Effects of Nonlinearity on Convectively Forced Internal Gravity Waves: Application to a Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 557-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Yeong Chun ◽  
Hyun-Joo Choi ◽  
In-Sun Song
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Scale Factor ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flux Spectrum ◽  
Diabatic Forcing

Abstract In the present study, the authors propose a way to include a nonlinear forcing effect on the momentum flux spectrum of convectively forced internal gravity waves using a nondimensional numerical model (NDM) in a two-dimensional framework. In NDM, the nonlinear forcing is represented by nonlinear advection terms multiplied by the nonlinearity factor (NF) of the thermally induced internal gravity waves for a given specified diabatic forcing. It was found that the magnitudes of the waves and resultant momentum flux above the specified forcing decrease with increasing NF due to cancellation between the two forcing mechanisms. Using the momentum flux spectrum obtained by the NDM simulations with various NFs, a scale factor for the momentum flux, normalized by the momentum flux induced by diabatic forcing alone, is formulated as a function of NF. Inclusion of the nonlinear forcing effect into current convective gravity wave drag (GWD) parameterizations, which consider diabatic forcing alone by multiplying the cloud-top momentum flux spectrum by the scale factor, is proposed. An updated convective GWD parameterization using the scale factor is implemented into the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). The 10-yr simulation results, compared with those by the original convective GWD parameterization considering diabatic forcing alone, showed that the magnitude of the zonal-mean cloud-top momentum flux is reduced for wide range of phase speed spectrum by about 10%, except in the middle latitude storm-track regions where the cloud-top momentum flux is amplified. The zonal drag forcing is determined largely by the wave propagation condition under the reduced magnitude of the cloud-top momentum flux, and its magnitude decreases in many regions, but there are several areas of increasing drag forcing, especially in the tropical upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

Application of the IDEMIX Concept for Internal Gravity Waves in the Atmosphere

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3601-3618
Author(s):  
B. Quinn ◽  
C. Eden ◽  
D. Olbers
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Wave Field ◽  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
The Mean

AbstractThe model Internal Wave Dissipation, Energy and Mixing (IDEMIX) presents a novel way of parameterizing internal gravity waves in the atmosphere. IDEMIX is based on the spectral energy balance of the wave field and has previously been successfully developed as a model for diapycnal diffusivity, induced by internal gravity wave breaking in oceans. Applied here for the first time to atmospheric gravity waves, integration of the energy balance equation for a continuous wave field of a given spectrum, results in prognostic equations for the energy density of eastward and westward gravity waves. It includes their interaction with the mean flow, allowing for an evolving and local description of momentum flux and gravity wave drag. A saturation mechanism maintains the wave field within convective stability limits, and a closure for critical-layer effects controls how much wave flux propagates from the troposphere into the middle atmosphere. Offline comparisons to a traditional parameterization reveal increases in the wave momentum flux in the middle atmosphere due to the mean-flow interaction, resulting in a greater gravity wave drag at lower altitudes. Preliminary validation against observational data show good agreement with momentum fluxes.

scholarly journals Momentum Flux Spectrum of Convectively Forced Gravity Waves: Can Diabatic Forcing Be a Proxy for Convective Forcing?

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 4113-4120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Yeong Chun ◽  
In-Sun Song ◽  
Takeshi Horinouchi
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Reference Level ◽  
Wave Source ◽  
Control Simulation ◽  
Cloud Microphysical Processes ◽  
Flux Spectrum ◽  
Microphysical Processes ◽  
Diabatic Forcing

Abstract The momentum flux of convectively forced internal gravity waves is calculated using explicitly resolved model-simulated gravity wave data. The momentum flux in a control simulation with nonlinearity and cloud microphysical processes is compared with that in quasi-linear dry simulations with either diabatic forcing or nonlinear forcing. It is found that the momentum flux induced by either of these two sources is significantly different from each other and also from the momentum flux in the control simulation. This is because the spectral distribution and magnitude of each wave source are significantly different and the cancellation of the momentum flux by cross-correlation terms between the two sources cannot be included in the momentum flux by a single source. This suggests that a parameterization of convectively forced gravity waves must take into account nonlinear forcing as well as diabatic forcing in order to qualitatively and quantitatively represent the reference-level momentum flux spectrum.

