Weather Banter - View Single Post - (Slightly O/T)Record Low Arctic Temperatures?

Keith Dancey · February 1st 05, 12:18 PM posted to uk.sci.weather

In article , Martin Brown writes:
Jack Harrison wrote:

"Simon S" wrote

temperatures at a 20 kilometer (12 mile) height had dropped to
an average of minus 80 degrees Celsius the lowest over the Arctic in half
a century.

Question. Might this paradoxically be a sign of global warming?

It could be a marker but only time will tell. The stratosphere may get
slightly cooler as the troposphere warms. It is complicated by the ozone
layer thinning. There have been a couple of papers about it fairly recently.

The stratosphere has been cooling and contracting for 40 years. This is
what is expected as the troposphere warms up. We have direct measurements
of the height of the ionosphere (from Stanley, Falkland Isles) for the
past 40 years showing a steady lowering of 35 Km over that period.

Of course, the cooling also facilitates the destruction of ozone, which is
why ozone depletion has not decreased in line with the drop in production of
CFCs etc.

Jack is spot on.

Cheers,

keith

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