The Curious Association Between Hadley Circulation Intensity and the Meridional Distribution of Tropical Cyclones in the Eastern North Pacific

TL;DR

This study explores the inverse relationship between Hadley circulation strength and tropical cyclone characteristics in the eastern North Pacific, attributing it mainly to an equatorward shift of the ITCZ influenced by hemispheric warming.

Contribution

It reveals that the inverse relationship is primarily driven by an equatorward shift of the ITCZ and moderate changes in vertical shear, offering a new physical explanation for this basin-specific phenomenon.

Findings

Inverse relationship linked to ITCZ shift and vertical shear changes

Equatorward ITCZ shift over warmer waters explains stronger Hadley circulation

Hemispheric warming may cause ITCZ shift, affecting cyclone distribution

Abstract

It has recently been shown that an interesting inverse relationship exists between the strength of the overturning in the regional boreal Hadley circulation and tropical cyclone genesis and lifetime maximum intensity latitudes in the eastern North Pacific. One of the particularly curious aspects of this association is its uniqueness to this ocean basin. We show here that this result can be understood as the outcome of an equatorward shift in the local Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and a moderate reduction of tropical vertical shear. These two factors are not necessarily concomitant. The magnitude of the vertical shear change is low enough to suggest that the primary physical mechanism behind this inverse relationship is the equatorward shift in the ITCZ. Since a significant proportion of tropical cyclone genesis results from aggregated convective cells forming into a coherent convective vortex and being shed from the ITCZ, this shift is apparently sufficient to explain the observed association. The equatorward shift in the ITCZ is potentially the result of a relative warming of the Southern Hemisphere in the boreal tropical cyclone season. This more equatorward ITCZ, located over warmer surface waters, presumably explains the more intense Hadley circulation, despite a reduction of the large-scale boreal meridional temperature gradient. Although, these links require further research.