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Narrowing of the upwelling branch of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation and Hadley cell in chemistry‐climate model simulations of the 21st century
Author(s) -
Li Feng,
Stolarski Richard. S.,
Pawson Steven,
Newman Paul A.,
Waugh Darryn
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2010gl043718
Subject(s) - hadley cell , stratosphere , troposphere , upwelling , climatology , atmospheric sciences , forcing (mathematics) , equator , climate model , rossby wave , environmental science , geology , general circulation model , latitude , climate change , oceanography , geodesy
Changes in the width of the upwelling branch of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation and Hadley cell in the 21st Century are investigated using simulations from a coupled chemistry‐climate model. In these model simulations the tropical upwelling region narrows in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The narrowing of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation is caused by an equatorward shift of Rossby wave critical latitudes and Eliassen‐Palm flux convergence in the subtropical lower stratosphere. In the troposphere, the model projects an expansion of the Hadley cell's poleward boundary, but a narrowing of the Hadley cell's rising branch. Model results suggest that eddy forcing may also play a part in the narrowing of the rising branch of the Hadley cell.