Variability of total ozone at Arosa, Switzerland, since 1931 related to atmospheric circulation indices

Abstract

Atmospheric circulation determines to a considerable extent the variability of lower stratospheric ozone and can modulate its long‐term trends in Europe and the North Atlantic Region. Due to dynamical stratosphere‐troposphere coupling, important features of the variability of the surface pressure field are reflected in the long‐term total ozone record from Arosa, Switzerland. Significant (p<0.01) correlations between total ozone and different atmospheric circulation indices (NAOI, AOI, EU1, EU2) are found in all months except for April, June, July, and November for the period 1931 to 1997. An analysis of geopotential heights for the period 1958 to 1997 shows that these circulation anomaly patterns have upper tropospheric features over the North Atlantic‐European sector that are consistent with a dynamical influence on total ozone.