Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2017. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-114). / The circulation of air in the stratosphere is important for the distribution of radiatively-important trace gases, such as ozone and water vapor, and other chemical species, including ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. Age of air in the stratosphere is an idealized tracer with unique mathematical properties, which we exploit to derive a theory for the relationship of tracer observations to the stratospheric circulation. We show that the meridional age gradient is a measure of the global diabatic circulation, the total overturning strength through an isentropic surface, and test this time-dependent theory in a simple atmospheric general circulation model. We apply the theory to satellite data of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 and nitrous oxide to derive the first observationally-based estimates of the global meridional overturning circulation strength at all levels in the stratosphere. These two independent global satellite data products agree to within 5% on the strength of the diabatic circulation in the lower stratosphere. We compare to re-analyses and find broad agreement in the lower stratosphere and disagreement (~ 100%) in the upper stratosphere. To understand the relationship between the diabatic circulation and other metrics of the circulation, we calculate it in a state-of-the-science atmospheric model and in three different reanalysis data products. The variability of the global diabatic circulation is very similar to one typical circulation metric, and it is correlated with total column ozone in the tropics and in Southern hemisphere mid latitudes in both a model and in reanalysis-data comparisons. Furthermore, we develop a metric for the mean adiabatic mixing, showing that it is related to the meridional age difference and the vertical gradient of age. We calculate this metric for a range of simple model runs to determine its utility as a measure of mixing. We find very little mixing of air into the tropics in the mid-stratosphere, and the vertical structure of mixing in the lower stratosphere and upper stratosphere varies among model runs and between hemispheres. A picture of global average stratospheric circulation could thus be obtained using age of air data, given reliable long-term records. / by Marianna Katherine Linz. / Ph. D.

This dissertation comprises multiple studies surrounding the middle atmosphere's chemistry, composition, and dynamics. The middle atmosphere refers to the region from ~ 10 km to ~ 100 km and consists of the Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Lower Thermosphere. The Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere are bounded by pauses where the strongest changes in chemical composition, movement, density, and thermal behavior take place. While several studies in the past have investigated the chemical composition of the middle atmosphere and quantified the distribution of various species from the stratosphere to the lower thermosphere, seasonal variations and redistribution of species resulting from transport events make it important to continuously monitor the middle atmosphere. Dynamic events such as Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW) impact the temperature gradient and the zonal mean wind pattern in the stratopause. Descent events triggered by SSWs result in enhanced transport of species from the lower thermosphere to the stratosphere. Temperature increments during SSWs have an important impact on Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs), resulting in Antarctic ozone enhancement and a smaller ozone hole. The middle atmosphere is, thus, home to a diverse range of dynamics and chemistry, making it a critical subject that warrants attention from the science community. The continuous monitoring of the middle atmosphere is important to this end. Several satellite missions in the past have been dedicated to monitoring the middle atmosphere and collecting data for decades. However, continual revisions and revaluations of measurement approaches and the introduction of novel space instruments are necessary to compensate for the limitations associated with existing missions, expand the extant specimen database, and improve phenomenon-centric observations. The Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) is one of the two instruments on the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft. The studies presented in this dissertation primarily focus on the use of SOFIE observations combined with results from other science missions, an atmospheric model, and other datasets. Chapter I is an overview of the research goals and the motivations that propelled this research. In Chapter II, a validation study of the Version 1.3 SOFIE ozone data against the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) and the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) ozone data is presented. The SOFIE-ACE and SOFIE-MIPAS data pairs demonstrate similar variability in the ozone vertical profile. SOFIE vertical ozone profiles agree best with ACE from 30 - 70 km and MIPAS from 30-64 km. The mean difference values averaged over all seasons and both hemispheres are typically < 24% with ACE and < 20 % with MIPAS. Atomic oxygen is an important species in the mesopause region (~ 80 – 100 km) that impacts the region's ozone photochemistry and radiative balance. In Chapter III, SOFIE ozone measurements used to derive daytime atomic oxygen are compared to coincident retrievals from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument and the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter radar (NRLMSIS 2.0) model. The datasets agree qualitatively. Results indicate a strong