The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations
Abstract Mock‐Walker simulations have the potential to play a key role in a tropical model hierarchy, bridging small‐scale Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium simulations and global models of tropical circulations. We demonstrate that mock‐Walker simulations transition from single‐ to double‐celled ove...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108945 |
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| author | Nicholas J. Lutsko Timothy W. Cronin |
| author_facet | Nicholas J. Lutsko Timothy W. Cronin |
| author_sort | Nicholas J. Lutsko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mock‐Walker simulations have the potential to play a key role in a tropical model hierarchy, bridging small‐scale Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium simulations and global models of tropical circulations. We demonstrate that mock‐Walker simulations transition from single‐ to double‐celled overturning circulations as mean Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is increased, with the transition occurring near 300 K. The transition is robust to domain geometry and microphysical scheme, and is favored by larger SST gradients. The transition is associated with the development of a mid‐tropospheric minimum in the radiative‐subsidence velocity over the cold pool of the simulations, and is likely reinforced by zonal moisture and temperature fluxes between the warm and cold pools. Several methods of suppressing the transition are investigated, but all set‐ups produce a double‐cell at sufficiently warm mean SSTs. The striking dynamical transition of mock‐Walker simulations dominates their response to warming, though its relevance for observed tropical climate change is unclear. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c173d43b040f4e3db3a3494ab323715f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-c173d43b040f4e3db3a3494ab323715f2025-08-20T01:51:55ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-07-015114n/an/a10.1029/2024GL108945The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker SimulationsNicholas J. Lutsko0Timothy W. Cronin1Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California at San Diego La Jolla CA USADepartment of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USAAbstract Mock‐Walker simulations have the potential to play a key role in a tropical model hierarchy, bridging small‐scale Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium simulations and global models of tropical circulations. We demonstrate that mock‐Walker simulations transition from single‐ to double‐celled overturning circulations as mean Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is increased, with the transition occurring near 300 K. The transition is robust to domain geometry and microphysical scheme, and is favored by larger SST gradients. The transition is associated with the development of a mid‐tropospheric minimum in the radiative‐subsidence velocity over the cold pool of the simulations, and is likely reinforced by zonal moisture and temperature fluxes between the warm and cold pools. Several methods of suppressing the transition are investigated, but all set‐ups produce a double‐cell at sufficiently warm mean SSTs. The striking dynamical transition of mock‐Walker simulations dominates their response to warming, though its relevance for observed tropical climate change is unclear.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108945cloud‐circulation interactionsconvectiontropical Dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas J. Lutsko Timothy W. Cronin The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations Geophysical Research Letters cloud‐circulation interactions convection tropical Dynamics |
| title | The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations |
| title_full | The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations |
| title_fullStr | The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations |
| title_short | The Transition to Double‐Celled Circulations in Mock‐Walker Simulations |
| title_sort | transition to double celled circulations in mock walker simulations |
| topic | cloud‐circulation interactions convection tropical Dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108945 |
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