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Future Changes in Seasonality of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Subtropical Highs

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079940· OSTI ID:1489286
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
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We report the subtropical highs have a zonal-mean and a zonally-asymmetric component related to the Hadley cell and land-sea contrast, respectively. Based on 37 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 models, relative roles of the Hadley cell and land-sea contrast in future changes of the North Pacific and North Atlantic subtropical highs (NPSH and NASH) are evaluated. Both the NPSH and NASH are significantly enhanced during boreal spring (April-June) but not summer (July-September). Although the zonally-asymmetric component contributes to more than half of the enhancement during spring, the zonal-mean component is responsible for the inter-seasonal contrast of the responses of the NPSH and NASH between spring and summer. Lastly, the seasonally-dependent Hadley cell changes are due to changes in tropical precipitation related to sea surface temperature (SST) warming, while enhanced land-sea contrast has comparable effects on the NPSH and NASH during both spring and summer, with important implications to US regional precipitation.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1489286
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1481824
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA--136261
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (4)

North American extreme precipitation events and related large-scale meteorological patterns: a review of statistical methods, dynamics, modeling, and trends journal September 2019
Regional Widening of Tropical Overturning: Forced Change, Natural Variability, and Recent Trends journal June 2019
Impacts of Subtropical Highs on Summertime Precipitation in North America journal November 2019
Ocean warming pattern effects on future changes in East Asian atmospheric rivers journal May 2019

Figures / Tables (4)

Figure 1(p. 3)figure Figure 1
Figure 2(p. 5)figure Figure 2
Figure 3(p. 6)figure Figure 3
Figure 4(p. 7)figure Figure 4

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Hadley Cell
North Atlantic
North Pacific
subtropical highs