An introduction to the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone

(ITCZ)

Chia-chi Wang

Dept. Atmospheric Sciences

Chinese Culture University

Acknowledgment:

Prof. Gudrun Magnusdottir

Earth system science

University of California, Irvine

Visible Channel (~0.65 um)

ITCZ

Scale of different weather systems

Idealized simulations of Hadley cells

Northern hemisphere Summer Spring or fall

Strong cell in the winter hemisphere

Contour: streamfunction

pres

sure

Climatological flow

Zonal and time average of the wind field from the high resolution NCEP analysis from Aug—Oct, 2000—2002.

u

v

Climatological ITCZ

Waliser and Gautier 1993. Averaged from 17 years of monthly Highly reflective cloud (HRC) data. The number of days per month the given grid point was covered by a large-scale deep convective system, subjectively determined.

The shallow meridional circulation

A return flow atop the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), around 2-4 km, in the winter hemisphere (Zhang et al. 2004)

Meridional wind & RH (Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean (TAO) ship soundings) (Zhang et al. 2004)

Alt

itud

e (k

m)

Alt

itud

e (k

m)

Latitude

1-11 Nov. 2000, 95W

Aug.-Dec., 1995-2002, 95W-110W

Satellite images of the shallow ITCZ (20 Sept 2000)

VS

IR

Some interesting topics• ITCZ tends to stay in the NH.• Double ITCZ in the eastern Pacific• South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ)• East Pacific ITCZ and cold tongue complex• ITCZ breakdown• Equatorial waves (Rossby waves and Kelvin w

aves) v.s. ENSO• West-ward propagating disturbances (ex. East

erly waves) • Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) • Mesoscale processes related to cloud clusters

ITCZ breakdown

1988, IR Another case of ITCZ breakdown

Why is it important?

• To understand the basic dynamics of the ITCZ on synoptic timescale.

• An efficient way to pool vorticity in regions in the tropics which represents the early stages of tropical cyclonegenesis.

• Might contribute meridional moisture transport (need more data and study).

• It is an interesting topic.

Vortex roll-up simulation

Vertical heating profile

Horizontal heating profile

Wang and Magnusdottir (2005)

Relative vorticity ζ

+-

Potential vorticity (PV)

NPSP

Planetary vorticity, f

EQ

PV = ( f + ζ) / h

PV is conserved when there is no friction and no diabatic heating.

~850 hPa Potential Vorticity

PVU

Barotropic instability

(strong horizontal wind shear)

Idealized simulation of ITCZ breakdown

Wang and Magnusdottir (2005)

Characteristics of the ITCZ on synoptic timescale:

• The breakdown can be self-induced

• The new ITCZ re-forms within a few days

A strong mode of synoptic timescale lifecycle

North Eastern Pacific

u = 0 m/s

u = 2.6 m/s

easterly

Dispersion curve for equatorial Rossby

waves (n = 1)

Longwave approximation:Non-dispersive waves

Phase speed = 8 m/s

Magnusdottir and Wang 2008

ITCZ composite

(lag-regression between the raw vorticity data and the ITCZ index)

Magnusdottir and Wang 2008

Summary• The ITCZ goes through stages of

formation, undulation, breakdown, and dissipation on synoptic timescale.

• The ITCZ is a constructive feature. It is not a group of thermal-driven convective cells lined up in a row.

• A non-dispersive wave packet propagates westward in a constant phase speed.

Future work

• Its vertical structure needs more study.

• Wet convection in model simulation

• The interaction with other phenomena (on other timescales) such as MJO and ENSO.

• Mechanisms to form the ITCZ in details?

25-day running variance of the filtered vorticity

El Nino

El Nino

El Nino

La Nina

La NinaEl Nino

El Nino

El Nino

La Nina La Nina

Magnusdottir and Wang 2008

An elongated convergent area induced by a weak disturbance

Wang et al. 2010