Characterization of gravity wave activity over the tropical band, using high resolution balloon measurements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Corcos ◽  
Albert Hertzog ◽  
Riwal Plougonven ◽  
Aurélien Podglajen
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Background Value ◽  
Wide Range

<p>Tropical gravity wave activity is investigated using measurements of momentum flux obtained by superpressure balloons. The dataset contains 8 balloons that flew in the equatorial band from November 2019 to February 2020, for 2 to 3 months each, collecting data every 30s. The relation between gravity waves and deep convection was investigated using geostationary satellite data from the NOAA/NCEP GPM\_MERGEIR satellite data product, at 1 hour resolution. The amplitude of gravity wave momentum fluxes shows a clear dependence on the distance to the nearest convection site, with a strong decay as distance to convection increases. The largest values of momentum flux (more than 5 mPa) are only found in the vicinity of deep convection (< 200 km). The sensitivity to distance from convection is stronger for high frequency gravity waves (periods shorter than 30 minutes). Lower frequency waves tend to a non-zero, background value away from convection, supporting some background value in gravity-wave drag parameterizations. On the other hand, the wide range of momentum flux values close to the convection sites emphasizes the intermittent nature of gravity waves. This intermittency was also studied on a larger scale, using a 20° longitudinal grid of the recorded momentum flux in the deep tropics. The results highlight spatial variations of gravity wave activity, with the highest momentum flux recorded over the continent, and associated to higher intermittency.</p>

scholarly journals Momentum and Energy Transport by Gravity Waves in Stochastically Driven Stratified Flows. Part I: Radiation of Gravity Waves from a Shear Layer

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1509-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos A. Bakas ◽  
Petros J. Ioannou
Keyword(s):  
Shear Flow ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Interference ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract In this paper, the emission of internal gravity waves from a local westerly shear layer is studied. Thermal and/or vorticity forcing of the shear layer with a wide range of frequencies and scales can lead to strong emission of gravity waves in the region exterior to the shear layer. The shear flow not only passively filters and refracts the emitted wave spectrum, but also actively participates in the gravity wave emission in conjunction with the distributed forcing. This interaction leads to enhanced radiated momentum fluxes but more importantly to enhanced gravity wave energy fluxes. This enhanced emission power can be traced to the nonnormal growth of the perturbations in the shear region, that is, to the transfer of the kinetic energy of the mean shear flow to the emitted gravity waves. The emitted wave energy flux increases with shear and can become as large as 30 times greater than the corresponding flux emitted in the absence of a localized shear region. Waves that have horizontal wavelengths larger than the depth of the shear layer radiate easterly momentum away, whereas the shorter waves are trapped in the shear region and deposit their momentum at their critical levels. The observed spectrum, as well as the physical mechanisms influencing the spectrum such as wave interference and Doppler shifting effects, is discussed. While for large Richardson numbers there is equipartition of momentum among a wide range of frequencies, most of the energy is found to be carried by waves having vertical wavelengths in a narrow band around the value of twice the depth of the region. It is shown that the waves that are emitted from the shear region have vertical wavelengths of the size of the shear region.

scholarly journals Momentum Flux Spectrum of Convectively Forced Internal Gravity Waves and Its Application to Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization. Part I: Theory

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
In-Sun Song ◽  
Hye-Yeong Chun
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Buoyancy Frequency ◽  
Spectral Structure ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Resonance Factor ◽  
Flux Spectrum ◽  
Wave Momentum

Abstract The phase-speed spectrum of momentum flux by convectively forced internal gravity waves is analytically formulated in two- and three-dimensional frameworks. For this, a three-layer atmosphere that has a constant vertical wind shear in the lowest layer, a uniform wind above, and piecewise constant buoyancy frequency in a forcing region and above is considered. The wave momentum flux at cloud top is determined by the spectral combination of a wave-filtering and resonance factor and diabatic forcing. The wave-filtering and resonance factor that is determined by the basic-state wind and stability and the vertical configuration of forcing restricts the effectiveness of the forcing, and thus only a part of the forcing spectrum can be used for generating gravity waves that propagate above cumulus clouds. The spectral distribution of the wave momentum flux is largely determined by the wave-filtering and resonance factor, but the magnitude of the momentum flux varies significantly according to spatial and time scales and moving speed of the forcing. The wave momentum flux formulation in the two-dimensional framework is extended to the three-dimensional framework. The three-dimensional momentum flux formulation is similar to the two-dimensional one except that the wave propagation in various horizontal directions and the three-dimensionality of forcing are allowed. The wave momentum flux spectrum formulated in this study is validated using mesoscale numerical model results and can reproduce the overall spectral structure and magnitude of the wave momentum flux spectra induced by numerically simulated mesoscale convective systems reasonably well.

