The Influence of Concentrated Heating on the Hadley Circulation

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Abstract
This study extends the earlier work on Hadley circulations forced by broad, global heating distributions to situations where heating is latitudinally concentrated. In the case of heating symmetrically centered on the equator, concentration unambiguously increases the intensity of the Hadley circulation—by up to a factor of 5. For heating centered off the equator, its effect depends on whether the concentration is drawn symmetrically from both sides of the heating maximum or whether the heat is preferentially drawn from the winter side. In the latter case, concentration again leads to pronounced intensification of the Hadley circulation. Indeed, agreement between the calculated and observed Hadley intensity is achieved with mild concentration, consistent with the observed zonally averaged precipitation, rather than the narrower rainfall association with the ITCZ. This suggests that a weakening of those processes that broaden the zonally averaged rainfall (i.e., the easterly waves and regional land... Abstract This study extends the earlier work on Hadley circulations forced by broad, global heating distributions to situations where heating is latitudinally concentrated. In the case of heating symmetrically centered on the equator, concentration unambiguously increases the intensity of the Hadley circulation—by up to a factor of 5. For heating centered off the equator, its effect depends on whether the concentration is drawn symmetrically from both sides of the heating maximum or whether the heat is preferentially drawn from the winter side. In the latter case, concentration again leads to pronounced intensification of the Hadley circulation. Indeed, agreement between the calculated and observed Hadley intensity is achieved with mild concentration, consistent with the observed zonally averaged precipitation, rather than the narrower rainfall association with the ITCZ. This suggests that a weakening of those processes that broaden the zonally averaged rainfall (i.e., the easterly waves and regional land...

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