Observational and modeling study of the maintenance of short-term subtropical wind maxima in the Southern Hemisphere during SOP-1, FGGEThe findings of the earlier observational work of Hurrel and Vincent (1990) are substantiated using a recent version of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres fourth-order general circulation model. The observed heating and subtropical zonal flow structure over the South Pacific is reproduced by a control integration with full model physics, for the period of 6-20 January 1979. A subtropical westerly maximum observed over the central South Pacific is found to be highly correlated to enhancements of poleward-moving divergent outflow from tropical heat sources. The divergent meridional flow accounted for much of the total ageostrophic meridional wind in the Southern Hemisphere subtropics, and, consequently, resulted in strong Coriolis accelerations in the entrance regions westerly maxima.
Document ID
19930070885
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hurrell, James W. (NCAR Boulder, CO, United States)
Vincent, Dayton G. (Purdue Univ. West Lafayette, IN, United States)