On strongly nonlinear gravity waves in a vertically sheared atmosphere

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Sebastian Voelker ◽  
Mark Schlutow
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Internal Gravity Wave ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Flow Strength ◽  
Weakly Nonlinear ◽  
Strongly Nonlinear ◽  
The Mean

<p>Internal gravity waves are a well-known mechanism of energy redistribution in stratified fluids such as the atmosphere. They may propagate from their generation region, typically in the Troposphere, up to high altitudes. During their lifetime internal waves couple to the atmospheric background through various processes. Among the most important interactions are the exertion of wave drag on the horizontal mean-flow, the heat generation upon wave breaking, or the mixing of atmospheric tracers such as aerosols or greenhouse gases.</p><p>Many of the known internal gravity wave properties and interactions are covered by linear or weakly nonlinear theories. However, for the consideration of some of the crucial effects, like a reciprocal wave-mean-flow interaction including the exertion of wave drag on the mean-flow, strongly nonlinear systems are required. That is, there is no assumption on the wave amplitude relative to the mean-flow strength such that they may be of the same order.</p><p>Here, we exploit a strongly nonlinear Boussinesq theory to analyze the stability of a stationary internal gravity wave which is refracted at the vertical edge of a horizontal jet. Thereby we assume that the incident wave is horizontally periodic, non-hydrostatic, and vertically modulated. Performing a linear stability analysis in the vicinity of the jet edge we find necessary and sufficient criteria for instabilities to grow. In particular, the refracted wave becomes unstable if its incident amplitude is large enough and both mean-flow horizontal winds, below and above the edge of the jet, do not exceed particular upper bounds.</p>

Characteristics and Momentum Flux Spectrum of Convectively Forced Internal Gravity Waves in Ensemble Numerical Simulations

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 3723-3734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Joo Choi ◽  
Hye-Yeong Chun ◽  
In-Sun Song
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Tropical Ocean ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Control Simulation ◽  
Toga Coare ◽  
Flux Spectrum ◽  
Diabatic Forcing ◽  
Convective Gravity Waves

Abstract Characteristics of convectively forced gravity waves are investigated through ensemble numerical simulations for various ideal and real convective storms. For ideal storm cases, single-cell-, multicell-, and supercell-type storms are considered, and for real cases, convection events observed during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) and in Indonesia are used. For each storm case, wave perturbations and the momentum flux spectrum of convective gravity waves in a control simulation with nonlinearity and cloud microphysical processes are compared with those in quasi-linear dry simulations forced by either diabatic forcing or nonlinear forcing obtained from the control simulation. In any case, gravity waves in the control simulation cannot be represented well by wave perturbations induced by a single forcing. However, when both diabatic and nonlinear forcing terms are considered, the gravity waves and their momentum flux spectrum become comparable to those in the control simulation, because of cancellation between wave perturbations by two forcing terms. These results confirm that the two forcing mechanisms of convective gravity waves proposed by previous studies based on a single convective event can be applied generally to various types of convective storms. This suggests that nonlinear forcing, as well as diabatic forcing, should be considered appropriately in parameterizations of convectively forced gravity waves.

scholarly journals Multi-instrument gravity-wave measurements over Tierra del Fuego and the Drake Passage – Part 1: Potential energies and vertical wavelengths from AIRS, COSMIC, HIRDLS, MLS-Aura, SAAMER, SABER and radiosondes

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 6797-6876 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Wright ◽  
N. P. Hindley ◽  
A. C. Moss ◽  
N. J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Packets ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Drake Passage ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Meteor Radar ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Terrestrial Atmosphere ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Gravity waves in the terrestrial atmosphere are a vital geophysical process, acting to transport energy and momentum on a wide range of scales and to couple the various atmospheric layers. Despite the importance of these waves, the many studies to date have often exhibited very dissimilar results, and it remains unclear whether these differences are primarily instrumental or methodological. Here, we address this problem by comparing observations made by a diverse range of the most widely-used gravity wave resolving instruments in a common geographic region around the southern Andes and Drake Passage, an area known to exhibit strong wave activity. Specifically, we use data from three limb-sounding radiometers (MLS-Aura, HIRDLS and SABER), the COSMIC GPS-RO constellation, a ground-based meteor radar, the AIRS infrared nadir sounder and radiosondes to examine the gravity wave potential energy (GWPE) and vertical wavelengths (λz) of individual gravity wave packets from the lower troposphere to the edge of the lower thermosphere. Our results show important similarities and differences. Limb sounder measurements show high intercorrelation, typically > 0.80 between any instrument pair. Meteor-radar observations agree in form with the limb sounders, despite vast technical differences. AIRS and radiosonde observations tend to be uncorrelated or anticorrelated with the other datasets, suggesting very different behaviour of the wave field in the different spectral regimes accessed by each instrument. Except in spring, we see little dissipation of GWPE throughout the stratosphere and lower mesosphere. Observed GWPE for individual wave packets exhibits a log-normal distribution, with short-timescale intermittency dominating over a well-repeated monthly-median seasonal cycle. GWPE and λz exhibit strong correlations with the stratospheric winds, but not with local surface winds. Our results provide guidance for interpretation and intercomparison of such datasets in their full context, and reinforce the vital point that no one dataset can represent the whole spectrum of gravity waves in the terrestrial atmosphere.

