Mean meridional transport of energy in the earth-atmosphere system using NMC global analyses and ERBE radiation data

Abstract

Recently processed data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) provides an incentive to continue investigations addressing the energy transport of the earth-atmosphere system. Within this study, we compare the top-of atmosphere ERBE net radiation measurements and derived energy transports thereof with computed transports derived from the daily global analyses of the National Meteorological Center (NMC). The period of study is for the year March 1985—February 1986, and the results are divided into the annual and seasonal averages. The basic result is that most features depicted in the calculation of meridional energy transports within the atmosphere are physically realistic. Mean motions dominate in the tropics, with contributions by both the Hadley and Ferrel Cells evident. Comparisons between these ERBE/NMC results and published results of similar studies aid the evaluation process. The greatest differences are found in the tropics, where the mean transports derived from NMC analyses are somewhat smaller than expected due to a weak Hadley Cell circulation.