Tropical convective transport and the Walker circulation
Item
Title (Dublin Core)
Tropical convective transport and the Walker circulation
Description (Dublin Core)
We introduce a methodology to visualise rapid vertical and zonal tropical transport pathways. Using prescribed sea-surface temperatures in four monthly model integrations for 2005, we characterise preferred transport routes from the troposphere to the stratosphere in a high resolution climate model. Most efficient transport is modelled over the Maritime Continent (MC) in November and February, i.e., boreal winter. In these months, the ascending branch of the Walker Circulation over the MC is formed in conjunction with strong deep convection, allowing fast transport into the stratosphere. In the model the upper tropospheric zonal winds associated with the Walker Circulation are also greatest in these months in agreement with ERA-Interim reanalysis data. We conclude that the Walker circulation plays an important role in the seasonality of fast tropical transport from the lower and middle troposphere to the upper troposphere and so impacts at the same time the potential supply of surface emissions to the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and subsequently to the stratosphere.
Creator (Dublin Core)
Hosking, J. S.
Russo, M. R.
Braesicke, P.
Pyle, J. A.
Date (Dublin Core)
2018-01-15
Type (Dublin Core)
Text
Format (Dublin Core)
application/pdf
Identifier (Dublin Core)
10.5194/acp-12-9791-2012
https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/12/9791/2012/
Source (Dublin Core)
eISSN: 1680-7324
Language (Dublin Core)
eng
