‘One of the world’s most prominent and important atmospheric systems, closely linked to the mean-state of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It extends across the entire tropical Pacific Ocean, encompassing: the trade winds blowing from east to west; air forced to rise over the western Pacific, south-east Asia and northern Australia through enhanced convection; winds blowing counter to the trades aloft, and air descending over the eastern Pacific Ocean’ (Power and Smith (2007) Geophys. Res. Abstr. 34, L18702). See Lockwood in J. Holden (2012), p. 104. Changes in the Walker Circulation are linked to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation; see Power et al. (1999) Climate Dyn. 15.

Walker circulation