The curious nature of the hemispheric symmetry of the Earth’s water and energy balances

Article

Stephens, Graeme L., Hakuba, Maria Z., Hawcroft, Matt, Haywood, Jim M., Behrangi, Ali, Kay, Jennifer E. and Webster, Peter J.. 2016. "The curious nature of the hemispheric symmetry of the Earth’s water and energy balances." Current Climate Change Reports. 2 (4), pp. 135-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-016-0043-9
Article Title

The curious nature of the hemispheric symmetry of the Earth’s water and energy balances

ERA Journal ID210339
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsStephens, Graeme L. (Author), Hakuba, Maria Z. (Author), Hawcroft, Matt (Author), Haywood, Jim M. (Author), Behrangi, Ali (Author), Kay, Jennifer E. (Author) and Webster, Peter J. (Author)
Journal TitleCurrent Climate Change Reports
Journal Citation2 (4), pp. 135-147
Number of Pages13
Year2016
Place of PublicationGermany
ISSN2198-6061
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-016-0043-9
Web Address (URL)https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40641-016-0043-9.pdf
Abstract

This paper presents new estimates of the hemispheric energy balance based on an assembly of radiative flux and ocean heat data. Further, it provides an overview of recent simulations with fully coupled climate models to investigate the role of its representation in causing tropical precipitation biases. The energy balance portrayed here features a small hemispheric imbalance with slightly more energy being absorbed by the Southern hemisphere. This yields a net transport of heat towards the NH composing of a northward cross-equatorial heat transport by the oceans and a southward heat flow in the atmosphere. The turbulent fluxes and hemispheric precipitation balance to about 3 Wm−2 with slightly larger total accumulation occurring in the NH. CloudSat data indicate more frequent precipitation in the SH implying more intense precipitation in the NH. Fully coupled climate model simulations show that reducing hemispheric energy balance biases does little to reduce existing biases in tropical precipitation.

Keywordshemispheric energy balance, surface heat budget, ocean heat storage, cross-equatorial heat transport, fully coupled climate model, tropical precipitation bias
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020379999. Other earth sciences not elsewhere classified
Public Notes

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.

Byline AffiliationsCalifornia Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States
Colorado State University, United States
University of Exeter, United Kingdom
University of Colorado Boulder, United States
Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q51yy/the-curious-nature-of-the-hemispheric-symmetry-of-the-earth-s-water-and-energy-balances