seasonal variation of atomic oxygen with summer and wintertime maxima at ~ 84 km and 94 km, respectively. The middle atmospheric composition is redistributed by the transport of species during SSWs. In Chapter IV, the 2019 SSW in the northern hemisphere that triggered a large transport event from the lower thermosphere to the stratosphere is evaluated using SOFIE, ACE, and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) observations. The event was similar to the major SSW-triggered descent events in the northern hemisphere since 2004 and led to the enhancement of nitric oxide produced by Energetic Particle Precipitation, attributed to unusual meteorology. The transport peak descended by ~ 5-6 km every 10 days. An SSW event occurred in the southern hemisphere in 2019 and led to enhanced ozone in the stratosphere. In Chapter V, satellite instruments, ground station data, and measurements from NASA Ozone Watch are used to conclude that large temperature increments evaporated PSCs, resulting in the lower conversion of halogen reservoir species into ozone-destroying forms. Thus, a large ozone enhancement was recorded in 2019. Chapter VI concludes all findings and Chapter VII summarizes future work. / Doctor of Philosophy / The middle atmosphere is the region between ~ 10 and 100 km in the atmosphere and is comprised of the Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Lower Thermosphere. The middle atmosphere is a dynamic region, and the chemistry of this region is subject to variations occurring naturally or those triggered by anomalous events such as Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW). Several species in the middle atmosphere need to be measured continuously or reevaluated for improved understanding. Dynamical events in the middle atmosphere are responsible for transporting and redistributing species in the middle atmosphere. Thus, the continuous monitoring of the middle atmosphere is necessary. Novel approaches with improved techniques and approaches are thus important to explore the middle atmosphere and quantify the chemistry of the region. The Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) instrument is an instrument onboard the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft. SOFIE typically measures at high latitudes and looks at a wide range of wavelengths. This dissertation uses SOFIE and other datasets to evaluate the varying chemistry and dynamics of the middle atmosphere. The dissertation addresses four research problems and assimilates them to evaluate the middle atmosphere. Ozone is an important species in the middle atmosphere, which is present in the highest quantity in the stratosphere, followed by the lower thermosphere (~ 85 – 100 km). Ozone is important as it absorbs ultraviolet radiations and impacts the stratospheric radiative balance. Missions in the past have monitored ozone in the middle atmosphere. Novel approaches and improved observation techniques to compensate for the limitations of past missions and the continuous measurement of ozone are necessary. Thus, ozone retrievals from SOFIE are validated against independent and established datasets to demonstrate the robustness and usability of the SOFIE ozone data product within the atmospheric science community. Atomic oxygen is an important species in the mesopause region (~ 80 – 100 km) because of its role in ozone photochemistry and impact on the radiative balance of the region. It is technologically challenging to make direct measurements of atomic oxygen; thus, most conventionally, derived measurements and model results are used. To this date, atomic oxygen has been understood in a limited capacity with several inaccuracies. To improve the understanding of atomic oxygen and fill the current knowledge gaps, atomic oxygen is derived from SOFIE ozone measurements during the daytime using the Chapman equations for ozone photochemistry. Further, the derived atomic oxygen is compared to other established datasets from satellite instrument-derived measurements and model predictions. The seasonal variability of atomic oxygen is evaluated with a focus on the difference in its behavior during summer and winter. Lastly, inter-hemispheric differences in atomic oxygen distribution are evaluated. Apart from the natural atmospheric variation in species, SSW-triggered transport events redistribute species in the atmosphere. The 2019 SSW event in the northern hemisphere was similar to those in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. Large quantities of nitric oxide were transported from the lower thermosphere to the stratosphere. Air poor in water vapor and methane was also transported. Atomic oxygen was transported from the lower thermosphere to several kilometers below in amounts higher than usual. The increased nitric oxide concentration in the stratosphere due to the transport catalytically destroyed the ozone in the region. The vertical transport rates were calculated to understand the speed of the descent. The low geomagnetic index in 2019, like in all years besides 2004, indicates that these events are attributed to unusual meteorology. An SSW event took place in the southern hemisphere in 2019 during the Antarctic winter. This led to a large increase in temperature, which evaporated the Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs). PSCs provide their surface for converting halogen reservoir species into ozone-destroying reactive forms. The absence of PSCs during and immediately after the SSW event led to a lower conversion of halogen reservoir species into reactive forms. Satellite instrument measurements agree with theoretical expectations. The 2002 SSW in the SH led to similar outcomes and are compared to the 2019 event. Large enhancements in ozone in 2019 led to the smallest ozone hole since ~ 1982.

