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Characterizing the Variability of Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange in the Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere

Tropospheric ozone plays an important role in determining the oxidative capacity of the troposphere. It also impacts air quality and is a greenhouse gas. Changes in the abundance of ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) are of particular concern as it is in this region of the atmosphere that ozone contributes most strongly to the radiative forcing of the climate system. We use the GEOS-Chem model together with observations from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) satellite instrument to examine the influence of stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) on the abundance of upper tropospheric ozone. We characterize the regional and seasonal variations in mixing in the UTLS in GEOS-Chem and assess its impact on upper tropospheric ozone, with a particular focus on quantifying the contribution of STE to the ozone budget in the subtropics and mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere in summer.