Tropical East-West Circulations During the Northern Summer

Abstract

Abstract Observational evidence of a major east-west circulation during the northern summer is presented in this paper. The geometry of this circulation is portrayed in the form of the streamlines of the divergent part of the wind for the seasonal mean motion field. It is, furthermore, shown that 1) the intensity of this circulation is comparable to that of the Hadley type circulation, 2) the circulation is thermally direct, 3) there is a generation of kinetic energy by these east-west over-turnings of mass, and 4) this circulation is distinctly different from the so called Walker circulation, the latter being a southern extension of the more vigorous east-west circulation.