Modeling studies of the upper ocean response to a tropical cyclone

A coupled ocean and boundary layer flux numerical modeling system is used to study the upper ocean response to surface heat and momentum fluxes associated with a major hurricane, namely, Hurricane Dennis (July 2005) in the Gulf of Mexico. A suite of experiments is run using this modeling system, constructed by coupling a Navy Coastal Ocean Model simulation of the Gulf of Mexico to an atmospheric flux model. The modeling system is forced by wind fields produced from satellite scatterometer and atmospheric model wind data, and by numerical weather prediction air temperature data. The experiments are initialized from a data assimilative hindcast model run and then forced by surface fluxes with no assimilation for the time during which Hurricane Dennis impacted the region. Four experiments are run to aid in the analysis: one is forced by heat and momentum fluxes, one by only momentum fluxes, one by only heat fluxes, and one with no surface forcing. An equation describing the change in the upper ocean hurricane heat potential due to the storm is developed. Analysis of the model results show that surface heat fluxes are primarily responsible for widespread reduction (0.5°–1.5°C) of sea surface temperature over the inner West Florida Shelf 100–300 km away from the storm center. Momentum fluxes are responsible for stronger surface cooling (2°C) near the center of the storm. The upper ocean heat loss near the storm center of more than 200 MJ/m² is primarily due to the vertical flux of thermal energy between the surface layer and deep ocean. Heat loss to the atmosphere during the storm’s passage is approximately 100–150 MJ/m². The upper ocean cooling is enhanced where the preexisting mixed layer is shallow, e.g., within a cyclonic circulation feature, although the heat flux to the atmosphere in these locations is markedly reduced.     

Relationship between thermally forced surface wind and sea surface temperature gradient

An important part of the influence of the oceans on the atmosphere is through direct radiation, sensible heat flux and release of latent heat of evaporation, whereby all of these processes are directly related to the surface temperature of the oceans. A main effect of the atmosphere on the oceans is through momentum exchange at the air-ocean interface, and this process is directly related to the surface wind stress. The sea surface temperature (SST) and the surface wind stress are the two important components in the air-ocean system. If SST is given, a thermally forced boundary layer atmospheric circulation can be simulated. On the other hand, if the surface wind stress is given, the wind-driven ocean waves and ocean currents can be computed.The relationship between SST and surface wind is a coupling of the atmosphere and the oceans. It changes a one-way effect (ocean mechanically driven by atmosphere, or atmosphere thermally forced by oceans) into two-way air-sea interactions. Through this coupling the SST distribution, being an output from an ocean model, leads to the thermally forced surface winds, which feeds back into the ocean model as an additional forcing.Based on Kuo's planetary boundary layer model a linear algebraic equation is established to link the SST gradient with the thermally forced surface wind. The surface wind blows across the isotherms from cold to warm region with some deflection angle to the right (left) in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere. Results from this study show that the atmospheric stratification reduces both the speed and the deflection angle of the thermally forced wind, however, the Coriolis' effect increases the wind speed in stable atmosphere (Ri>10^–4) and increases the deflection angle.     

Reflection of hydrostatic mountain waves from spatially nonuniform layers

Abstract

The steady, hydrostatic, inviscid, Boussinesq flow of a stably stratified fluid over a bell-shaped ridge is investigated within the framework of a linear model. The three layer model atmosphere introduced is such that the Brunt-Väisälä frequency is constant in each layer but the interfaces of the middle layer are allowed to vary gently in the cross-ridge direction. In essence, the model can be tuned in both vertical and horizontal directions. These cross-ridge variations can produce significant differences in both the cross-ridge surface wind and the surface drag compared to the response obtained by use of a horizontally uniform reflecting layer. These changes are sensitive to both the vertical location of the middle layer and to the slope of its lower interface at the ridge crest. Many of these features are explained by means of a conventional layered-model analysis.     

