible factor driving the interannual sea surface temperature tripolar mode over North Atlantic

The effect of solar wind (SW) on the North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) in boreal winter is examined through an analysis of observational data during 1964-2013. The North Atlantic SSTs show a pronounced meridional tripolar pattern in response to solar wind speed (SWS) variations. This pattern is broadly similar to the leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode of interannual variations in the wintertime SSTs over North Atlantic. The time series of this leading EOF mode of SST shows a significant interannual period, which is the same as that of wintertime SWS. This response also appears as a compact north-south seesaw of sea level pressure and a vertical tripolar structure of zonal wind, which simultaneously resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the overlying atmosphere. As compared with the typical low SWS winters, during the typical high SWS winters, the stratospheric polar night jet (PNJ) is evidently enhanced and extends from the stratosphere to the troposphere, even down to the North Atlantic Ocean surface. Notably, the North Atlantic Ocean is an exclusive region in which the SW signal spreads downward from the stratosphere to the troposphere. Thus, it seems that the SW is a possible factor for this North Atlantic SST tripolar mode. The dynamical process of stratosphere-troposphere coupling, together with the global atmospheric electric circuit-cloud microphysical process, probably accounts for the particular downward propagation of the SW signal.     

Solar Wind:A Possible Factor Driving the Interannual Sea Surface Temperature Tripolar Mode over North Atlantic

The effect of solar wind(SW) on the North Atlantic sea surface temperature(SST) in boreal winter is examined through an analysis of observational data during 1964-2013.The North Atlantic SSTs show a pronounced meridional tripolar pattern in response to solar wind speed(SWS) variations.This pattern is broadly similar to the leading empirical orthogonal function(EOF) mode of interannual variations in the wintertime SSTs over North Atlantic.The time series of this leading EOF mode of SST shows a significant interannual period,which is the same as that of wintertime SWS.This response also appears as a compact north-south seesaw of sea level pressure and a vertical tripolar structure of zonal wind,which simultaneously resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) in the overlying atmosphere.As compared with the typical low SWS winters,during the typical high SWS winters,the stratospheric polar night jet(PNJ) is evidently enhanced and extends from the stratosphere to the troposphere,even down to the North Atlantic Ocean surface.Notably,the North Atlantic Ocean is an exclusive region in which the SW signal spreads downward from the stratosphere to the troposphere.Thus,it seems that the SW is a possible factor for this North Atlantic SST tripolar mode.The dynamical process of stratosphere-troposphere coupling,together with the global atmospheric electric circuit-cloud microphysical process,probably accounts for the particular downward propagation of the SW signal.     

20世纪北大西洋温盐环流的年代际变化试评估

根据相对丰富的大气器测资料,综合前人对有限的海洋资料的诊断分析,从北大西洋涛动(NAO)变率、表层海温(SST)变率、格陵兰海和拉布拉多海的深对流活动长期变化等不同角度,对20世纪大洋温盐环流(Thermohaline Circulation,THC)变率进行了试评估.结果表明:(1)19世纪末以来,大西洋温盐环流的变化可分为4个时期:1900年以前的一段时期,THC较强;1904年到1930年,THC较弱;1931年到1972年,THC较强;1973年至1995年,THC较弱,目前则又有所增强.(2)与THC的变化相联系,大西洋主要气候要素的变化,相互间存在着某种协调关系,THC强,NAO弱,北大西洋北部SST升高,格陵兰海的对流活动增强,拉布拉多海的对流活动则减弱.     

On the potential impact of the stratosphere upon seasonal dynamical hindcasts of the North Atlantic Oscillation: a pilot study

We have investigated the importance of the stratosphere?Ctroposphere linkage on the seasonal predictability of the North Atlantic Oscillation in a pilot study using a high horizontal resolution atmospheric general circulation model, and covering the 14 winters from 1979/1980 to 1992/1993. We made an ensemble of simulations with the Meteo-France ??Arpege Climat?? model (V3.0) with a well-resolved stratosphere, and a broad comparison is drawn with hindcasts from previously published experiments using low-top and lower horizontal resolution models, but covering the same winters with the same ensemble size and verification method. For the January?CFebruary?CMarch North Atlantic Oscillation index, the deterministic hindcast skill score is 0.59, using re-analyses as verification. It is comparable to the reported multi-model skill score (0.57). The largest improvement originates from the winter 1986/1987 characterised by a major stratospheric sudden warming. We demonstrate that there is then a high-latitude zonal-mean zonal wind decrease in the stratosphere?Ctroposphere hindcasts over a broad pressure range. This is consistent with a composite analysis showing that model anomalous vortex events, either weak or strong, lead to a North Atlantic Oscillation index anomaly in the troposphere, which persists, on average, for 1?month after the anomaly peaked in the stratosphere.     

