What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the physical mechanisms by which extratropical thermal forcing displaces the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

July 15, 2008Journal of ClimateOpen Access

The Response of the ITCZ to Extratropical Thermal Forcing: Idealized Slab-Ocean Experiments with a GCM

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Authors

SKSarah M. KangNSF National Center for Atmospheric Research IHIsaac M. HeldNSF National Center for Atmospheric Research DFDargan M. W. FriersonUniversity of Washington

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Implication

General circulation model experiments demonstrate that extratropical thermal forcing shifts the intertropical convergence zone, highlighting the crucial role of convective cloud feedback.

Key Points

To investigate the physical mechanisms by which extratropical thermal forcing displaces the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
Coupled an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) to an idealized slab mixed-layer ocean.
Imposed an asymmetric cross-equatorial heat flux beneath the mixed layer to cool the northern extratropics and warm the southern extratropics.
Evaluated model sensitivity by adjusting an entrainment parameter within the convective parameterization scheme.
Extratropical thermal asymmetry induced a southward displacement of the ITCZ, mediated by compensation between imposed oceanic heat transport and tropical atmospheric energy flux.
The magnitude of the ITCZ shift was strongly sensitive to convective plume entrainment, which primarily altered tropical cloud feedback.

Cite This Study

Kang et al. (2008) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d762e5b6e34cdcae48f727 https://doi.org/10.1175/2007jcli2146.1

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Implication

General circulation model experiments demonstrate that extratropical thermal forcing shifts the intertropical convergence zone, highlighting the crucial role of convective cloud feedback.

The Response of the ITCZ to Extratropical Thermal Forcing: Idealized Slab-Ocean Experiments with a GCM

Discussion

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

The Response of the ITCZ to Extratropical Thermal Forcing: Idealized Slab-Ocean Experiments with a GCM

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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