Impact of the surface temperature and vertical shear of zonal wind on the dynamics of a simple two-layer model of the atmosphere

The paper presents and analyzes, from the point of view of smooth dynamic systems theory, a two-layer baroclinic model of the troposphere in geostrophic approximation. The model describes airflow in β-channel within the tropospheric part of the main Hadley circulation cell. It enables to obtain, after application of the Galerkin method, a fairly simple low-parametric dynamic system describing the phenomena of non-linear interactions, bifurcations and blocking in the atmosphere. This enables to take into consideration such basic factors influencing the atmospheric dynamics like the heat exchange within the surface, orography, vertical variability of zonal wind and hydrostatic stability. Impact of zonal thermal variability of the surface and vertical shear of zonal wind in the troposphere on the orographic bifurcation was investigated and the oscillation character in the dynamic system after Hopf bifurcation of the second kind was analyzed. Additionally, the model dynamics was investigated in conditions including momentum forcing in the upper and lower parts of the troposphere and excluding orographic interaction, as well as in the conditions of thermal interaction between the troposphere and the surface for the vertical shear of zonal wind in both tropospheric layers. Impact of the mean zonal wind in the troposphere on the properties of model dynamics was assessed. It was proved that zonally varied surface temperature and layered mean zonal wind in the atmosphere are the parameters that have basic influence on the model dynamics. They cause numerous bifurcations and strongly influence the periods of oscillations of the model variables. They are often Hopf bifurcations of the second kind during which tropospheric states fairly distant from the ones before the bifurcations are generated. This significantly influences the model predictability.     

热带大洋对纬向和经向风应力的联合响应

考虑了经向风应力和纬向风应力联合作用下热带大洋的响应问题.结果表明,只有一阶的经向风应力或具有辐合辐散的经向风应力才对最后的速度场和位势场造成影响.零阶的扰动温跃层和纬圈流受风应力的直接驱动和Kelvin波、Rossby短波的影响,而Rossby短波由经向风应力直接造成;二阶模则受风应力的直接驱动和Rossby短波的作用,同时经向风应力也产生了附加的Rossby短波.另外,在西边界处存在很强的暖水补充到赤道的现象,经向风应力有使暖水向赤道输送的作用,而西风应力使西边界处的暖水向东输送.     

Solar wind influence on atmospheric processes in winter Antarctica

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) altered by solar wind are traditionally regarded as the most plausible agent of solar activity influence on the Earth's atmosphere. However, it is well known that severe reductions in the GCRs flux, known as Forbush decreases (FDs), are caused by solar wind of high speed and density, which sweeps away the GCRs on its way. Since the FD beginnings are registered at the Earth's orbit simultaneously with dramatic disturbances in the solar wind, the atmospheric effects, assigned to FDs, can be, in reality, the results of the solar wind influence on the atmospheric processes. This paper presents a summary of the experimental results demonstrating the strong influence of the interplanetary electric field on atmospheric processes in central Antarctica, where the large-scale system of vertical circulation is formed during winter seasons. The influence is realized through acceleration of the air masses, descending into the lower atmosphere from the troposphere, and the formation of cloudiness above the Antarctic Ridge, where the descending air masses enter the surface layer. The acceleration is followed by a sharp increase of the atmospheric pressure near-pole region, which gives rise to the katabatic wind strengthening above the entire Antarctica. The cloudiness formation results in the sudden warmings in the surface atmosphere, since the cloud layer efficiently backscatters the long wavelength radiation from the ice sheet, but does not affect the adiabatic warming process of the descending tropospheric air masses. When the drainage flow strengthening the circumpolar vortex around the periphery of the Antarctic continent decays, the surface easterlies typical of the coast stations during the winter season are replaced by southerlies and the cold Antarctic air masses flow out to the Southern ocean.     

On the maintenance of the axisymmetric part of the flow in the atmosphere

Summary The maintenance of the axisymmetric component of the flow in the atmosphere is investigated by means of a steady-state, quasi-geostrophic formulation of the meteorological equations. It is shown that the meridional variations in the time-averaged axisymmetric variables can be expressed as the sum of three contributions, one being due to the eddy heat transport, another to the eddy momentum transport, and a third to the convective-radiative equilibrium temperature which enters the problem through the specification of a Newtonian form of diabatic heating. The contributions by the large scale eddies are evaluated through the use of observed values for the eddy heat and momentum transports.The contributions from each of the three forcing mechanisms to the temperature and zonal wind fields are invstigated individually and found to be of about equal importance. The sum of the three contributions are also presented for the temperature, the zonal wind, the stream function associated with the mean meridional circulation and the corresponding vertical motion. Although the results fail to reproduce the main observed features of the lower stratosphere, they are found to be in good agreement with observations in the middle latitude troposphere. At any pressure level, for example, the computed mean zonal wind has a jet-like profile and the axis of the jet is found to slope to the south with height, as observed in the atmosphere.Based in part on a thesis submitted by the first author as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan. — Publication No. 194 from the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography, The University of Michigan.     

