Variations of the Polar Temperature in the Lower Stratosphere during 1955-2004

The lower-stratospheric polar temperature in winter and spring for both hemispheres is investigated based on the NCEP/NCAR 50-year reanalysis data with respect to the strength of the stratospheric eddy heat flux. Both the polar temperature and the eddy heat flux show significant variation on the decadal and year-to-year time scales except during the Southern Hemisphere winter. The year-to-year variation in the polar temperature is mainly determined by the eddy heat flux convergence. The eddy heat flux convergence is compared with the diabatic heating rate obtained from a two-dimensional model. Radiative heating caused by absorption of solar radiation is comparable to the heating caused by the eddy heat flux convergence in the Southern Hemisphere. The effect of ozone depletion on diabatic heating has been found to be secondary in the Northern Hemisphere, even in March 1997 when the record depletion of ozone took place.