The fundamental signature of a changing climate is the departure from a global mean energetic steady state condition. The overall response of the climate system is the result of a complex interplay of multiple forcings and feedbacks with diverse spatial patterns.
In this session, we want to focus on the mechanisms through which the spatial distribution of planetary energy at the TOA, the surface, and within the atmosphere determine the meridional flows of heat and moisture from the tropics to the poles. These energy transports are tightly intertwined with the large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulations and the hydrological cycle. Examples are the modulation of the Hadley circulation, ITCZ and monsoon dynamics, as well as Rossby waves that affect the incidence of precipitation and regional climate.
We invite submissions addressing the interplay between Earths’ energy budget (ERB), associated energy exchanges, and the response of the general circulation using modeling approaches, theoretical considerations, and observations. Submissions on the implications of such changes for polar climate and extreme weather are also encouraged. We further solicit studies on the forcings, feedbacks and mechanisms that determine spatial patterns in ERB and their implications.