The mean strengths of the wintertime stratospheric polar vortices are known to be related to the phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical stratosphere from circulation statistics - the "Holton-Tan relationship". The principal topic of this thesis is improving understanding of the mechanism behind the QBO's influence. Following the example of previous studies, the QBO influence on the Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropics on monthly time scales in an observational reanalysis is examined, and is shown to closely resemble the stratospheric Northern annular mode (NAM). It is argued that this may not be informative about the mechanism, as the response could be NAM-like for many different mechanisms. It is suggested that examining the transient response of the NH extratropics to forcing by the QBO would be much more informative, particularly on time scales of a few days. In a primitive equation model of the middle atmosphere, the long-term stratospheric NH response to imposed zonal torques is often found to be NAM-like under perpetual January conditions, with wave feedbacks making a very important contribution. However, the response in runs with a seasonal cycle is not NAM-like. Investigation of the transient responses indicates the wave feedbacks are qualitatively similar in each case but only strong enough under perpetual January conditions to make the long-term response NAM-like. This supports the hypothesis that feedbacks from large-scale dynamics tend to make the stratospheric response to arbitrary forcings NAM-like, and therefore indicates that the long-term response is not generally useful for understanding forcing mechanisms. Examining the short-term transient response to known torques is found to be more successful at inferring information about the torques than several other previously proposed methods. Finally, the short-term transient response of the NH extratropics to forcing by the easterly QBO phase in a general circulation model is found to be consistent with the proposed mechanism of Holton and Tan (1980), indicating that this mechanism plays a role in the Holton-Tan relationship.

Stratosphere Troposphere exchange (STE) is important to study as it controls the chemical composition of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS) and thus the radiative balance of this region. STE also controls the transport of chemicals into the stratosphere which are vital to ozone depletion. The troposphere and the stratosphere have specific chemical characteristics and the transition region between these regions displays characteristics of both. Ozone and water vapour concentrations can be used as tracers for the characteristics of the troposphere and stratosphere. This thesis develops measures in tracer space, which allow the determination of the strength and depth of atmospheric mixing between the troposphere and the stratosphere in extratropical regions. The application of entropy as a measure of atmospheric mixing as introduced by Patmore and Toumi [2006], is improved in this study. This is a measure of how the ozone and water vapour mixing ratios vary as a result of mixing. An additional metric to give further information on the form of the mixing line in tracer space is also developed. This measure uses the ozone and water vapour mixing ratios at the boundaries of the transition region (BO3 and BH2O). This study uses data from ozonesondes and hygrometers, along with satellite data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The ozone product from AIRS is also validated as part of this study. The entropy, BO3 and BH2O measures from this study, are successfully shown to detect regions of enhanced mixing in comparison studies. A key comparison shows that the measures developed in this study are able to produce comparable conclusions to higher resolution aircraft data, with regards to mixing. The separation of entropy, BO3 and BH2O, into different categories allows mixing processes to be assigned to some of the categories. Mixing is shown to have geographic preference, with some regions having significantly more mixing. Some categories have preference with regards to their location either poleward or equatorward of the jet stream. In addition, some information as to the direction of the vertical transport, whether stratosphere to troposphere or vice versa, is obtained.

