Quantification of Global Cloud Properties With Use of Spherical Harmonic Functions

Abstract Spherical harmonic (SH) expansion is a useful tool to study any variable that has valid values at all latitudes and longitudes. The can be quantified as sum of different spherical components, which are the functions multiplied by their coefficients. We find SH components cloud radiative effect (CRE) have correlations with El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Hadley Circulation (HC). In particular, degree 2 ( ) power spectrum component anomaly CRE strongly correlated ENSO. two dipole patterns appearing in map reasonably explained known mechanism ENSO's impact on properties. HC intensity, whereas latitudinal widths. ENSO warm cold phases, HC‐correlated opposite anomalies, suggests HC. This illustrates technique provides perspective impacts large‐scale atmospheric circulation global properties effects.