The impact of oceanic heat transport on the atmospheric circulation

TL;DR

This study uses an idealized climate model to examine how variations in oceanic heat transport influence atmospheric circulation, energy cycles, and climate features like the Hadley and Ferrel cells.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of oceanic heat transport on atmospheric dynamics, energy reservoirs, and circulation patterns in an idealized Earth model.

Findings

Increased oceanic heat transport raises near-surface temperatures and reduces the equator-to-pole temperature gradient.

Larger oceanic heat transport diminishes the Lorenz energy cycle reservoirs and conversions.

The Hadley cell is more sensitive to oceanic heat transport changes than the Ferrel cell.

Abstract

A general circulation model of intermediate complexity with an idealized earthlike aquaplanet setup is used to study the impact of changes in the oceanic heat transport on the global atmospheric circulation. Focus is put on the Lorenz energy cycle and the atmospheric mean meridional circulation. The latter is analysed by means of the Kuo-Eliassen equation. The atmospheric heat transport compensates the imposed oceanic heat transport changes to a large extent in conjunction with significant modification of the general circulation. Up to a maximum about 3PW, an increase of the oceanic heat transport leads to an increase of the global mean near surface temperature and a decrease of its equator-to-pole gradient. For larger transports, the gradient is reduced further but the global mean remains approximately constant. This is linked to a cooling and a reversal of the temperature gradient in the tropics. A larger oceanic heat transport leads to a reduction of all reservoirs and conversions of the Lorenz energy cycle but of different relative magnitude for the individual components. The available potential energy of the zonal mean flow and its conversion to eddy available potential energy are affected most. Both Hadley and Ferrel cell show a decline for increasing oceanic heat transport with the Hadley cell being more sensitive. Both cells exhibit a poleward shift of their maxima, and the Hadley cell broadens for larger oceanic transports. The partitioning by means of the Kuo-Eliassen equation reveals that zonal mean diabatic heating and friction are the most important sources for changes of the Hadley cell while the behaviour of the Ferrell cell is mostly controlled by friction.