Steady axisymmetric flow in the Taylor–Proudman regime. In the left panel, the coloured contours represent the differential rotation δΩ(r, θ) = Ω(r, θ)−Ω₀ normalised to the rotation rate of the outer sphere Ω₀ while in the right panel, we show the norm of the total meridional velocity field . The parameters of the simulation are E = 10⁻⁴, P_r(N₀/Ω₀)² = 10⁻⁴ and Re_c = 10⁻² (simulation 1.3 in Table 2). The black lines show the streamlines of the total meridional circulation i.e. taking the effect of the contraction into account. Outside the tangent cylinder, the dashed lines correspond to an anticlockwise circulation and the solid lines to a clockwise one while inside the tangent cylinder, the dashed lines represent a downward circulation and the full ones, an upward circulation.