Dynamics of the Arctic polar vortex during the 1984/1985 sudden stratospheric warming

Abstract

Abstract The Arctic stratospheric polar vortex usually forms in October, reaches its peak intensity in December, and decays from February to April. In most cases, the breakdown of the Arctic polar vortex occurs under the influence of vertically propagating planetary Rossby waves. The influence of planetary wave activity on the polar vortex leads to a displacement or breakdown accompanied by a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW). One of the earliest SSWs was observed on December 29, 1984, after which the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere had not fully recovered and existed for less than 3 months since October. In this study, we analyze the dynamics of the stratospheric polar vortex under the influence of planetary wave activity in the winter of 1984-1985.