A study of the atmospheric circulation between equator and 60oN during the winter and summer seasons

Summary The mean zonal and meridional wind components and the mean mass circulation in different latitudes are discussed in relation to previous studies. Divergence and vertical motion are calculated for various latitude belts. There is evidence for a strong tropical Hadley cell with a temperate latitude indirect circulation during the winter season. During summer, the northern Hadley cell is weaker and displaced poleward; a circulation in the opposite sense appears in equatorial latitudes.The regional patterns of divergence and vertical motion appear related particularly to the position of the subtropical high pressure cells. Subsidence and lower-layer divergence are characteristic of the eastern flanks of the subtropical anticyclones, while the opposite pattern prevails on its western flanks. These longitudinal contrasts appear particularly pronounced during the summer season. The three-dimensional flow pattern in the tropics is illustrated by selected trajectories for the winter and summer seasons.