16.01.2017: FB1-Seminar

11:00 h, Hörsaal, Düsternbrooker Weg 20

Abstract:

Earth’s tropical belt can be defined by the band of rainy equatorial regions bordered by the arid subtropics to the north and the south. Because of the strong latitudinal gradients in temperature and precipitation at the edges of the tropical belt, any shift in its edges could drive major local changes in surface climate. There is mounting evidence of a gradual broadening of the tropical belt over the last few decades. In this talk, I will discuss the morphology of the tropical belt in terms of a range of metrics that have been used to define it. I will further discuss the ability of current climate models to realistically simulate the variability of the tropical belt on seasonal to interannual time scales. Long-term trend estimates of tropical widening from these models will be compared to those from modern reanalyses. Finally, the role of extratropical eddy forcing in determining the width of the tropical belt will be discussed.

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