<div> <div> <div> <p>Rapid melting of sea ice and an increased warming have been observed over the Arctic since 1990s and is expected to continue in future climate projections. Possible linkage between the Arctic sea ice and the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude circulation has been studied previously but is not yet fully understood. This dissertation investigates the influence of the Arctic on the mid-latitudes and the underlying dynamical mechanisms. Specifically, we hypothesize that the stratosphere and its coupling with the troposphere play an important role in amplifying and extending the mid-latitude circulation response to arctic warming. </p><p><br></p> <p>First, we assess the robustness of the stratospheric pathway in linking the sea ice variability, specifically over the Barents-Kara Sea (BKS), in late autumn and early winter to the mid-latitude circulation in the subsequent winter using an ensemble of global climate model simulations. We analyze two groups of models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) archive, one with a well-resolved stratosphere (high-top models) and the other with a poorly-resolved stratosphere (low-top models) to distinguish the role of the stratospheric pathway. It has been found that, collectively, high-top models are able to capture the persistent mid-latitude circulation response in the subsequent winter. The response in low-top models is, however, weaker and not as long-lasting most likely due to lack of stratospheric variability. Diagnosis of eddy heat flux reveals that stronger vertical wave propagation leads to a stronger response in stratospheric polar vortex in high- top models. The results robustly demonstrate that multi-model ensemble of CMIP5 high-top models are able to capture the prolonged impact of sea ice variability on the mid-latitude circulation and outperforms the low-top models in this regard.</p><p><br></p></div></div></div><div><div><div> <p>We further explore the dynamical linkage between the BKS sea ice loss and the Siberian cold anomalies using a comprehensive Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM), with a well-resolved stratosphere, with prescribed sea ice loss over BKS region. Decomposition of dynamic and thermodynamic components suggests a dynamically induced warm Arctic cold Siberia pattern in the winter following sea ice loss over the BKS in late autumn. Specifically, the results show that the meridional component of the horizontal temperature advection, from the Arctic into the Siberia, dominates in driving a cold temperature anomaly. Additionally, we conduct targeted experiments in order to quantitatively measure the role of the stratospheric pathway. We find that the stratosphere plays a critical role in the tropospheric circulation anomaly characterized by an intensified ridge-trough pattern that is attributable for the enhanced meridional temperature advection from the Arctic into the Siberia. </p><p><br></p> <p>Next, we extend our study to investigate the sensitivity to geographical location of Arctic sea ice loss and associated warming in modulating the atmospheric circulation. In particular, we assess the linear additivity of the regional Arctic sea ice loss and Arctic Amplification (AA), using a simplified dry dynamical core model. We find that the responses to regional AA over three key regions of the Arctic, i.e. Barents- Kara Sea, East Siberia-Chukchi sea and Baffin Bay-Labrador Sea, separately, show similar equatorward shift of the tropospheric jet but differences in the stratospheric polar vortex. In addition, responses to regional Arctic Amplification are not linearly additive and the residual resembles a positive Northern Annular Mode-like structure. Additional targeted experiments further diagnose the role of the stratosphere in the non-linearity. It is found that the stratosphere-troposphere coupling plays an important role in driving the non-linear circulation response to regional AA. </p><p><br></p> <p>The findings of our research leads to a systematic understanding of the role of the stratospheric pathway in modulating the mid-latitude circulation response to Arctic sea ice loss and accompanied surface warming. Our study suggests that the representation of the stratosphere in climate models plays an important role in correctly simulating the mid-latitude circulation response and could be accountable for the some of the discrepancies among recent studies. Additionally, the result indicates that studying the regional sea ice loss might not provide the full picture of pan-Arctic sea ice melting and caution the use of regional sea ice to explain the recent trend.</p></div></div></div>

The Earth’s atmosphere constitutes a complex system subject to a large number of forcings of both natural and anthropogenic origin; these influence its evolution on a range of timescales. This thesis makes use of the UMUKCA global chemistry-climate model to explore several aspects relating to the atmospheric response to the 11-year solar cycle forcing and future stratospheric ozone recovery. Firstly, following recent improvements in the model, the atmospheric response to the solar cycle forcing simulated in UMUKCA is discussed. It is shown that while some features show a broad resemblance to observations/reanalysis, there are clear differences with regard to other features; the latter could result from model deficiencies and/or uncertainties in the observed response. The role of analysis method and of interannual variability is also addressed. Secondly, the solar cycle response is separated into the individual contributions from direct radiative heating and from ozone production using a set of sensitivity experiments. It is shown that while the tropical yearly mean responses to the two components are generally linearly additive, this is not necessarily the case in the high latitudes. It is suggested that solar-induced ozone changes could be important for modulating the Southern Hemisphere dynamical response. Thirdly, the role of the representation of the solar ozone response is studied. It is shown that the choice of the solar ozone response prescribed in the radiation scheme in non-interactive ozone experiments has a substantial impact on the simulated temperature response to the solar cycle forcing. The Northern Hemisphere dynamical responses are found to be generally similar within the uncertainty. A comparison with an interactive ozone case is also discussed. Lastly, future ozone recovery is investigated using a seven-member ensemble of 1960- 2099/1980-2080 integrations. The long-term evolution of ozone in different regions is found to be generally consistent with previous modelling studies. The long-term trends and variability in springtime Arctic ozone and its chemical, radiative and dynamical drivers are assessed. It is shown that Arctic ozone increases in the future, consistent with future reduction in stratospheric chlorine, stratospheric cooling and strengthening large-scale circulation. Yet, the large interannual variability is found to continue and to facilitate episodic ozone reductions, with halogen chemistry becoming a smaller but non-negligible driver of future springtime Arctic ozone variability for many decades.

