Conceptual understanding of the drivers of the large-scale tropical circulation

Tropical atmospheric circulation is important in controlling the water cycle on Earth, such as rainfall, in our climate system. However, due to the complexity of the climate system, many unknowns about tropical circulation still remain in terms of long-term climatology and future changes under global warming. My research is dedicated to developing a simple diagnostic model and providing it as a tool for narrowing down the research questions about tropical circulation. In my research, this simple model has not only shown its capability to benefit our conceptual understanding of tropical circulation but can also benefit climate model development.