A New View on the Ferrel Cell

There are many arguments about whether and how the Ferrel cell exists because the upper flow in the classical three‐cell circulation model has been proved to be contradict with the modern observations that there are westerlies at the mid‐ and high‐latitudes. By using the reanalysis data of the NCEP/...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chinese journal of geophysics 2005-05, Vol.48 (3), p.539-545
Main Authors: WANG, Wen‐Lan, WANG, Yuan, WU, Rong‐Sheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Concept model
Ferrel cell
NCEP/NCAR reanalysis
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Summary:There are many arguments about whether and how the Ferrel cell exists because the upper flow in the classical three‐cell circulation model has been proved to be contradict with the modern observations that there are westerlies at the mid‐ and high‐latitudes. By using the reanalysis data of the NCEP/NCAR (National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) with the horizontal resolution of 1.0° × 1.0° (lat./lon. grid), the representative Pacific area (0° ~ 60°N, 160°E~120°W) in the northern hemisphere for summer (June–August) is chosen to analyse the 3‐D wind field. The mean meridional circulation of low‐ and mid‐latitudes, especially the Ferrel cell, is studied and a new concept model of the Ferrel cell is proposed. Compared with the classical model, the new model describes more precisely the low‐ and high‐level wind and has the ability to interpret how the westerlies sustain on the real rotating Earth.
ISSN:0898-9591
2326-0440
DOI:10.1002/cjg2.686