Phys.org November 8, 2021
Tropopause height (H) is a sensitive diagnostic for anthropogenic climate change. Previous studies showed increases in H over 1980–2000 but were inconsistent in projecting H trends after 2000. While H generally responds to temperature changes in the troposphere and stratosphere, the relative importance of these two contributions is uncertain. An international team of researchers (China, Canada, USA – NCAR, Boulder CO, Austria) used radiosonde balloon observations in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) over 20°N to 80°N to reveal a continuous rise of H over 1980–2020. Over 2001–2020, H increases at 50 to 60 m/decade, which is comparable to the trend over 1980–2000. The GPS radio occultation measurements from satellites and homogenized radiosonde records are in good agreement with those results. The continuous rise of the tropopause in the NH after 2000 results primarily from tropospheric warming. A large trend in H remains after major natural forcing for H are removed, providing further observational evidence for anthropogenic climate change…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Tropopause height in the Northern Hemisphere has continuously risen since 1980. Tropospheric warming due to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect is the main contributing factor for the rise after 2000. Credit: Meng et al., Sci. Adv. 2021; 7 : eabi8065