Momentum Flux Spectrum of Convectively Forced Internal Gravity Waves and Its Application to Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization. Part II: Impacts in a GCM (WACCM)

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 2286-2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
In-Sun Song ◽  
Hye-Yeong Chun ◽  
Rolando R. Garcia ◽  
Byron A. Boville
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Zonal Wind ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
Wave Drag ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Horizontal Wind ◽  
Wave Forcing ◽  
Flux Spectrum ◽  
Wave Momentum

Abstract Impacts of a spectral parameterization of gravity wave drag (GWD) induced by cumulus convection (GWDC) in the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM1b) are investigated. In the spectral GWDC parameterization, reference wave momentum flux spectrum is launched at cloud top and analytically calculated based on the physical properties of convection and the large-scale flow. The cloud-top wave momentum flux is strong mainly in the Tropics and midlatitude storm-track regions, and exhibits anisotropy and spatiotemporal variability. The anisotropy and variability are determined by the distributions and variations of convective activities, the moving speed of convection, and horizontal wind and stability in convection regions. Zonal-mean zonal GWDC has a maximum of 13–27 (37–50) m s−1 day−1 in the mesosphere in January (July). Impacts of GWDC on zonal wind appear mainly in the low to midlatitudes of the upper stratosphere and mesosphere. In these regions, biases of zonal wind with respect to observation are reduced more than 50% through the GWDC process. In contrast to zonal wind, impacts of GWDC on temperature occur mainly in the mid- to high latitudes. Through the analysis of forcing terms in the zonal wind and temperature equations, it is found that impacts of GWDC result from interaction among wave forcing terms (resolved wave forcing, parameterized background GWD, and GWDC) and meridional circulations induced by the wave forcing terms. With regard to tropical variability, when GWDC is included, the model produces the stratospheric semiannual oscillation with more realistic amplitude and structure and stronger interannual variabilities in the lower stratosphere. These enhanced variabilities are caused by resolved wave forcing and meridional circulations.

scholarly journals Mesospheric gravity wave activity estimated via airglow imagery, multistatic meteor radar, and SABER data taken during the SIMONe–2018 campaign

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 13631-13654
Author(s):  
Fabio Vargas ◽  
Jorge L. Chau ◽  
Harikrishnan Charuvil Asokan ◽  
Michael Gerding
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Meteor Radar ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Flux Divergence ◽  
Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere

Abstract. We describe in this study the analysis of small and large horizontal-scale gravity waves from datasets composed of images from multiple mesospheric airglow emissions as well as multistatic specular meteor radar (MSMR) winds collected in early November 2018, during the SIMONe–2018 (Spread-spectrum Interferometric Multi-static meteor radar Observing Network) campaign. These ground-based measurements are supported by temperature and neutral density profiles from TIMED/SABER (Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) satellite in orbits near Kühlungsborn, northern Germany (54.1∘ N, 11.8∘ E). The scientific goals here include the characterization of gravity waves and their interaction with the mean flow in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and their relationship to dynamical conditions in the lower and upper atmosphere. We have obtained intrinsic parameters of small- and large-scale gravity waves and characterized their impact in the mesosphere via momentum flux (FM) and momentum flux divergence (FD) estimations. We have verified that a small percentage of the detected wave events is responsible for most of FM measured during the campaign from oscillations seen in the airglow brightness and MSMR winds taken over 45 h during four nights of clear-sky observations. From the analysis of small-scale gravity waves (λh < 725 km) seen in airglow images, we have found FM ranging from 0.04–24.74 m2 s−2 (1.62 ± 2.70 m2 s−2 on average). However, small-scale waves with FM > 3 m2 s−2 (11 % of the events) transport 50 % of the total measured FM. Likewise, wave events of FM > 10 m2 s−2 (2 % of the events) transport 20 % of the total. The examination of large-scale waves (λh > 725 km) seen simultaneously in airglow keograms and MSMR winds revealed amplitudes > 35 %, which translates into FM = 21.2–29.6 m2 s−2. In terms of gravity-wave–mean-flow interactions, these large FM waves could cause decelerations of FD = 22–41 m s−1 d−1 (small-scale waves) and FD = 38–43 m s−1 d−1 (large-scale waves) if breaking or dissipating within short distances in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region.

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