scholarly journals On the Wave Spectrum Generated by Tropical Heating

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 2042-2060 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Ortland ◽  
M. Joan Alexander ◽  
Alison W. Grimsdell
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Nonlinear Models ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Wave Response ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Convective heating profiles are computed from one month of rainfall rate and cloud-top height measurements using global Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and infrared cloud-top products. Estimates of the tropical wave response to this heating and the mean flow forcing by the waves are calculated using linear and nonlinear models. With a spectral resolution up to zonal wavenumber 80 and frequency up to 4 cpd, the model produces 50%–70% of the zonal wind acceleration required to drive a quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). The sensitivity of the wave spectrum to the assumed shape of the heating profile, to the mean wind and temperature structure of the tropical troposphere, and to the type of model used is also examined. The redness of the heating spectrum implies that the heating strongly projects onto Hough modes with small equivalent depth. Nonlinear models produce wave flux significantly smaller than linear models due to what appear to be dynamical processes that limit the wave amplitude. Both nonlinearity and mean winds in the lower stratosphere are effective in reducing the Rossby wave response to heating relative to the response in a linear model for a mean state at rest.

scholarly journals ENSO Modulation of the QBO: Results from MIROC Models with and without Nonorographic Gravity Wave Parameterization

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 3893-3917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshio Kawatani ◽  
Kevin Hamilton ◽  
Kaoru Sato ◽  
Timothy J. Dunkerton ◽  
Shingo Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Wave ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber

Abstract Observational studies have shown that, on average, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) exhibits a faster phase progression and shorter period during El Niño than during La Niña. Here, the possible mechanism of QBO modulation associated with ENSO is investigated using the MIROC-AGCM with T106 (~1.125°) horizontal resolution. The MIROC-AGCM simulates QBO-like oscillations without any nonorographic gravity wave parameterizations. A 100-yr integration was conducted during which annually repeating sea surface temperatures based on the composite observed El Niño conditions were imposed. A similar 100-yr La Niña integration was also conducted. The MIROC-AGCM simulates realistic differences between El Niño and La Niña, notably shorter QBO periods, a weaker Walker circulation, and more equatorial precipitation during El Niño than during La Niña. Near the equator, vertical wave fluxes of zonal momentum in the uppermost troposphere are larger and the stratospheric QBO forcing due to interaction of the mean flow with resolved gravity waves (particularly for zonal wavenumber ≥43) is much larger during El Niño. The tropical upwelling associated with the Brewer–Dobson circulation is also stronger in the El Niño simulation. The effects of the enhanced tropical upwelling during El Niño are evidently overcome by enhanced wave driving, resulting in the shorter QBO period. The integrations were repeated with another model version (MIROC-ECM with T42 horizontal resolution) that employs a parameterization of nonorographic gravity waves in order to simulate a QBO. In the MIROC-ECM the average QBO periods are nearly identical in the El Niño and La Niña simulations.

scholarly journals Wave and Jet Maintenance in Different Flow Regimes

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 2465-2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orli Lachmy ◽  
Nili Harnik
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Wave Mode ◽  
Hadley Cell ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
Subtropical Jet ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber

Abstract The wave spectrum and zonal-mean-flow maintenance in different flow regimes of the jet stream are studied using a two-layer modified quasigeostrophic (QG) model. As the wave energy is increased by varying the model parameters, the flow transitions from a subtropical jet regime to a merged jet regime and then to an eddy-driven jet regime. The subtropical jet is maintained at the Hadley cell edge by zonal-mean advection of momentum, while eddy heat flux and eddy momentum flux convergence (EMFC) are weak and concentrated far poleward. The merged jet is narrow and persistent and is maintained by EMFC from a narrow wave spectrum, dominated by zonal wavenumber 5. The eddy-driven jet is wide and fluctuating and is maintained by EMFC from a wide wave spectrum. The wave–mean flow feedback mechanisms that maintain each regime are explained qualitatively. The regime transitions are related to transitions in the wave spectrum. An analysis of the wave energy spectrum budget and a comparison with a quasi-linear version of the model show that the balance maintaining the spectrum in the merged and subtropical jet regimes is mainly a quasi-linear balance, whereas in the eddy-driven jet regime nonlinear inverse energy cascade takes place. The amplitude and wavenumber of the dominant wave mode in the merged and subtropical jet regimes are determined by the constraint that this mode would produce the wave fluxes necessary for maintaining a mean flow that is close to neutrality. In contrast, the equilibrated mean flow in the eddy-driven jet regime is weakly unstable.

