Tropical atmospheric circulation response to the G1 sunshade geoengineering radiative forcing experiment

Abstract

We investigate the multi-Earth system model response of the Walker circulation and Hadley circulations under the idealized solar radiation management scenario (G1) and under abrupt4xCO2. TheWalker circulation multi-model ensemble mean shows changes in some regions but no significant change in intensity under G1, while it shows a 4 eastward movement and 1.9×109 kg s-1 intensity decrease in abrupt4xCO2. Variation in theWalker circulation intensity has the same high correlation with sea surface temperature gradient between the eastern and western Pacific under both G1 and abrupt4xCO2. The Hadley circulation shows significant differences in behavior between G1 and abrupt4xCO2, with intensity reductions in the seasonal maximum northern and southern cells under G1 correlated with equatorward motion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Southern and northern cells have a significantly different response, especially under abrupt4xCO2 when impacts on the southern Ferrel cell are particularly clear. The southern cell is about 3% stronger under abrupt4xCO2 in July, August and September than under piControl, while the northern is reduced by 2% in January, February and March. Both circulations are reduced under G1. There are significant relationships between northern cell intensity and land temperatures, but not for the southern cell. Changes in the meridional temperature gradients account for changes in Hadley intensity better than changes in static stability in G1 and especially in abrupt4xCO2. The difference in the response of the zonal Walker circulation and the meridional Hadley circulations under the idealized forcings may be driven by the zonal symmetric relative cooling of the tropics under G1.