太湖风生流的三维数值模拟

建立了太湖三维风生流数值模型,并用差分法求解;垂直方向上采用了坐标变换技术,把任一节点的水深转换成无量纲水深,从而有效地消除了因风力作用造成的自由水面波动和湖底不规则的影响;水平面上采用锯齿网格处理,对于四周以闭边界为主的湖泊水域,显得比较合理。计算结果表明,湖泊风生流沿垂直、水平方向都有较大变化,流向上下、水平也并不一致,这是湖泊水流区别于其它水域水流之所在。计算模拟显示所建模型的有效性和可操作性。     

The effect of dissipation on the vertical propagation of planetary waves in the vicinity of critical levels

Planetary waves are excited at an initial time by the switch-on of vertical motion at the base of a stratified, isothermal atmosphere on a -plane. Dissipation in the form of linear drag and Newtonian cooling is allowed for. Simple zonal wind profifes are used with linear shear and critical or zero wind levels. Dissipation rapidly dampens out residual time-dependent motion such that a steady state is reached in no more than a few weeks at all heights. Dissipation also permits the absorption of significant amounts of planetary-wave energy such that the basic flow cannot be considered invariant with time. The need for more accurate estimates of dissipation time scales in the upper atmosphere is pointed out. An important step toward this end will be a final solution to the problem of the photochemistry of ozone.Supported by the National Science Foundation under grant GA-31408 and through the National Center for Atmospheric Research.     

Short-period fluctuations in the atmospheric electric field over the ocean

Fluctuations of short period in the atmospheric electric field were studied through the measurements of electric field and space charge density on the Mid-Pacific Ocean. The amplitude of fluctuation is about one third of the mean electric field, and the period mainly ranges from 2 to 5 min. The fluctuations are considered to be under the influence of spatial and temporal variation of space charge layer that possibly originates from the electrode effect above the sea surface. The unit of electrical irregularities in the atmosphere above the ocean has horizontal scale of the order of 1.5 km and indicates a tendency to become large as the wind speed increases. The vertical scale of space charge layer is estimated at several tens meters.     

中国太湖梅梁湾湖流及散度场：水—气耦合模式

Research is conducted on the distribution features of flow and divergence fields under the stress of ununiform and unsteady wind at Meiliang Bay on Lake Taihu by using a 3D atmospheric boundary layer model and a 2D hydrodynamic model for the area of the lake. Some meaningful results were achieved.     

夏季风期间长江流域的水汽输送状态及其年际变化

本文利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了长江流域夏季风期间的水汽收支和循环,着重研究了不同月份与水汽收支的年际变化显著相关的大尺度水汽输送和环流异常.流域范围的西南夏季风水汽输送以6、7月最为强烈,经向输送在5～8月造成流域水汽辐合,9月造成辐散;纬向输送在5～7月造成流域水汽辐散,8、9月造成辐合.研究表明,在不同月份,流域的南北边界处的水汽输送在流域水汽收支的年际变化中起着不同的作用.这种变化与大气环流的异常密切相关.在夏季风相对较弱月份（5、8、9月）,流域水汽收支的年际变化极大地受到流域南边界南风水汽输入通道的影响,对应于水汽收入偏丰年,该3个月500 hPa高空在青藏高原东部都存在显著异常低压区,而且,8、9月在中南半岛及其以东洋面存在显著异常反气旋环流,与8月西太副高的向西向南异常伸展,以及9月副高的西伸较弱和南北范围较宽有关,这些异常环流均造成南边界的大量异常水汽输入.而在夏季风十分强盛的6、7月,流域北边界南风水汽输出极大增加,成为流域水汽收入年际变化的关键敏感通道,对应于水汽收入偏丰年,6月500 hPa高空主要受中纬度以黄海和东海为中心的异常低压系统和气旋性异常环流影响,与该区域副高偏南、偏弱有关,而7月则主要受中高纬以外兴安岭为中心的异常高压和反气旋性异常环流影响,应该是由于该区域大陆高压的频繁生成造成的,它们均造成流域北边界水汽输出的异常减少.     

