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    Original Research Papers

    Aspects of the large-scale tropical atmospheric circulation

    Authors:

    Brian Hoskins ,

    Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, GB
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    Richard Neale,

    Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, GB
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    Mark Rodwell,

    Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading; Hadley Centre, Met Office, Bracknell, GB
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    Gui-Ying Yang

    Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, GB
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    Abstract

    An account is given of a number of recent studies with idealised models whose aim is to further understanding of the large-scale tropical atmospheric circulation. Initial-value integrations with a model with imposed heating are used to discuss aspects of the Asian summer monsoon, including constraints on cross-equatorial flow into the monsoon. The summer descent in the Mediterranean region and on the eastern sides of the summer subtropical anticyclones are seen to be associated with the monsoons to their east. An aqua-planet GCM is used to investigate the relationship between simple SST distributions and tropical convection and circulation. The existence of strong equatorial convection and Hadley cells is found to depend sensitively on the curvature of the meridional profile in SST. Zonally confined SST maxima produce convective maxima centred to the west and suppression of convection elsewhere. Strong equatorial zonal flow changes are found in some experiments and three mechanisms for producing these are investigated in a model with imposed heating.

    How to Cite: Hoskins, B., Neale, R., Rodwell, M. and Yang, G.-Y., 1999. Aspects of the large-scale tropical atmospheric circulation. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 51(1), pp.33–44. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v51i1.16258
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      Published on 01 Jan 1999
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 21 Oct 1998            Submitted on 28 Sep 1998

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