Precursor Signals and Processes Associated with MJO Initiation over the Tropical Indian Ocean*

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chongbo Zhao ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Tianjun Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Rossby Wave ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Equatorial Indian Ocean ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Wave Response ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Convection Initiation

Abstract The precursor signals of convection initiation associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) in boreal winter were investigated through the diagnosis of the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) data for the period 1982–2001. The western equatorial Indian Ocean (WIO) is a key region of the MJO initiation. A marked increase of specific humidity and temperature in the lower troposphere appears 5–10 days prior to the convection initiation. The increased moisture and temperature cause a convectively more unstable stratification, leading to the onset of convection. A diagnosis of lower-tropospheric moisture (heat) budgets shows that the moisture (temperature) increase is caused primarily by the horizontal advection of the mean specific humidity (temperature) by the MJO flow. The anomalous flow is primarily determined by the downstream Rossby wave response to a preceding suppressed-phase MJO over the eastern Indian Ocean, whereas the upstream Kelvin wave response to the previous eastward-propagating convective-phase MJO is not critical. An idealized numerical experiment further supports this claim. The Southern Hemisphere (SH) midlatitude Rossby wave train and associated wave activity flux prior to the MJO initiation were diagnosed. It is found that SH midlatitude Rossby waves may contribute to MJO initiation over the western Indian Ocean through wave energy accumulation. Idealized numerical experiments confirm that SH midlatitude perturbations play an important role in affecting the MJO variance in the tropics. A barotropic energy conversion diagnosis indicates that there is continuous energy transfer from the mean flow to intraseasonal disturbances over the initiation region, which may help trigger MJO development.

scholarly journals Initial Condition Sensitivity and Predictability of a Severe Extratropical Cyclone Using a Moist Adjoint

2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (1) ◽  
pp. 320-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Doyle ◽  
Clark Amerault ◽  
Carolyn A. Reynolds ◽  
P. Alex Reinecke
Keyword(s):  
Nonlinear Models ◽  
Conveyor Belt ◽  
Extratropical Cyclone ◽  
Temperature Fields ◽  
Initial Time ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Moisture Sensitivity ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Mean

Abstract The sensitivity and predictability of a rapidly developing extratropical cyclone, Xynthia, that had a severe impact on Europe is explored using a high-resolution moist adjoint modeling system. The adjoint diagnostics indicate that the intensity of severe winds associated with the front just prior to landfall was particularly sensitive to perturbations in the moisture and temperature fields and to a lesser degree the wind fields. The sensitivity maxima are found in the low- and midlevels, oriented in a sloped region along the warm front, and maximized within the warm conveyor belt. The moisture sensitivity indicates that only a relatively small filament of moisture within an atmospheric river present at the initial time was critically important for the development of Xynthia. Adjoint-based optimal perturbations introduced into the tangent linear and nonlinear models exhibit rapid growth over 36 h, while initial perturbations of the opposite sign show substantial weakening of the low-level jet and a marked reduction in the spatial extent of the strong low-level winds. The sensitivity fields exhibit an upshear tilt along the sloping warm conveyor belt and front, and the perturbations extract energy from the mean flow as they are untilted by the shear, consistent with the PV unshielding mechanism. The results of this study underscore the need for accurate moisture observations and data assimilation systems that can adequately assimilate these observations in order to reduce the forecast uncertainties for these severe extratropical cyclones. However, given the nature of the sensitivities and the potential for rapid perturbation and error growth, the intrinsic predictability of severe cyclones such as Xynthia is likely limited.

scholarly journals Linear iterative method for closed-loop control of quasiperiodic flows

2019 ◽  
Vol 868 ◽  
pp. 26-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Leclercq ◽  
Fabrice Demourant ◽  
Charles Poussot-Vassal ◽  
Denis Sipp
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Nonlinear Flow ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Loop Control ◽  
Linear Controller ◽  
The Mean

