scholarly journals Nonlinear Atmospheric Adjustment to Thermal Forcing

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 4253-4272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Fanelli ◽  
Peter R. Bannon
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Wave Packet ◽  
Potential Vorticity ◽  
Lamb Wave ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Thermal Forcing ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Buoyancy Waves

Abstract A nonlinear, numerical model of a compressible atmosphere is used to simulate the hydrostatic and geostrophic adjustment to a localized prescribed heating applied over five minutes with a size characteristic of an isolated, deep, cumulus cloud. This thermal forcing generates both buoyancy waves and a horizontally propagating Lamb wave packet as well as a steady state rich in potential vorticity. The adjustments in three model atmospheres (an isothermal, a constant lapse rate, and one with a stratosphere) are studied. The Lamb wave packet and the two lowest-order buoyancy waves are relatively unaffected by nonlinearities but the higher-order modes and the steady state are. The heating generates a vertically stacked dipole of potential vorticity with a cyclonic perturbation below an anticyclonic perturbation. In contrast to the linear results, the nonlinear dipole is severely distorted by vertical and horizontal advections. In addition, the Lamb wave packet contains some weak positive perturbation potential vorticity. The energetics is examined using traditional and Eulerian available energetics. Traditional energetics consists of kinetic, internal, and potential energies. It is shown that the Lamb wave packet contains more total traditional energy than that input to the atmosphere by the heating. The traditional energy in the packet resides primarily in the form of internal energy and only secondarily in the form of potential energy. The passage of the Lamb wave packet produces an atmosphere that, overall, is cooler, less dense, and with less total traditional energy than the initial atmosphere. Eulerian available energetics consists of kinetic, available potential, and available elastic energies. The heating generates both available elastic and potential energy that is then converted into kinetic energy. Most of the available elastic energy projects onto the Lamb packet, while almost all of the available potential energy is associated with the buoyancy waves and the steady state. The effects of varying the spatial and temporal scale of the heating, while keeping the net heating the same, are examined. As the duration of the heating decreases, the amount of energy projected onto the waves increases. Increasing the size of the heating decreases the amount of energy projected onto the waves. The adjustment is kinetically more vigorous in the nonisothermal atmospheres because of the reduction in the base-state static stability. The presence of a stratosphere produces large anomalies at and above the tropopause that are linked to the vertical motions of the buoyancy wave field.

Gravity Waves in a Horizontal Shear Flow. Part I: Growth Mechanisms in the Absence of Potential Vorticity Perturbations

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos A. Bakas ◽  
Brian F. Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Shear Flow ◽  
Wave Packet ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Horizontal Shear ◽  
Growth Mechanisms ◽  
Trapping Level ◽  
Energy Growth ◽  
Zonal Velocity ◽  
The Waves

Abstract Interaction of internal gravity waves with a horizontal shear flow in the absence of potential vorticity perturbations is investigated making use of closed-form solutions. Localized wave packet trajectories are obtained, the energy growth mechanisms occurring are identified, and the potential role of perturbation growth in wave breaking is assessed. Regarding meridional propagation, the wave packet motion is limited by turning levels where the waves are reflected and trapping levels where the waves stagnate. Regarding perturbation energy amplification, two growth mechanisms can be distinguished: growth due to advection of zonal velocity and growth due to downgradient Reynolds stresses. The three-dimensional perturbations producing optimal energy growth reveal that these two mechanisms produce large and robust amplification of zonal velocity and/or density and vertical velocity, potentially leading to shear or convective instability. For large static stability, amplification of density perturbations in conjunction with vertical orientation of the constant phase lines close to the trapping level potentially leads to a convective collapse of the wave packet near the trapping level, in agreement with existing direct numerical simulation studies. For lower static stability and for waves with phase lines oriented horizontally, growth due to advection of zonal velocity dominates, leading to rapid growth of streamwise streaks within the localized wave packet and potentially to shear instability.

scholarly journals Wave Response during Hydrostatic and Geostrophic Adjustment. Part II: Potential Vorticity Conservation and Energy Partitioning

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1330-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Chagnon ◽  
Peter R. Bannon
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Potential Vorticity ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Lamb Waves ◽  
Geostrophic Adjustment ◽  
Horizontal Scale ◽  
Extended Duration ◽  
High Frequency Waves ◽  
Buoyancy Waves

