The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the main mode of variability in the Southern Hemisphere. It manifests itself via a poleward shift of the band of strong westerly winds called the jet stream, and has known impacts on rainfall and surface temperatures throughout the Southern Hemisphere. This project will investigate whether the temperature structure in the lower stratosphere just above the tropopause has an influence on the SAM, and if so, tries to quantify its influence. This is based on recent findings in relation to ozone anomalies and sudden stratospheric warmings, which both have been shown to have an impact on surface weather. The project will use existing climate data, and use an idealised climate model to run custom numerical simulations.
Supervisor: Martin Jucker (martin.jucker@unsw.edu.au)
Location: UNSW