Log in to edit
  • 164
    total views
  • 10
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Projected near-term changes in monsoon precipitation over Peninsular Malaysia in the HighResMIP multi-model ensembles
Liang, Ju, Tan, Mou Leong, Catto, Jennifer L., Hawcroft, Matthew K, Hodges, Kevin I. and Haywood, James M.. 2023. "Projected near-term changes in monsoon precipitation over Peninsular Malaysia in the HighResMIP multi-model ensembles." Climate Dynamics. 60 (3-4), pp. 1151-1171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-022-06363-5
Borneo Vortices in a warmer climate
Liang, Ju, Catto, Jennifer L., Hawcroft, Matthew K., Tan, Mou Leong, Hodges, Kevin I. and Haywood, James M.. 2023. "Borneo Vortices in a warmer climate." Npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00326-1
Monsoonal precipitation over Peninsular Malaysia in the CMIP6 HighResMIP experiments: the role of model resolution
Liang, Ju, Tan, Mou Leong, Hawcroft, Matthew, Catto, Jennifer L., Hodges, Kevin I. and Haywood, James M.. 2022. "Monsoonal precipitation over Peninsular Malaysia in the CMIP6 HighResMIP experiments: the role of model resolution." Climate Dynamics. 58 (9-10), pp. 2783-2805. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-021-06033-y
The benefits of ensemble prediction for forecasting an extreme event: the Queensland floods of February 2019
Hawcroft, Matt, Lavender, Sally, Copsey, Dan, Milton, Sean, Rodriguez, Jose, Tennant, Warren, Webster, Stuart and Cowan, Tim. 2021. "The benefits of ensemble prediction for forecasting an extreme event: the Queensland floods of February 2019." Monthly Weather Review. 149, pp. 2391-2408. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-20-0330.1
Climatology of Borneo vortices in the HadGEM3-GC3.1 General Circulation Model
Liang, Ju, Catto, Jennifer L., Hawcroft, Matthew, Hodges, Kevin I., Tan, Mou Leong and Haywood, James M.. 2021. "Climatology of Borneo vortices in the HadGEM3-GC3.1 General Circulation Model." Journal of Climate. 34 (9), pp. 3401-3419. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0604.1
Walker circulation response to extratropical radiative forcing
Kang, Sarah M., Xie, Shang-Ping, Shin, Yechul, Kim, Hanjun, Hwang, Yen-Ting, Stuecker, Malte F., Xiang, Baoqiang and Hawcroft, Matt. 2020. "Walker circulation response to extratropical radiative forcing." Science Advances. 6 (47). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd3021
ETIN-MIP Extratropical-Tropical Interaction Model Intercomparison Project – protocol and initial results
Kang, Sarah M., Hawcroft, Matt, Xiang, Baoqiang, Hwang, Yen-Ting, Cazes, Gabriel, Codron, Francis, Crueger, Traute, Deser, Clara, Hodnebrog, Oivind, Kim, Hanjun, Kim, Jiyeong, Kosaka, Yu, Losada, Teresa, Mechoso, Carlos R., Myhre, Gunnar, Seland, Oyvind, Stevens, Bjorn, Watanabe, Masahiro and Yu, Sungduk. 2019. "ETIN-MIP Extratropical-Tropical Interaction Model Intercomparison Project – protocol and initial results." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 100 (12), pp. 2589-2606. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0301.1
Forecasting the extreme rainfall, low temperatures, and strong winds associated with the northern Queensland floods of February 2019
Cowan, T., Wheeler, M. C., Alves, O., Narsey, S., de Burgh-Day, C., Griffiths, M., Jarvis, C., Cobon, D. H. and Hawcroft, M. K.. 2019. "Forecasting the extreme rainfall, low temperatures, and strong winds associated with the northern Queensland floods of February 2019." Weather and Climate Extremes. 26, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2019.100232
Are changes in atmospheric circulation important for black carbon aerosol impacts on clouds, precipitation, and radiation?
Johnson, B. T., Haywood, J. M. and Hawcroft, M. K.. 2019. "Are changes in atmospheric circulation important for black carbon aerosol impacts on clouds, precipitation, and radiation?" Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 124 (14), pp. 7930-7950. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD030568
Impacts of hemispheric solar geoengineering on tropical cyclone frequency
Jones, Anthony C., Haywood, James M., Dunstone, Nick, Emanuel, Kerry, Hawcroft, Matthew K., Hodges, Kevin I. and Jones, Andy. 2017. "Impacts of hemispheric solar geoengineering on tropical cyclone frequency." Nature Communications. 8 (1), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01606-0
Southern Ocean albedo, inter-hemispheric energy transports and the double ITCZ: global impacts of biases in a coupled model
Hawcroft, M., Haywood, J. M., Collins, M., Jones, A., Jones, A. C. and Stephens, G.. 2017. "Southern Ocean albedo, inter-hemispheric energy transports and the double ITCZ: global impacts of biases in a coupled model." Climate Dynamics. 48 (7-8), pp. 2279-2295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3205-5
Using satellite and reanalysis data to evaluate the representation of latent heating in extratropical cyclones in a climate model
Hawcroft, Matt, Dacre, Helen, Forbes, Richard, Hodges, Kevin, Shaffrey, Len and Stein, Thorwald. 2017. "Using satellite and reanalysis data to evaluate the representation of latent heating in extratropical cyclones in a climate model." Climate Dynamics. 48 (7), pp. 2255-2278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3204-6
The impact of equilibrating hemispheric albedos on tropical performance in the HadGEM2-ES coupled climate model
Haywood, Jim M., Jones, Andy, Dunstone, Nick, Milton, Sean, Vellinga, Michael, Bodas-Salcedo, Alejandro, Hawcroft, Matt, Kravitz, Ben, Cole, Jason, Watanabe, Shingo and Stephens, Graeme. 2016. "The impact of equilibrating hemispheric albedos on tropical performance in the HadGEM2-ES coupled climate model." Geophysical Research Letters. 43 (1), pp. 395-403. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066903
Extratropical cyclones and the projected decline of winter Mediterranean precipitation in the CMIP5 models
Zappa, Gieuseppe, Hawcroft, Matthew K., Shaffrey, Len, Black, Emily and Brayshaw, David J.. 2015. "Extratropical cyclones and the projected decline of winter Mediterranean precipitation in the CMIP5 models." Climate Dynamics. 45 (7), pp. 1727-1738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-014-2426-8
Can climate models represent the precipitation associated with extratropical cyclones?
Hawcroft, Matthew K., Shaffrey, Len C., Hodges, Kevin I. and Dacre, Helen F.. 2016. "Can climate models represent the precipitation associated with extratropical cyclones?" Climate Dynamics. 47 (3), pp. 679-695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-015-2863-z
Regional climate impacts of stabilizing global warming at 1.5 K using solar geoengineering
Jones, Anthony C., Hawcroft, Matthew K., Haywood, James M., Jones, Andy, Guo, Xiaoran and Moore, John C.. 2018. "Regional climate impacts of stabilizing global warming at 1.5 K using solar geoengineering." Earth's Future. 6 (2), pp. 230-251. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017EF000720
Significantly increased extreme precipitation expected in Europe and North America from extratropical cyclones
Hawcroft, Matt, Walsh, Ella, Hodges, Kevin and Zappa, Giuseppe. 2018. "Significantly increased extreme precipitation expected in Europe and North America from extratropical cyclones." Environmental Research Letters. 13 (12), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaed59
The contrasting climate response to tropical and extratropical energy perturbations
Hawcroft, Matt, Haywood, Jim M., Collins, Mat and Jones, Andy. 2018. "The contrasting climate response to tropical and extratropical energy perturbations." Climate Dynamics. 51 (9-10), pp. 3231-3249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4076-8
Comments on 'Rethinking the lower bound on aerosol radiative forcing'
Booth, Ben B. B., Harris, Glen R., Jones, Andy, Wilcox, Laura, Hawcroft, Matt and Carslaw, Ken S.. 2018. "Comments on 'Rethinking the lower bound on aerosol radiative forcing'." Journal of Climate. 31 (22), pp. 9407-9412. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0369.1