13th Conference on Middle Atmosphere
15th Conference on Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics
17th Conference on Climate Variability and Change

J10.7

Causes of recent changes in the strength of the Hadley cell.

Christos M. Mitas, Univ. of Miami, Miami, FL; and A. Clement

Strengthening trends in the tropical mean meridional circulation (Hadley cell) have been recently documented in both NCEP and ERA40 reanalyses. This trend coincides with trends in the high latitude annular modes. Here we examine the extent to which these trends in low and high latitude circulations are related to each other. We use both reanalyses data and an optimal interpolation of COADS data to calculate the trends in sea-level pressure which shows both a clear annular mode signal in the extra-tropics, and a Hadley cell signal in the tropics. Possible mechanisms of extratropical influence to the Hadley cell circulation by eddy heat and momentum fluxes in the subtropics are investigated using reanalyses data. .

Joint Session 10, climate variability and trends (Joint with Middle Atmosphere, Fluid Dynamics and Climate Variations)(especially Middle Atmosphere)
Thursday, 16 June 2005, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, Ballroom D

Previous paper  Next paper

Browse or search entire meeting

AMS Home Page