Further Observational Evidence of Hadley Cell Widening in the Southern Hemisphere
Various observational and modeling studies have shown that the Hadley cell (HC) has widened during the past few decades. Here, we present further observational evidence of the widening of the HC in the Southern Hemisphere by tracking the location of the subtropical ridge. A robust and significant poleward shift of the southern edge of the HC has been observed during the austral summer over the past three decades with a shift of 0.22 degrees per decade having occurred between 1980 and 2012, primarily from the South Atlantic Ocean to Australia. In other seasons, significant changes in the southern edge of the HC have not been observed, with a discernable regional trend having only occurred in a limited region. The comparison of these results with those derived from reanalysis data and possible causes for the summer HC expansion are briefly discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1132189
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-100967; KP1703010
- Journal Information:
- Geophysical Research Letters, 41(7):2590–2597, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters, 41(7):2590–2597
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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