Future Changes in the Hadley Circulation: The Role of Ocean Heat Transport

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Abstract

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 × 1010 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.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2020GL091372
Number of pages9
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume48
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 Feb 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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