Secular Variability of the Coupled Tropospheric and Stratospheric Circulation in the GCM ECHAM 3/LSG

Summary  Secular or multi-decadal variability is a widely observed phenomenon, apparent in instrumental and paleo climatic records. These long time oscillations are found in many variables of the climate system. The ocean especially experiences low frequency variations. But also atmospheric variables such as temperature, wind velocity and sea level pressure can show secular variability. The low frequency variability here is examined in the coupled atmosphere-ocean model ECHAM3/LSG T21. A coupled stratospheric and tropospheric mode is detected oscillating with a period of approximately 100 years. The atmospheric pressure system mainly involved in this oscillation is the northern hemispheric winter stratospheric polar vortex. The near surface temperature experiences variations of the same magnitude as the observed temperature trends of the last decades. Multi decadal variability is also shown in the North Atlantic Oscillation Index. A shift of the length of the oscillation period between longer and shorter time scales indicates that chaotic processes might be responsible for the variability. Received February 22, 1999/Revised August 5, 1999     

A two-way stratosphere-troposphere coupling of submonthly zonal-mean circulations in the Arctic

This paper examines the dominant submonthly variability of zonally symmetrical atmospheric circula- tion in the Northern Hemisphere （NH） winter within the context of the Northern Annular Mode （NAM）, with particular emphasis on interactive stratosphere-troposphere processes. The submonthly variability is identified and measured using a daily NAM index, which concentrates primarily on zonally symmetrical circulation. A schematic lifecycle of submonthly variability is developed that reveals a two-way coupling pro- cess between the stratosphere and troposphere in the NH polar region. Specifically, anomalous tropospheric zonal winds in the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Arctic propagate upwards to the low stratosphere, disturbing the polar vortex, and resulting in an anomalous stratospheric geopotential height （HGT） that subsequently propagates down into the troposphere and changes the sign of the surface circulations. From the standpoint of planetary-scale wave activities, a feedback loop is also evident when the anoma- lous planetary-scale waves （with wavenumbers 2 and 3） propagate upwards, which disturbs the anomalous zonally symmetrical flow in the low stratosphere, and induces the anomalous HGT to move poleward in the low stratosphere, and then propagates down into the troposphere. This increases the energy of waves at wavenumbers 2 and 3 in the low troposphere in middle latitudes by enhancing the land-sea contrast of the anomalous HGT field. Thus, this study supports the viewpoint that the downward propagation of stratospheric NAM signals may not originate in the stratosphere.     

两类极区平流层异常增温的特征及其与850hPa温度的关系

采用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,将冬季极区平流层增温分为两种类型:Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型,并分析了两种类型增温的特征、机制及其与850hPa温度的关系。结果表明,波动强迫的强度和对流层的热量能否向上到达平流层是决定两类平流层异常增温的两个主要因素。Ⅰ型平流层增温期间,对流层也表现出了明显的增温特征,850hPa与平流层温度距平场呈现相当正压结构,极区和中纬度异常表现为反位相的振荡,呈现典型的北极涛动的特征;Ⅱ型平流层异常增温期间,增温异常仅局限在平流层范围内,平流层的中低层与高层呈现反位相的距平分布,850hPa温度距平场呈现无规则的分布特征。     

