Evolution of the eastward shift in the quasi-stationary minimum of the
Antarctic total ozone column
Abstract. The quasi-stationary pattern of the Antarctic total ozone has changed during the last four decades, demonstrating an eastward shift in the zonal ozone minimum. In this work, the association between the longitudinal shift of the zonal ozone minimum and changes in meteorological fields in austral spring (September–November) for 1979–2014 is analyzed. Regressive, correlative and anomaly composite analyses are applied to reanalysis data. Patterns of the Southern Annular Mode and quasi-stationary zonal waves 1 and 3 in the meteorological fields show relationships with interannual variability in the longitude of the zonal ozone minimum. On decadal time scales, consistent longitudinal shifts of the zonal ozone minimum and zonal wave 3 pattern in the middle troposphere temperature at the southern mid-latitudes are shown. As known, Antarctic ozone depletion in spring is strongly projected on the Southern Annular Mode in summer and impacts tropospheric climate. The results of this study suggest that changes in zonal ozone asymmetry accompanying the ozone depletion could be associated with regional climate changes in the Southern Hemisphere in spring.