海面有效辐射的数值分析

本文基于大气辐射的基本概念和原理,对海面有效辐射进行分析讨论。首先,根据近海面大气边界层中的气温和湿度廓线跟风速廓线的相似性,采用海面粗糙参数z_0来定义海面。其次,由海面有效辐射的定义和大气辐射理论导出海面有效辐射的一般表达式。然后,对海洋大气的垂直结构作了分层描述,从而对海面有效辐射一般表达式进行具体运算,并且求得简化分析式。最后,利用海洋观测站资料,对本分析式和一些经验公式进行计算和对比。结果表明,晴天与阴天的海面有效辐射值相差较大,可是它们随海面风速的变化均甚小。     

Numerical simulation and analysis of the mean coastal circulation off California

A two-dimensional numerical model is applied to a coastal ocean wherein alongshore elevation and density gradients, normally calculated by a three-dimensional model, are instead supplied by climatologically averaged data for the California Current System between 25 and 40°N. Surface wind stress is also obtained from climatological data. Both surface and bottom boundary layers are resolved in the model calculations; a second moment turbulence closure submodel supplies vertical diffusivities. Near steady state solutions are possible when surface buoyancy flux is imposed at the surface.Model results are as follows: Southward wind stress produces a broad equatorward current with an embedded coastal jet in accordance with previous studies. Positive wind stress curl reduces the jet current and produces a poleward undercurrent which then surfaces as the curl is increased. The jet currents are reduced and poleward flow increases as bottom steepness increases; to a lesser extent, inclusion of the beta effect has a similar effect. The existence of near bottom, poleward or equatorward flow is explained rather simply in terms of the bottom stress resulting from the alongshore balance of surface wind stress and vertically integrated pressure gradient, the latter involving the alongshore surface elevation and density gradient. A further finding is that the upwelling circulation associated with wind stress is confined to the top 200 to 300 m of the ocean along the California coast.     

2009年1月强爆发性增温期间突发E(Es)层的响应

平流层爆发性增温(SSW)期间,低层大气温度场和风场等的剧烈变化会直接影响潮汐和风剪切作用.此举可能会导致电离层Es的相应变化.本文以2009年1月事件为例,分析了SSW期间Es层的响应.首先,在排除太阳活动和地磁活动对Es层影响的前提下,分析了昆明站附近MLT区域行星波和潮汐波的波动特性,发现此期间存在显著的2日行星波,并伴有日潮汐减弱和半日潮汐增强等波动现象;随后,分析相应时间段内Es层的变化特性发现,重庆和昆明站附近Es层强度明显减弱,且其高度显著抬升.这一现象与低层大气的波动变化具有同步性.最后,通过模拟经典风剪切理论下Es层金属离子的汇聚过程和运动轨迹,再现了SSW期间Es层与低层大气波动的耦合演化过程.该分析结果为研究低层-中层-高层大气的耦合过程提供了一种新的思路.     

Ocean-atmosphere dynamics changes associated with prominent ocean surface turbulent heat fluxes trends during 1958–2013

Three prominent features of ocean surface turbulent heat fluxes (THF) trends during 1958–2013 are identified based on the Objectively Analyzed air-sea Fluxes (OAFlux) data set. The associated ocean-atmosphere dynamics changes are further investigated based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis. First, the THF are enhanced over the mid-latitude expansions of the subtropical western boundary currents (WBCs). An intensified oceanic heat transport, forced by stronger near-surface zonal wind, is likely to be the cause of such THF tendency. Second, the THF are reduced over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, which is primarily caused by the decreasing near-surface wind speed and sea surface temperature (SST), associated with a local coupled ocean-atmosphere cooling mode. Finally, the THF are reduced over the northern tropical Atlantic Ocean, which is attributed to the decreasing air-sea humidity and temperature differences as a result of the convergence of near-surface air and the divergence of ocean currents (upwelling).     

Numerical Simulation of the Response of the Ocean Surface Layer to Precipitation

Numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the ocean's response to the precipitation. A squall line observed in TOGA COARE was simulated. The simulation reproduced some of the observed ocean responses to the precipitation, such as the formation of a fresh water layer, surface cooling and the variation of upper layer turbulent mixing. The precipitation-induced fresh layer can cause the vertical turbulent diffusivities to decrease from the surface to a depth of about 11–13 meters within a few hours. After the rainfall, the turbulence increases near the surface of the ocean due to the combined effect of increased shear and wind forcing, but decreases with depth due to the development of a stable layer. The main reason for the turbulence variation is the decrease in the vertical turbulence flux below the surface fresh layer because of increased static stability. Sensitivity experiments reveal that the sea-surface temperature increases faster after rainfall due to the formation of a shallow fresh water layer near the surface.     