MSU/AMSU微波亮温用于海洋高空大气温度气候变化研究的适用性探讨

利用美国大气海洋局卫星应用和研究实验室 (The Center for Satellite Applications and Research,STAR) 提供的MSU/AMSU卫星微波亮温资料V3.0版本,结合三套再分析资料数据集,通过对海洋上空不同高度、不同区域及不同季节的适用性分析,来探讨MSU/AMSU资料在热带海洋区域高空大气的温度变化特征,并通过合成分析揭示亮温资料与海洋的响应关系,从而探讨MSU/AMSU资料在热带海洋区域上的适用性和科学性。结果表明:（1）MSU/AMSU亮温资料在30 °E~70 °W,15 °S~15 °N范围的热带海洋区域适用性较好;（2）热带海洋区域对流层上层和中层大气均呈增温趋势,变化速率分别为0.045 K/(10 a) 和0.107 K/(10 a),增温突变现象出现在1980年代末—1990年代初,平流层低层大气呈降温趋势,变化速率为-0.345 K/(10 a),降温突变现象出现在1990年代中期;（3）在热带海洋区域,高空大气温度的变化趋势具有较强的区域性特征,相对于中东太平洋而言,印度洋-西太平洋区域的增、降温趋势变化更显著。对流层的增温幅度随高度的升高而有所降低。平流层低层的降温趋势在季节内变化不大,而对流层则是秋、冬季的增温趋势要明显大于春、夏季,冬季的增温尤为明显;（4）MSU/AMSU亮温资料对热带海洋温度异常有很好的响应关系,能在弥补海洋区域观测资料稀缺的情况下,对海洋区域起着较好的监测作用。      

DECADAL VARIATIONS IN CLIMATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION

Large changes in the wintertime atmospheric circulation have occurred over the past two decades over the ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere, and these changes have had a profound effect on regional distributions of surface temperature and precipitation. The changes over the North Pacific have been well documented and have contributed to increases in temperatures across Alaska and much of western North America and to decreases in sea surface temperatures over the central North Pacific. The variations over the North Atlantic are related to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Over the past 130 years, the NAO has exhibited considerable variability at quasi-biennial and quasi-decadal time scales, and the latter have become especially pronounced the second half of this century. Since 1980, the NAO has tended to remain in one extreme phase and has accounted for a substantial part of the observed wintertime surface warming over Europe and downstream over Eurasia and cooling in the northwest Atlantic. Anomalies in precipitation, including dry wintertime conditions over southern Europe and the Mediterranean and wetter-than-normal conditions over northern Europe and Scandinavia since 1980, are also linked to the behavior of the NAO. Changes in the monthly mean flow over the Atlantic are accompanied by a northward shift in the storm tracks and associated synoptic eddy activity, and these changes help to reinforce and maintain the anomalous mean circulation in the upper troposphere. It is important that studies of trends in local climate records, such as those from high elevation sites, recognize the presence of strong regional patterns of change associated with phenomena like the NAO.     

The Role Of Halocarbons In The Climate Change Of The Troposphere And Stratosphere

Releases of halocarbons into the atmosphere over the last 50 years are among the factors that have contributed to changes in the Earth’s climate since pre-industrial times. Their individual and collective potential to contribute directly to surface climate change is usually gauged through calculation of their radiative efficiency, radiative forcing, and/or Global Warming Potential (GWP). For those halocarbons that contain chlorine and bromine, indirect effects on temperature via ozone layer depletion represent another way in which these gases affect climate. Further, halocarbons can also affect the temperature in the stratosphere. In this paper, we use a narrow-band radiative transfer model together with a range of climate models to examine the role of these gases on atmospheric temperatures in the stratosphere and troposphere. We evaluate in detail the halocarbon contributions to temperature changes at the tropical tropopause, and find that they have contributed a significant warming of ~0.4 K over the last 50 years, dominating the effect of the other well-mixed greenhouse gases at these levels. The fact that observed tropical temperatures have not warmed strongly suggests that other mechanisms may be countering this effect. In a climate model this warming of the tropopause layer is found to lead to a 6% smaller climate sensitivity for halocarbons on a globally averaged basis, compared to that for carbon dioxide changes. Using recent observations together with scenarios we also assess their past and predicted future direct and indirect roles on the evolution of surface temperature. We find that the indirect effect of stratospheric ozone depletion could have offset up to approximately half of the predicted past increases in surface temperature that would otherwise have occurred as a result of the direct effect of halocarbons. However, as ozone will likely recover in the next few decades, a slightly faster rate of warming should be expected from the net effect of halocarbons, and we find that together halocarbons could bring forward next century’s expected warming by ~20 years if future emissions projections are realized. In both the troposphere and stratosphere CFC-12 contributes most to the past temperature changes and the emissions projection considered suggest that HFC-134a could contribute most of the warming over the coming century.