On the relation between total ozone and meteorology

A relationship is derived between absolute vorticity in the lower stratosphere and the total‐ozone column. This relationship shows that reversible deformations to the flow in the lower stratosphere on synoptic scales or smaller (such as trough/ridge patterns) cause perturbations in total ozone which depend on the amplitude and depth of the vorticity anomaly. Examples are presented showing excellent correspondence between total ozone and vorticity charts, even on mesoscales. Grid correlations show that at least half the variance in total ozone is related to variations in the vorticity just above the tropopause. Some applications of the ozone‐vorticity relationship are discussed.