Observational evidence of the semiannual oscillation in the tropical middle atmosphere—A review

Observational studies on the semiannual oscillation in the tropical stratosphere and mesosphere are reviewed. Results of many statistics based on rocket and satellite observations reveal that the long-term behavior of the mean zonal wind exhibits two semiannual cycles which have their maximum amplitudes centered at the stratopause level and the mesopause level, each one being associated with the semiannual temperature variations predominating at levels about 10 km lower.Observational evidence obtained from recent studies of the dynamical properties of upper stratospheric waves strongly supports the theoretical consideration that the stratospheric semiannual oscillation is the manifestation of the wave-zonal flow interaction with alternating accelerations of the westerly flow by Kelvin waves and the easterly flow by planetary Rossby waves.Regarding the semiannual variation in the upper mesosphere, however, very little is known about the possible momentum source. Therefore, emphasis is placed on the need for further observations of the structure and behavior of the tropical middle atmosphere.     

Radon volumetric activity and ion production in the undisturbed lower atmosphere: Ground-based observations and numerical modeling

The results of in situ ground-based observations of radon volumetric activity carried out at the Borok Geophysical Observatory of Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences (58°04′ N; 38°14′ E) are presented. Modeling the characteristic diurnal variation in the ion production rate in the undisturbed midlatitude lower atmosphere above land is carried out. The Lagrangian stochastic model of turbulent transport is developed in application to determining the vertical profiles of radon activity for 222Rn and 220Rn isotopes and their radioactive decay products. The results calculated by the Lagrangian stochastic model are matched with the analytical solution for the free atmosphere. Based on the model, the estimate is obtained for the rate of radon outflow from the convective boundary layer to the free clear sky atmosphere. The implications of temperature stratification of the atmosphere for the vertical distribution of the ion production rate at the different radon emission rate are explored.     

Numerical studies of transient planetary circulations in a wind-driven ocean

Summary The time-dependent primitive equations for a shallow homogeneous ocean with a free surface are solved for a bounded basin on the sphere, driven by a steady zonal wind stress and subject to lateral viscous dissipation. These are the vertically integrated equations for a free-surface model, and are integrated to 60 days from an initial state of rest by an explicit centered-difference method with zero-slip lateral boundary conditions. In a series of comparative numerical solutions it is shown that at least a 2-deg resolution is needed to resolve the western boundary currents adequately and to avoid undue distortion of the transient (Rossby waves. The -plane formulation is shown to be an adequate approximation for the mean circulation in the lower and middle latitudes, but noticeably intensifies the transports poleward of about 50 deg and both slows and distorts the transients in the central basin. The influence of the (southern) zonal boundary on the transport solutions is confined to the southernmost gyre, except in the region of the western boundary currents where its influence spreads to the northern edge of the basin by 30 days. The total boundary current transport is shown to be approximately proportional to the zonal width of the basin and independent of the basin's (uniform) depth, while the elevation of the free water surface is inversely proportional to the basin depth, in accordance with linear theory. The introduction of bottom friction has a marked damping effect on the transient Rossby waves, and also reduces the maximum boundary-current transport. The solutions throughout are approximately geostrophic and are only slightly nonlinear.The root-mean-square (rms) transport variability during the period 30 to 60 days is concentrated in the southwest portion of the basin through the reflection of the transient Rossby waves from the western shore and has a maximum corresponding to an rms current variability of about 3 cm sec^–1. The transport variabilities are about 10 percent of the mean zonal transport and more than 100 percent of the mean meridional transport over a considerable region of the western basin (outside the western boundary current regime). Some 99 percent of the total kinetic energy is associated with the zonal mean and standing zonal waves, which are also responsible for the bulk of the meridional transport of zonal angular momentum. Although the transient Rossby waves systematically produce a momentum flux convergence at the latitude of the maximum eastward current, much in the manner of their atmospheric counterparts, this is only a relatively small contribution to the zonal oceanic momentum balance; the bulk of the mean zonal stress is here balanced by a nearly stationary net pressure torque exerted against the meridional boundaries by the wind-raised water. In an ocean without such boundaries the role of the transient circulations may be somewhat more important.