ITCZ Position and Cross-Equatorial Energy Transport in the MERRA2 Reanalyses

Recent studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between atmospheric heat transport across the equator (AHT_EQ) and the position of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) coincident with the upward branch of the Hadley Circulation. Climatological ITCZ is located just north of the equator, associated with southward atmospheric heat transport from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. The shifts of the ITCZ on seasonal, annual and longer time scales are linked to the changes in the cross-equatorial energy transport. We test the ITCZ-AHT_EQ relationships on various time scales in the MERRA2 reanalyses and compare the results with satellite observations and other reanalyses datasets. We find large discrepancies exist among the datasets. The radiative and non-radiative components of the energy fluxes are examined to identify the primary sources for the discrepancies.