Seasonal sensitivity of the Hadley cell and cross-hemispheric responses to diabatic heating in an idealized GCM

Journal article

The seasonal sensitivity of the Hadley cell to localized diabatic forcing is studied using a dry idealized atmospheric general circulation model. Sensitivities are broadly consistent with Hadley cell responses in observations and climate models to ENSO and global warming-like forcings. However, the exact seasonal sensitivity patterns highlight the importance of reducing the uncertainty in the size and position of expected anthropogenic forcings to understand how the atmospheric circulation will respond. The sensitivities reveal cross-hemispheric Hadley cell responses which project onto the eddy-driven jets and storm tracks. For summer hemisphere heating, the winter Hadley cell extent and jet latitude responses are highly correlated. For winter hemisphere heating, the summer Hadley cell extent and jet speed responses are highly correlated. These seasonal differences arise due to the contrast between the dominant winter Hadley cell and weaker summer Hadley cell.

Authors: Baker, H; Mbengue, C; Woollings, T

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union
• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 2533-2541
• Publication date: 2018-03-15
• Acceptance date: 2018-02-16
• DOI: 10.1002/2018GL077013
• EISSN: 1944-8007
• ISSN: 0094-8276