The eastward winds that form each winter in the Arctic stratosphere are intermittently disrupted by planetary-scale waves propagating up from the surface in events known as stratospheric sudden warmings. It is shown here that following roughly half of these sudden warmings, the winds take as long as three months to recover, during which time the polar stratosphere evolves in a robust and predictable fashion. These extended recoveries, termed here Polar-night Jet Oscillation (PJO) events, are relevant to understanding the response of the extratropical troposphere to forcings such as solar variability and climate change. They also represent a possible source of improvement in our ability to predict weather regimes at seasonal timescales. Four projects are reported on here. In the first, the approximation of stratospheric radiative cooling by a linear relaxation is tested and found to hold well enough to diagnose effective damping rates. In the polar night, the rates found are weaker than those typically assumed by simplified modelling studies of the extratropical stratosphere and troposphere. In the second, PJO events are identified and characterized in observations, reanalyses, and a comprehensive chemistry-climate model. Their observed behaviour is reproduced well in the model. Their duration correlates with the depth in the stratosphere to which the disruption descends, and is associated with the strong suppression of further planetary wave propagation into the vortex. In the third, the response of the zonal mean winds and temperatures to the eddy-driven torques that occur during PJO events is studied. The collapse of planetary waves following the initial warming permits radiative processes to dominate. The weak radiative damping rates diagnosed in the first project are required to capture the redistribution of angular momentum responsible for the circulation anomalies. In the final project, these damping rates are imposed in a simplified model of the coupled stratosphere and troposphere. The weaker damping is found to change the warmings generated by the model to be more PJO-like in character. Planetary waves in this case collapse following the warmings, confirming the dual role of the suppression of wave driving and extended radiative timescales in determining the behaviour of PJO events.

The eastward winds that form each winter in the Arctic stratosphere are intermittently disrupted by planetary-scale waves propagating up from the surface in events known as stratospheric sudden warmings. It is shown here that following roughly half of these sudden warmings, the winds take as long as three months to recover, during which time the polar stratosphere evolves in a robust and predictable fashion. These extended recoveries, termed here Polar-night Jet Oscillation (PJO) events, are relevant to understanding the response of the extratropical troposphere to forcings such as solar variability and climate change. They also represent a possible source of improvement in our ability to predict weather regimes at seasonal timescales. Four projects are reported on here. In the first, the approximation of stratospheric radiative cooling by a linear relaxation is tested and found to hold well enough to diagnose effective damping rates. In the polar night, the rates found are weaker than those typically assumed by simplified modelling studies of the extratropical stratosphere and troposphere. In the second, PJO events are identified and characterized in observations, reanalyses, and a comprehensive chemistry-climate model. Their observed behaviour is reproduced well in the model. Their duration correlates with the depth in the stratosphere to which the disruption descends, and is associated with the strong suppression of further planetary wave propagation into the vortex. In the third, the response of the zonal mean winds and temperatures to the eddy-driven torques that occur during PJO events is studied. The collapse of planetary waves following the initial warming permits radiative processes to dominate. The weak radiative damping rates diagnosed in the first project are required to capture the redistribution of angular momentum responsible for the circulation anomalies. In the final project, these damping rates are imposed in a simplified model of the coupled stratosphere and troposphere. The weaker damping is found to change the warmings generated by the model to be more PJO-like in character. Planetary waves in this case collapse following the warmings, confirming the dual role of the suppression of wave driving and extended radiative timescales in determining the behaviour of PJO events.

