Continuous rise of the tropopause in the Northern Hemisphere over 1980-2020

Tropopause height (H) is a sensitive diagnostic for anthropogenic climate change. Previous studies showed increases in H over 1980-2000 but were inconsistent in projecting H trends after 2000. While H generally responds to temperature changes in the troposphere and stratosphere, the relative importance of these two contributions is uncertain. Here, we use radiosonde balloon observations in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) over 20 degrees N to 80 degrees N to reveal a continuous rise of H over 1980-2020. Over 2001-2020, H increases at 50 to 60 m/decade, which is comparable to the trend over 1980-2000. The GPS radio occultation measurements from satellites and homogenized radiosonde records are in good agreement with those results. The continuous rise of the tropopause in the NH after 2000 results primarily from tropospheric warming. A large trend in H remains after major natural forcings for H are removed, providing further observational evidence for anthropogenic climate change.

Automated summary

Studies have found that the tropopause height in the Northern Hemisphere has been continuously rising from 1980 to 2020, especially with a comparable trend after 2000 as seen in the previous two decades. This continuous rise is primarily attributed to tropospheric warming.