WCRP Special Workshop on Climatic Effects of Ozone Depletion in the Southern Hemisphere Report Available
Contributed by Marilyn Raphael, UCLA
A WCRP Special Workshop on the ‘Climatic Effects of Ozone Depletion in the Southern Hemisphere: Assessing the evidence and identifying gaps in the current knowledge’, was convened at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 25 February to 1 March, 2013.
The WCRP Special Workshop was held to examine our understanding of the links between stratospheric ozone depletion and recovery and the climate of the Southern Hemisphere including the Southern Ocean. Our understanding of the influence of increasing greenhouse gas concentration was also examined. Of immediate relevance to the CliC community is the discussion of the links between observed changes in the atmospheric circulation due to stratospheric ozone depletion and contemporary Antarctic surface temperature and sea ice trends. While the links to surface temperature changes in regions such as the Peninsula are clear, those to sea ice changes are not. The discrepancy between the modeled and observed sea ice trends was highlighted as an area for future research with specific reference to the need for a better understanding of sea ice formation processes and the interaction with the ocean and atmosphere. Download the report
At the upcoming SOOS SSC meeting in Shanghai the science theme workplans will be discussed. The workplans are supposed to present what the community have identified as being the gaps in observations/knowledge that SOOS can help fill. Anna Wåhlin has tried to summarize in a draft document the discussions about the Ice Shelf theme workplan from the FRISP meeting in Stockholm and from the Under Ice workshop and various other forum and seeks feedback on the draft before the 9th May. It will then be possible to incorporate the feedback into the document that has to be sent before May 10 (Australian time). All feedback is welcome though, also after the May 9th deadline - this document will serve as aid during the discussions during the meeting on May 20-22 so there will be good opportunity to bring up any feedback provided before the meeting. Send feedbak to: Anna Wåhlin e-mail: