PCMDI > WCRP CMIP3 Model Output > Diagnostic Subprojects

PI:	Gastineau Guillaume
Institution:
Abstract:
The Hadley circulation is a key parameter for the climate stability. The large scale circulation in the tropics and its change had been studied in the IPSLCM4 CGCM, and it had been shown that the Hadley circulation decrease because of the dry static stability in the tropics. Those changes are followed by an increase of the export of energy by the atmospheric component of the CGCM. It is planned in this project to see the Hadley circulation in the simulation used for the AR4, particularly in the CMIP simulations, to see if the decrease of the Hadley cell intensity is a general fact of these simulations. Then, the geographical structure of the changes in the large scale simulations will be analysed. To go further, it is proposed to see if the change of dry static stability that explain the changes of Hadley circulation in all the model outputs, and to see if the export of energy to the pole is changed by the tropical circulation change.
Publications:
Gastineau, G., H. Le Treut and L. Li, 2008: The Hadley circulation changes under global warming conditions indicated by coupled climate models. Tellus A. Accepted. Abstract. Edit. Add Publication