11.4
A simple moist hadley cell model
PAPER WITHDRAWN
Lorenzo M. Polvani, Columbia University, New York, NY; and A. H. Sobel and J. D. Neelin
We study a simple axisymmetric model of the moist Hadley circulation. The model is based on the Neelin-Zeng quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model (QTCM), but incorporates several additional simplifying assumptions, allowing steady-state axisymmetric solutions to be obtained directly. The model differs from the standard Schneider-Lindzen-Held-Hou type models in the incorporation of an explicit moisture equation. We focus on new dynamics introduced by moisture, addressing questions such as how the size of the Hadley cell depends on the bulk exchange coefficient for the surface latent heat flux, what controls the spatial extent of the precipitating region, and how simply parameterized cloud-radiative feedbacks affect the solution. Both fixed sea surface temperature and a dynamically passive ocean mixed layer are considered as lower boundary conditions.
Session 11, Tropical Circulations
Wednesday, 11 June 2003, 2:00 PM-3:45 PM
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