Long-term variability of stratospheric temperature above central Antarctica

Long-term variations of atmospheric temperature at different isobaric surfaces above central Antarctica were studied. Data of atmospheric balloon soundings at two Antarctic intercontinental stations Vostok and Amundsen-Scott (South Pole) taken for the last 40 years were used in this study. It was found that stratospheric temperature at both stations averaged seasonally or annually does not demonstrate any meaningful correlation with correspondent sunspot number variations. On the other hand, there is a notable correlation between stratospheric temperature at both stations and annually averaged values of the solar wind dynamic pressure. Mutual coupling between stratosphere thermal regimes at two stations demonstrates obvious seasonal dependence: there is a good correlation between them in summer while it disappears in winter and equinoxes. It was found also that stratospheric temperature above South Pole Station varies in the same manner as correspondent parameter above North Pole as reported previously by Labitzke and Naujokat [SPARC Newsletter 15 (2000) 11]. At both geographic poles, stratospheric temperature had obvious tendency to warming in 1972-1995. On the other hand, the correspondent Vostok data demonstrates clear tendency to cooling in this period. Possible explanations of these results are given. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.