ESS220
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Why Sudden
Warming?
q Planetary-scale waves propagating from the troposphere
(produced by big mountains) into the stratosphere.
q Those waves interact with the polar vortex to
break
down the polar vortex.
q There are no big mountains in the Southern Hemisphere to
produce planetary-scale waves.
q Less (?) sudden warming in the southern polar
vortex.