Abstract This second part of a two-part study of the hydrostatic and geostrophic adjustment examines the potential vorticity and energetics of the acoustic waves, buoyancy waves, Lamb waves, and steady state that are generated following the prescribed injection of heat into an isothermal atmosphere at rest. The potential vorticity is only nonzero for the steady class and depends only on the spatial and time-integrated properties of the injection. The waves contain zero net potential vorticity, but undergo a time-dependent vorticity exchange involving latent and relative vorticities. The energy associated with a given injection may be partitioned distinctly among the various wave classes. The characteristics of this partitioning depend on the spatiotemporal detail of the injection, as well as whether the imbalance is generated by injection of heat, mass, or momentum. Spatially, waves of a scale similar to that of the injection are preferentially excited. Temporally, an extended duration injection preferentially filters high-frequency waves. An instantaneous injection, that is, the temporal Green’s function, contains the largest proportions of the high-frequency waves. The proportions of kinetic, available elastic, and available potential energies that are carried by the various waves are functions of the homogeneous system. For example, deep buoyancy waves of small horizontal scale primarily contain equal portions of available potential and vertical kinetic energy. The steady state contains more available potential energy than kinetic energy at small horizontal scale, and vice versa. These qualities of the wave energetics illustrate the mechanisms that characterize the physics of each wave class. The evolution and spectral partitioning of the energetics following localized warmings identical to those in Part I are presented in order to illustrate some of these basic properties of the energetics. For example, a heating lasting longer than a few minutes does not excite acoustic waves. However, Lamb waves of wide horizontal scale can be excited by a heating of several hours. The first buoyancy waves to be filtered by an extended duration heating are those of the deepest and narrowest structure that have a frequency approaching the buoyancy frequency. The energetics of the steady state depends only on the spatial and time-integrated properties of the warming. However, the energetics and transient evolution toward a given steady state depend on the temporal properties of the warming and may differ widely.

scholarly journals Determination of Best Tropopause Definition for Convective Transport Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (10) ◽  
pp. 3433-3446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Maddox ◽  
Gretchen L. Mullendore
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transport ◽  
Potential Vorticity ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Convective Transport ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Tracer Concentration ◽  
Temperature Lapse Rate ◽  
Cloud Resolving Model

An idealized three-dimensional cloud-resolving model is used to investigate the sensitivity of cross-tropopause convective mass transport to tropopause definition. A simulation is conducted to encompass the growth and decay cycle of a supercell thunderstorm, with a focus on irreversible transport above the tropopause. Five previously published tropopause definitions are evaluated: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) temperature lapse rate, potential vorticity, static stability, vertical curvature of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, and stratospheric tracer concentration. By analyzing the behavior of different definitions both during and after active convection, we are able to define “best” choices for tropopause definitions as those that return to states most closely matching the preconvective environment. Potential vorticity and stratospheric tracer concentration are shown to perform poorly when analyzing deep convection. The WMO thermal tropopause and static stability definitions are found to perform the best, providing similar tropopause placement and quantities of irreversible mass transport. This investigation highlights the challenges of defining a tropopause in the vicinity of deep convection and demonstrates the need to clearly communicate calculation methods and threshold choices in the literature.

Contribution of Lamb wave modes in the formation of higher order modes cluster (HOMC) guided waves

2021 ◽  
pp. 095440622110424
Author(s):  
Z Abbasi ◽  
F Honarvar
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Wave Packet ◽  
Lamb Wave ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Higher Order Modes ◽  
Wave Modes

In recent years, Higher Order Modes Cluster (HOMC) guided waves have been considered for ultrasonic testing of plates and pipes. HOMC guided waves consist of higher order Lamb wave modes that travel together as a single nondispersive wave packet. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of frequency-thickness value on the contribution of Lamb wave modes in an HOMC guided wave. This is an important issue that has not been thoroughly investigated before. The contribution of each Lamb wave mode in an HOMC guided wave is studied by using a two-dimensional finite element model. The level of contribution of various Lamb wave modes to the wave cluster is verified by using a 2D FFT analysis. The results show that by increasing the frequency-thickness value, the order of contributing modes in the HOMC wave packet increases. The number of modes that comprise a cluster also increases up to a specific frequency-thickness value and then it starts to decrease. Plotting of the cross-sectional displacement patterns along the HOMC guided wave paths confirms the shifting of dominant modes from lower to higher order modes with increase of frequency-thickness value. Experimental measurements conducted on a mild steel plate are used to verify the finite element simulations. The experimental results are found to be in good agreement with simulations and confirm the changes observed in the level of contribution of Lamb wave modes in a wave cluster by changing the frequency-thickness value.

