title: The mystery of recent stratospheric temperature trends.
abstract: A new data set of middle- and upper-stratospheric temperatures based on reprocessing of satellite radiances provides a view of stratospheric climate change during the period 1979-2005 that is strikingly different from that provided by earlier data sets. The new data call into question our understanding of observed stratospheric temperature trends and our ability to test simulations of the stratospheric response to emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. Here we highlight the important issues raised by the new data and suggest how the climate science community can resolve them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA. davet@atmos.colostate.edu
authors.forename: David W J
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Dian J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Randel
authors.forename: Cheng-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Amy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mears
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osso
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000032:analysis; D002980:Climate; D057232:Global Warming / Q000266:history / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006802:Human Activities; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018531:Spacecraft; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D035501:Uncertainty