Discriminants of global stratospheric variability related to the equatorial QBO and the 11-year solar cycle

Previous studies of the interannual variability of the global stratosphere related to the equatorial QBO and the solar cycle (SC) (e.g. Naito & Hirota, 1997, Labitzke & van Loon, 2000) have primarily been based on analyses of spatial means or on local correlations. These studies have been unable to provide strong statistical support for their results. The application of disciminant analysis allows for the non-local spatial covariance of the spatially-resolved fields to be studied. The results depict the statistically significant patterns of variability associated with the different phases of the QBO and SC, such as an increase in sudden warmings of the northern polar vortex between solar max and solar min during the west-phase equatorial QBO.