Abstracts are due by 14 August 2025 at 5:00 PM ET
Abstract Fee and Author Instructions
All presenters must also register for the meeting.
The 23rd Conference on Middle Atmosphere is sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and organized by the AMS Committee on Middle Atmosphere.
Papers are solicited on the following topics:
Recent works have revealed a wide variety of connections between tropical convection and the middle atmosphere. In this planned session, contributions are solicited relating to (a) stratospheric influences on deep tropical convection and the MJO; (b) the influence of tropical convection (including the MJO) on stratospheric circulation and variability, (b) stratospheric influences on tropical/extratropical teleconnections or via direct downward propagation of circulation anomalies in the polar stratosphere; (c) the relative importance of the stratospheric influence on tropical convection and extratropical circulation as compared to that of variability originating in the troposphere–ocean system (e.g., ENSO variability).
The stratosphere is a key source of predictability of surface climate on sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) timescales. This session focuses on studies linking stratospheric processes to the predictability of tropospheric weather and climate. We welcome studies that evaluate stratosphere-troposphere coupling processes in S2S prediction systems, as well as studies that link model biases to prediction skill. We also consider presentations that discuss novel model experiments to better isolate the role of the stratosphere on the predictability of surface climate and extremes.
This session invites studies addressing upper tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols and interactions with chemistry, dynamics and climate. Of particular interest are 1) studies examining upper troposphere/lower stratosphere aerosols using measurements from recent field campaigns, and 2) studies on chemical and dynamical perturbations on the upper troposphere and stratosphere due to episodic events such as large pyro-cumulonimbus events and volcanic eruptions that reach the stratosphere and 3) perturbations caused by the space flight industry and 4) stratospheric aerosol-ozone-climate interactions associated with geo-engineering schemes. Observational and modeling studies ranging from local to global spatial scales and seasonal to centennial time scales as well as laboratory studies are all welcome.
Gravity waves have long been known as a critical driver of the general circulation of the middle and upper atmosphere through their ability to transport significant energy and momentum upwards from multiple tropospheric sources. Their role in modulating temperature, wind patterns, and chemical composition has a profound impact on climate, weather, and the overall behavior of the middle atmosphere. Despite their importance, understanding the sources, propagation, and dissipation effects of these waves from theory and observations and implementing this into global models has been a major challenge in recent decades.
In this session, we welcome abstracts on new developments (both physics- and machine-learning based) in gravity wave science from observations, modeling, and theory, including coupling to surface weather below and space weather in the ionosphere and thermosphere above. In all these areas, we strongly encourage and highlight validation studies that seek to compare observed gravity waves and their associated impacts in the middle atmosphere with predictions from relevant theories, models, or parameterization schemes.
The middle atmosphere plays an essential role in the global climate system and can influence tropospheric weather and air quality through dynamical and transport pathways. Significant progress has been made in simulating middle atmospheric processes, including the Brewer-Dobson circulation, ozone chemistry, and the climatic impacts of volcanic eruptions. However, challenges remain, such as accurately modeling the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and its teleconnections with the tropospheric processes. This session invites studies that evaluate the performance of current climate models in representing middle atmospheric processes, as well as efforts aimed at improving their simulation. We welcome contributions focused on, but not limited to:
-Dynamics: the Brewer-Dobson circulation, QBO, Semi-Annual Oscillation (SAO), gravity waves, polar vortex variability (including the Sudden Stratospheric Warming events), and stratosphere-troposphere exchange.
- Chemistry: Ozone, water vapor, nitrogen species, and their climate impact.
- Aerosols: Sulfate and nitrate aerosols, impacts of episodic events like large pyroCb events and volcanic eruptions, perturbation from the space flight industry, and geoengineering.
We also encourage submissions that examine the interactions between these processes, such as how aerosol and chemical compositions influence dynamics, and how dynamics, in turn, shape the distribution and impacts of aerosols and trace gases. By bringing together observational, theoretical, and modeling perspectives, this session aims to identify current gaps, highlight recent advancements, and foster discussions on improving the representation of middle atmospheric processes in climate models.
Large-scale atmospheric transport and mixing play a key role in shaping the global distributions of chemical species and their responses to future climate change. In particular, transport and mixing of mass and chemical species (e.g., water vapor, ozone, aerosols) in the upper troposphere and stratosphere have important implications for stratospheric ozone chemistry, the general atmospheric circulation, and surface climate. This session will highlight recent advances in our understanding of transport, mixing and associated composition changes within the upper troposphere and stratosphere on a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, tackling problems spanning past, present, and future climate. Modeling, theoretical, and observational studies are all encouraged.
The current generation of long-term reanalysis datasets has benefited from improved representation of the middle atmosphere, with many reanalyses now assimilating high vertical resolution spaceborne observations of stratospheric ozone and stratospheric and mesospheric temperature, among other improvements. In addition, capability is growing for using chemical data assimilation to capture the long-term evolution of stratospheric composition. Several long-term data records formed from directly merging observations from multiple spaceborne and ground-based sensors now exist and are widely used in scientific research. We welcome papers describing advances in the generation and validation of these valuable data resources, as well as studies using these datasets to advance our understanding of the middle atmosphere.
This session invites studies on the interannual and decadal variation and the long-term trends in the stratospheric circulation, variability, and composition, as well as their connections with other components of the Earth system. We welcome contributions applying novel analysis to observations, reanalysis data and model simulations.
Fluid dynamics manifests itself in a distinct way in the stratosphere and mesosphere due to their unique basic states, resulting in several intriguing features that only exists in the middle atmosphere, such as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), Stratospheric Sudden Warming (SSW), Semi-Annual Oscillation(SAO) and the Brewer-Dobson circulation. We welcome recent advances in the theoretical understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics and its coupling with other components of the atmosphere/ocean. Efforts of simulating middle atmospheric features in idealized models as well as in comprehensive models are especially encouraged.
For additional information, please contact the program chairs: Clara Orbe ([email protected]), Pu Lin ([email protected]), Peter Hitchcock ([email protected]), Yaowei Li ([email protected]), Eric Ray ([email protected]), Dr. Jessica Oehrlein ([email protected]), and Martina Bramberger ([email protected]).