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Future Changes in the Hadley Circulation: The Role of Ocean Heat Transport
Author(s) -
Chemke R.
Publication year - 2021
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 - 10.1029/2020gl091372
Subject(s) - hadley cell , circulation (fluid dynamics) , climatology , environmental science , ocean current , general circulation model , walker circulation , atmospheric sciences , latitude , atmospheric circulation , geology , climate change , oceanography , mechanics , sea surface temperature , physics , geodesy
The projected widening and weakening of the Hadley circulation hold large societal impacts at low and subtropical latitudes. Previous studies suggested that ocean heat transport (OHT) might play a central role in future circulation's changes. Here, using ensembles of model integrations, we quantify the role of OHT in the evolution of the Hadley cell over the 20th and 21st centuries. We find that by the end of the current century OHT reduces the widening of the circulation by ∼35% (0.42°) and its weakening by ∼60% (1.3 × 10 10 kg s −1 ). As a result, OHT delays the emergence from internal variability of the widening by 30 years and of the weakening by 20 years. Lastly, while oceanic heat uptake accounts for most of the reduced widening, and thus merely delays it by reducing surface warming, horizontal heat transport and net heat uptake have comparable impacts to reduce the weakening of the circulation.