This work proposes a feedback-loop strategy to suppress intrinsic oscillations of resonating flows in the fully nonlinear regime. The frequency response of the flow is obtained from the resolvent operator about the mean flow, extending the framework initially introduced by McKeon & Sharma (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 658, 2010, pp. 336–382) to study receptivity mechanisms in turbulent flows. Using this linear time-invariant model of the nonlinear flow, modern control methods such as structured ${\mathcal{H}}_{\infty }$-synthesis can be used to design a controller. The approach is successful in damping self-sustained oscillations associated with specific eigenmodes of the mean-flow spectrum. Despite excellent performance, the linear controller is however unable to completely suppress flow oscillations, and the controlled flow is effectively attracted towards a new dynamical equilibrium. This new attractor is characterized by a different mean flow, which can in turn be used to design a second controller. The method can then be iterated on subsequent mean flows, until the coupled system eventually converges to the base flow. An intuitive parallel can be drawn with Newton’s iteration: at each step, a linearized model of the flow response to a perturbation of the input is sought, and a new linear controller is designed, aiming at further reducing the fluctuations. The method is illustrated on the well-known case of two-dimensional incompressible open-cavity flow at Reynolds number $Re=7500$, where the fully developed flow is initially quasiperiodic (2-torus state). The base flow is reached after five iterations. The present work demonstrates that nonlinear control problems may be solved without resorting to nonlinear reduced-order models. It also shows that physically relevant linear models can be systematically derived for nonlinear flows, without resorting to black-box identification from input–output data; the key ingredient being frequency-domain models based on the linearized Navier–Stokes equations about the mean flow. Applicability to amplifier flows and turbulent dynamics has, however, yet to be investigated.

Light adaptation in the turtle retina: embedding a parametric family of linear models in a single nonlinear model

1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tranchina ◽  
Charles S. Peskin
Keyword(s):  
Light Adaptation ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Nonlinear Models ◽  
Light Level ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Feedback Gain ◽  
Linear Filters ◽  
Frequency Responses ◽  
Sinusoidal Input ◽  
The Mean

AbstractA method for constructing nonlinear models for light adaptation in the retina is introduced. The components of the models are linear filters and static (instantaneous) nonlinear elements configured in a feedback arrangement. The signals in the models are combined through algebraic addition or multiplication. We apply the method to model light adaptation measured in turtle horizontal cells. Given a particular wiring diagram for the components, the functional forms of the static nonlinearities and frequency responses of the linear filters are determined by constraining the model to give temporal frequency responses (linear regime behavior) consistent with a family of linear feedback models which has been shown to provide a good description of adaptation in these cells. Two particular models, quite different in structure, are presented. Each model responds to perturbations around a mean light level as a feedback circuit in which the gain (strength) of feedback is adjusted to be proportional to the mean light level, but neither model has a separate pathway for measuring the mean light level. Thus, each of these nonlinear models embeds an entire family of linear models parametric in mean light level. Harmonic distortion in the responses of these models to sinusoidal input is found to be qualitatively consistent with physiological data. An alternative class of nonlinear models in which feedback gain is set by a separate slow pathway which tracks the mean light level is ruled out on the basis of its incorrect steady-state input-output behavior. The methods presented can be used to develop specific physical models for light adaptation based on the chemical kinetics of phototransduction or on nonlinear neural feedback. The relevance of the nonlinear models and construction techniques to modeling phototransduction is discussed.

scholarly journals Eastward-propagating planetary waves in the polar middle atmosphere

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 17495-17512
Author(s):  
Liang Tang ◽  
Sheng-Yang Gu ◽  
Xian-Kang Dou
Keyword(s):  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Planetary Waves ◽  
Background Wind ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber ◽  
Critical Layers ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Modern Era ◽  
Research Analysis

