Interannual variability of total ozone and its relation with the Asia Pacific Wave

Analysis of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis wind data shows the presence of a stationary Rossby wave in the lower stratosphere during May. This wave is seen prominently below 70 hPa level, confined between 10°N and 50°N latitudes and has a zonal wave number of 6 or 7. It is an extension into the stratosphere of the Asia Pacific Wave (APW) of the troposphere documented by Joseph and Srinivasan (1999) . As in the troposphere, in the lower stratosphere this wave shows a phase shift of 20° longitude between deficient and excess Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) years. This wave has maximum amplitude at about 200 hPa. The amplitude of the wave decreases both above and below 200 hPa level. The large-amplitude portion of this wave is thus situated in the break region between the tropical and extratropical tropopauses around 30°N latitude. It is suggested that this large-amplitude APW exchanges the tropical and extratropical airmasses through the tropopause break, making the APW signature seen in the satellite monitored total ozone (TOMS data). APW is found to exist in the following monsoon season (June to September) with the same phase as in May and its signature is also seen in that season in total ozone.