Hadley Cell Edge Modulates the Role of Ekman Heat Flux in Future Climate
Atmospheric surface wind drives upper ocean circulations. Hence, a change in the surface wind pattern causes a change in ocean circulation. There is evidence that climate change alters the spatial pattern and strength of the surface winds. In particular, easterly winds in the subtropics are projected to expand poleward. The poleward shift of the easterly wind belt also has potential implications for the sea surface temperature (SST) variations because two important drivers of the SST are related to the surface wind: air-sea heat exchange and the advection of ocean temperature by the wind-driven ocean current. In the subtropical region, these two mechanisms typically oppose each other, acting to reduce the amplitude of SST variations. We show that the projected poleward expansion of the easterly wind belt will subsequently expand the subtropical region where these two mechanisms oppose each other toward the poles, with potential implications for subtropical SST variability