Does the ocean impact the atmospheric response to stratospheric ozone depletion?

The impact of atmosphere-ocean interactions on the atmospheric response to stratospheric ozone depletion is investigated using a global climate model with a fully resolved stratosphere, troposphere, and with and without an interactive ocean component. We find that while atmosphere-ocean interactions have an impact on internally generated atmospheric fluctuations near the surface they have no discernable influence on the externally forced atmospheric response to stratospheric ozone depletion. This implies that an interactive ocean component in global climate models may not be crucial for obtaining reliable projections of future atmospheric change following the anticipated recovery of stratospheric ozone. Citation: Sigmond, M., J.C. Fyfe, and J.F. Scinocca (2010), Does the ocean impact the atmospheric response to stratospheric ozone depletion?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L12706, doi:10.1029/2010GL043773.