Abstract. According to Modern-Era Retrospective Research Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) temperature and wind datasets in 2019, this study presents the global variations in the eastward-propagating wavenumber 1 (E1), 2 (E2), 3 (E3) and 4 (E4) planetary waves (PWs) and their diagnostic results in the polar middle atmosphere. We clearly demonstrate the eastward wave modes exist during winter periods with westward background wind in both hemispheres. The maximum wave amplitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) are slightly larger and lie lower than those in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Moreover, the wave perturbations peak at lower latitudes with smaller amplitudes as the wavenumber increases. The period of the E1 mode varies between 3–5 d in both hemispheres, while the period of the E2 mode is slightly longer in the NH (∼ 48 h) than in the SH (∼ 40 h). The periods of the E3 are ∼ 30 h in both the SH and the NH, and the period of E4 is ∼ 24 h. Despite the shortening of wave periods with the increase in wavenumber, their mean phase speeds are relatively stable, ∼ 53, ∼ 58, ∼ 55 and ∼ 52 m/s at 70∘ latitudes for E1, E2, E3 and E4, respectively. The eastward PWs occur earlier with increasing zonal wavenumber, which agrees well with the seasonal variations in the critical layers generated by the background wind. Our diagnostic analysis also indicates that the mean flow instability in the upper stratosphere and upper mesosphere might contribute to the amplification of the eastward PWs.

Small-scale gravity waves influence on an idealized quasi-biennial oscillation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Chartrand ◽  
Louis-Philippe Nadeau ◽  
Antoine Venaille
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Frequency Wave ◽  
Wave Forcing ◽  
Momentum Budget ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Biennial Oscillation

<p>Recent observations from the ERA5 reanalysis have revealed wave contributions from a wide range of spatial and temporal scales to the momentum budget of the equatorial stratosphere. Although it is generally accepted that the wave forcing at the equator drives the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of equatorial winds, the individual contribution of each type of wave is still poorly understood. Here, we seek to disentangle the role of different wave types in the momentum budget of an idealized stratosphere. Numerical simulations with increasing spatial resolution are used to infer the sensitivity of the wave spectrum and mean flow oscillation to resolved instabilities. At higher resolution, Kelvin-Helmholtz generated small-scale gravity waves are combined to the background low frequency wave forcing and accelerate the period of mean-flow reversals due to an increased momentum transfer from the wave to the mean flow. This mechanism is confirmed using a simplified one-dimensional model for which the wave properties are specified.</p>

Finding Multiple Basin Modes in a Linear Ocean Model

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1033-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yury Vikhliaev ◽  
Paul Schopf ◽  
Tim DelSole ◽  
Ben Kirtman
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Water Model ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Breeding Method ◽  
Breeding Technique ◽  
Complex Eigenvalues ◽  
Basin Geometry ◽  
The Mean

A method for finding the most unstable eigenmodes in linear models using the breeding technique was developed. The breeding technique was extended to allow for the calculation of complex eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the linear model operator without involving computationally expensive matrix manipulations. While the breeding method finds the most unstable modes, multiple planetary basin modes may be found by removing the leading modes using the adjoint model. To test the sensitivity of basin modes to model formulation, the method was applied for the calculation of the gravest planetary basin modes in a reduced-gravity linear shallow water model with complex basin geometry and background circulation. It was found that the leading basin modes are not sensitive to the form of the dissipation or model resolution, suggesting that the decadal modes are robust. However, the properties of the low-frequency modes are strongly affected by the basin geometry and the mean flow.

scholarly journals The 16-day variation in the mean flow at Grahamstown (33.3° S, 26.5° E)

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2027-2031 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Malinga ◽  
L. M. G. Poole
Keyword(s):  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
Meteor Radar ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Period Range ◽  
Spectral Techniques ◽  
Abstract Data ◽  
Waves And Tides ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. Data from the Grahamstown (33.3° S, 26.5° E) meteor radar have been used to study the short-term variations of the mean flow at ~ 90 km altitude. The results show considerable variation characterised by a superposition of fluctuations on different planetary time scales. Wavelet multi-resolution and spectral techniques reveal that the quasi-16-day oscillation dominates the wave spectrum in the ~ 2–20-day period range. This quasi-16-day oscillation, which is thought to be related to a similar oscillation in the lower atmosphere, is found to be dominant in winter and the equinoxes. However, it is sometimes significant in summer, which could be due to cross-equatorial ducting and the selective transmissivity of gravity waves.Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (waves and tides)

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