Stratosphere Troposphere exchange (STE) is important to study as it controls the chemical composition of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS) and thus the radiative balance of this region. STE also controls the transport of chemicals into the stratosphere which are vital to ozone depletion. The troposphere and the stratosphere have specific chemical characteristics and the transition region between these regions displays characteristics of both. Ozone and water vapour concentrations can be used as tracers for the characteristics of the troposphere and stratosphere. This thesis develops measures in tracer space, which allow the determination of the strength and depth of atmospheric mixing between the troposphere and the stratosphere in extratropical regions. The application of entropy as a measure of atmospheric mixing as introduced by Patmore and Toumi [2006], is improved in this study. This is a measure of how the ozone and water vapour mixing ratios vary as a result of mixing. An additional metric to give further information on the form of the mixing line in tracer space is also developed. This measure uses the ozone and water vapour mixing ratios at the boundaries of the transition region (BO3 and BH2O). This study uses data from ozonesondes and hygrometers, along with satellite data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The ozone product from AIRS is also validated as part of this study. The entropy, BO3 and BH2O measures from this study, are successfully shown to detect regions of enhanced mixing in comparison studies. A key comparison shows that the measures developed in this study are able to produce comparable conclusions to higher resolution aircraft data, with regards to mixing. The separation of entropy, BO3 and BH2O, into different categories allows mixing processes to be assigned to some of the categories. Mixing is shown to have geographic preference, with some regions having significantly more mixing. Some categories have preference with regards to their location either poleward or equatorward of the jet stream. In addition, some information as to the direction of the vertical transport, whether stratosphere to troposphere or vice versa, is obtained.

La dynamique de la stratosphère au printemps et en été reste à ce jour largement inexplorée. Or dans les contextes actuels du recouvrement de la couche d’ozone et de l’augmentation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre, une amélioration de la compréhension des processus dynamiques contrôlant la stratosphère s’avère nécessaire, afin de mieux appréhender l’évolution du climat dans le futur. Des observations satellitaires récentes du printemps/été arctique ont montré l’existence de phénomènes de transport irréversibles depuis les régions tropicales vers la région arctique. Cependant, les mécanismes associés à ces évènements restent mal connus. Ce travail de thèse consiste en l’analyse dynamique et climatologique de ces phénomènes, afin d’évaluer les mécanismes responsables de leur développement et de leur fréquence d’apparition. Une attention particulière est donnée aux rares évènements, où la signature de l’intrusion persiste dans une anomalie anticyclonique jusqu’en été, soit plusieurs mois après son établissement en région polaire. Les données des instruments satellitaires MLS/Aura et MIPAS/ENVISAT, de l’instrument ballon SPIRALE, et le modèle d’advection MIMOSA ont permis d’identifier, caractériser et quantifier ces évènements. L’analyse des conditions dynamiques a été faite à partir des données météorologiques réanalysées de L’ECMWF. Enfin, le développement d’un algorithme de détection systématique de ces intrusions a permis d’en établir une climatologie entre les années 1980 et 2011. Parmi les résultats majeurs de cette étude, il apparaît que la fréquence de ces évènements, contrôlés par l’activité ondulatoire, a fortement augmenté depuis les années 2000. Nous montrons aussi que leur développement au printemps est fortement lié à l’évolution dynamique de la stratosphère durant l’hiver et au régime de circulation intertropicale. / The stratosphere dynamics remains largely unexplored in summer and spring. In the context of the ozone layer recovery and the increasing of greenhouse gases emissions, efforts must be provided to improve our knowledge of the dynamical processes driving the stratosphere. Such improvements would lead to better future climate trends estimates. Recently, spring and summer satellites observations revealed occurrences of irreversible air masses transport from the tropics to the Arctic region. However, the associated mechanisms are poorly understood. The present work consists of dynamical and climatological analyses of these events in order to identify their causes and their occurrence frequency. In particular, we focused on the sporadic events, where the intrusion signal persists several months in the polar region, trapped within an anticyclonic anomaly before disappearing in summer. We used MLS/Aura and MIPAS/ENVISAT satellites data, the SPIRALE balloon borne data and the results of the advection model MIMOSA to identify, characterize and quantify these events. Stratospheric dynamical conditions are investigated using the reanalyses data of the ECMWF. Finally, a systematic algorithm to detect low-latitude intrusions has been developed and applied on MIMOSA results to perform a climatology between 1980 and 2011 The results suggest that the frequency of these events, driven by the planetary wave activity, is increasing since the 21st century. Furthermore, their occurrence in spring appears to depend on the stratospheric dynamical evolution during winter and on the tropical region dynamical regime.