Mechanisms of initiation and maintenance of the Walker Circulation and associated rainfall over South Hemisphere

The energetic of the global and Pacific Walker circulation (WC) has done with the purpose to further understand the role of the atmosphere in doing generate and maintain the Walker cell. For this purpose, data from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used for a period of 30-yr (1970-2000). A complete suit of the energy terms are analized in this study, e.g: generation and convertion terms. The results have showed that the generation of the eddie available potential energy (Ae) by sensible and latent heating in the atmosphere are the main maintainer of the Global and Pacific WC. It has also seen there is a continuous convertion of Ae into Ke (Kinetic energy). During negative and positive phases of the Southern Oscillation such a relationship suffers changes. The quasi-permanent pattern of high temperature rising and low temperature sinking converte potential energy into kinetic energy, i.e., the vertical change of atmospheric mass maintain the horizontal moviments along the branches of the WC.Pages: 639-64