Significant Relationship Between Hadley Circulation and North Pacific Oscillation

Abstract

AbstractThe present study addresses the variability of Northern Hemispheric Hadley circulation and North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) in winter and their relationship, employing NCEP/NCAR data for the period 1954~2003. In this research, the index for Hadley circulation intensity is defined as the maximum positive value of the zonal mean streamfunction occurring within the latitudinal zone of 0°~30°N, and index for NPO as normalized sea level pressure (SLP) difference between the region (20°N, 180°W~160°W) and the region (60°N, 180°W~160°W). The results show that the change of Hadley circulation is similar to that of NPO. They both exhibit apparent interannual and interdecadal variability, with a negative phase before the 1970s and a positive phase after the 1980s. In addition, there exist linear increasing trends for Hadley circulation and NPO. Hadley circulation is significantly and positively correlated to NPO on the interannual and interdecadal timescale. Due to the high comparability, the spatial structures associated with Hadley circulation and NPO are also alike over the Pacific. It is also suggested that the anomaly of the descending branch in 10°N~30°N and the ascending branch in 40°N~60°N over the Pacific may be responsible for the linkage of Hadley circulation to NPO.