Author(s): Jonathan Jiang, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (First Author, Presenting Author) Yiyang Zhang, Fudan University Hartmut Aumann, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jiani Yang, California Institute of Technology Xun Jian, Self Yangcheng Luo, California Institute of Technology Yuk Yung, California Institute of Technology
We studied 20 years (2004–2024) of satellite data to understand how regular shifts in tropical wind patterns, known as the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), affect ozone, water vapor, and carbon monoxide high above Earth’s tropics. Our analysis found clear QBO-driven variations in these gases. An unusual disruption of the QBO in 2015–2016 also caused significant changes, linked to increased storms during El Niño. This work provides important insights for improving climate models and understanding atmospheric changes in a warming world.
