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The relationship between large-scale vertical motion, highly reflective cloud, and sea surface temperature in the tropical Pacific regionVertical motion fields at 850 mbar over the tropical Pacific region are calculated from the 1963-1973 mean wind fields for 4 months of the year and for October 1972, the peak month in the 1972-1973 El Nino event. These vertical motion fields are derived using the projective separation technique, which has the unique property of separating vertical motion into components due to meridional wind convergence and zonal wind convergence. This separation permits investigation of the response of the Hadley and Walker circulations to annual and interannual variation of the sea surface temperature in the tropical Pacific. The large-scale features of the computed vertical motion fields are in agreement with those of highly reflective clouds, which indicate the locations of deep convection. Examination of the annual cycle of the vertical motion and its components shows no strong variation of the Walker circulation with the east-west gradient of sea surface temperature. On the other hand, a strong correlation is found between meridional overturning in the eastern Pacific and the local equatorial sea surface temperature: during El Nino events, the eastern and central Pacific contribution to the Hadley circulation tends to increase.
Document ID
19880067920
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Zimmermann, Peter H.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Newell, Reginald E.
(MIT Cambridge, MA, United States)
Selkirk, Henry B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA; MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
September 20, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 93
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
88A55147
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-703
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-85-17107
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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