Steady-State and Transient Dynamical Systems Analysis of Uncoupled and Coupled Very Large Amplitude Roll Response of a Vessel in Regular and Random Waves

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Falzarano ◽  
Srinivas Vishnubhotla ◽  
Sarah E. Juckett
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Dynamical Systems ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Random Waves ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Navy ◽  
Regular And Random Waves

This paper contains the most recent results of our analysis of the DTMB 5415 model hull. This hull is an early stage version of the US Navy’s DDG-51 and approximately represents the last traditional destroyer hull form designed, built and operated by the US Navy. Moreover, the US Navy has recently proposed an alternative simulation based approach to traditional static stability analysis for advanced hull forms. Static stability analysis has been in use by the US Navy for at least 50 years. This paper proposes an alternative analysis technique which uses modern techniques of dynamical systems to analyze the large amplitude (nonlinear) roll response of a vessel in waves. The technique considers the steady state (local) roll response, the transient (global) roll response in both regular and random waves. Moreover, the effects of coupling, damping and reduced GM are all investigated.

scholarly journals High-resolution Beijing mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar detection of tropopause structure and variability over Xianghe (39.75° N, 116.96° E), China

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feilong Chen ◽  
Gang Chen ◽  
Yufang Tian ◽  
Shaodong Zhang ◽  
Kaiming Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Potential Vorticity ◽  
Specular Reflection ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Stable Layer ◽  
Mst Radar ◽  
High Resolution Radar ◽  
Radar Measurements ◽  
Dynamical Potential

Abstract. As a result of partial specular reflection from the atmospheric stable layer, the radar tropopause (RT) can simply and directly be detected by VHF radars with vertical incidence. Here, the Beijing mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar measurements are used to investigate the structure and the variabilities in the tropopause in Xianghe, China, with a temporal resolution of 0.5 h from November 2011 to May 2017. The high-resolution radar-derived tropopause is compared with the thermal lapse-rate tropopause (LRT) that is defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) criterion from twice-daily radiosonde soundings and with the dynamical potential vorticity tropopause (PVT) that is defined as the height of the 2 PVU (PVU – potential vorticity units; 1 PVU = 106 m2 s−1 K kg−1) surface. We only consider tropopauses below 16 km in this study because of limitations with the radar system. During all the seasons, the RT and the LRT in altitude agree well with each other, with a correlation coefficient of ≥0.74. Statistically, weaker (higher) tropopause sharpness seems to contribute to larger (smaller) difference between the RT and the LRT in altitude. The RT agrees well with the PVT in altitude during winter and spring, with a correlation coefficient of ≥0.72, while the correlation coefficient in summer is only 0.33. As expected, the monthly mean RT and LRT height both show seasonal variations. Lomb–Scargle periodograms show that the tropopause exhibits obvious diurnal variation throughout the seasons, whereas the semidiurnal oscillations are rare and are occasionally observed during summer and later spring. Our study shows the potential of the Beijing MST radar to determine the tropopause height as well as present its diurnal oscillations.

scholarly journals Vertical Velocities and Available Potential Energy Generated by Landscape Variability—Theory

2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Baldi ◽  
G. A. Dalu ◽  
R. A. Pielke
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Ambient Wind ◽  
Available Potential Energy ◽  
Landscape Variability ◽  
Thermal Perturbations

Abstract It is shown that landscape variability decreases the temperature in the surface layer when, through mesoscale flow, cool air intrudes over warm patches, lifting warm air and weakening the static stability of the upper part of the planetary boundary layer. This mechanism generates regions of upward vertical motion and a sizable amount of available potential energy and can make the environment of the lower troposphere more favorable to cloud formation. This process is enhanced by light ambient wind through the generation of trapped propagating waves, which penetrate into the midtropospheric levels, transporting upward the thermal perturbations and weakening the static stability around the top of the boundary layer. At moderate ambient wind speeds, the presence of surface roughness changes strengthens the wave activity, further favoring the vertical transport of the thermal perturbations. When the intensity of the ambient wind is larger than 5 m s−1, the vertical velocities induced by the surface roughness changes prevail over those induced by the diabatic flux changes. The analysis is performed using a linear theory in which the mesoscale dynamics are forced by the diurnal diabatic sensible heat flux and by the surface stress. Results are shown as a function of ambient flow intensity and of the wavelength of a sinusoidal landscape variability.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document