Study of the Dynamics and Maintenance of the Intertropical Convergence Zones

热带辐合带（ITCZ）是气候学上的 地球大气层中的特征与 热带大尺度纬向（Hadley）环流和 低纬度地面环流 ITCZ推动了 循环细胞，其将动量和多余的热量从 热带到中纬度地区，从而影响斜压性的 中纬度地区，因此气候。此外，东太平洋 ITCZ似乎在大厄尔尼诺/南方 气候波动。 然而，动力学和能量学 维持热带辐合带的过程 我们对此知之甚少。 本研究探讨了维持 ITCZ现象和相关的大尺度环流，使用 一个大气环流模式和一个简化的三层模式 热带大气 私家侦探正在完成一系列 设计了GCM实验， 探索如何表面边界加热（海面温度） 和地形影响的位置，强度，能量， ITCZ的动态。 热带大气的三层模式 已经被建造和使用，以便于解释 的GCM实验（该模型明确解决了边界 层和自由斜压热带对流层环流）。 这些结果有助于更好地定义这种关系 ITCZ与大尺度对流层和地表之间 循环，因此有助于我们了解 全球气候

The Intertropical Convergence Zones (ITCZs) are climatological features in the earth's atmosphere that are intimately tied to both the tropical large-scale meridional (Hadley) circulation and the low-latitude surface circulation. The ITCZ drives the meridional circulation cells which transport momentum and excess heat from the tropics to midlatitudes, thereby affecting the baroclinity of the midlatitudes and hence climate. In addition, the eastern Pacific ITCZ appears to play a role in the large El Nino/Southern Oscillation climate fluctuations. Yet the dynamics and energetics of the processes maintaining the Intertropical Convergence Zones are poorly understood. This study examines the maintenance of the ITCZ phenomenon and the associated large-scale circulation, using a General Circulation Model and a simplified 3-layer model of the tropical atmosphere. The PI is completing a series of carefully designed GCM experiments with increasingly complicated forcing that explores how the surface boundary heating (sea surface temperature) and orography affect the location, strength, energetics and dynamics of the ITCZ. A 3-layer model of the tropical atmosphere has been constructed and employed to facilitate the interpretation of the GCM experiments (this model explicitly resolves the boundary layer and the free baroclinic tropical tropospheric circulations). These results are helping to better define the relationship between the ITCZ and large-scale meridional and surface circulations, and hence are contributing to our knowledge of the global climate.