Abstract:Based on the NCEP/NCAR wind reanalysis data, the climatic seasonal mean relative atmospheric angular momentum transport flux and its three components (mean meridional circulation, stationary eddies, and transient eddies) are computed to investigate their relationships with easterlies, westerlies, the subtropical westerly jet, and the polar night jet in both winter and summer. The results show that: (1) The flux of angular momentum, including latitude factors and the flux of momentum, differs remarkably in high latitudes, where a strong momentum transport center is found in the upper troposphere. The strong meridional transport of u angular momentum mainly occurs in low latitudes around the tropopause and high latitudes near the stratosphere of both northern and southern hemispheres in winter. Both the subtropical westerly jet and polar night jet demonstrate poleward transport of their centers with convergence zones in the high latitudes. (2) The roles of the three aforementioned components on jet maintenance change with latitudes and seasons. In the northern hemisphere winter, the subtropical westerly jet is mainly maintained by strong meridional transport and convergence of mean meridional circulation, owing to equivalent stationary eddies and transient eddies. In the northern hemisphere summer, however, the role of the mean meridional circulation diminishes and the stationary and transient eddies are the most important factors at work. In contrast, fluxes in the southern hemisphere are more easily identified, as they are maintained all year by meridional transports and the convergence of the mean meridional circulation and transient eddies. The polar night jet in winter hemisphere, occurring in the middle stratosphere, is mainly maintained by meridional transports and the convergence of stationary and transient eddies. (3) In the tropical easterlies, Ω angular momentum appears as high values and is transported to the upper troposphere mainly by the mean meridional circulation. In winter hemisphere, there is a shearing zone of vertical transport of u angular momentum in the subtropical and mid-latitude westerlies, which is mainly accomplished by the mean meridional circulation and transient eddies. In addition, stationary eddies demonstrated a weak downward transport of u angular momentum near the tropical tropopause.