Waves to the lee of a meso-scale elliptic orographic barrier

Summary ?The paper considers a meso-scale, adiabatic, inviscid and Boussisnesq flow of a stably stratified fluid over a three-dimensional (3-D) meso-scale orographic barrier with elliptic contour, with special reference to a part of the Western ghats mountain along west coast of India and on the Khasi-Jayantia hill in the northeast India. The airstream characteristics are simplified by assuming that the upstream wind velocity (U) and buoyancy frequency (N) are constant with height. Solutions for perturbation vertical velocity (w′) and streamline displacement (η′) are expressed in terms of double integrals. These integrals cannot be evaluated exactly, hence they have been approximated by asymptotic expansion method. Side by side solutions using numerical method have also been obtained. The results of the study indicate that the updraft regions in the asymptotic solution are crescent shaped, symmetrical about the axis y = 0, tilting upwind and spreading laterally with height. The study also shows that in both asymptotic solution and numerical solution w′ and η′ fall off down wind of the barrier in the central plane (y = 0), further more in the asymptotic solution w′ and η′ fall off as x ⁻¹. The study also indicates that the discrete updraft regions obtained in the numerical solution, when joined, take a crescent shape. Received November 26, 2001; accepted February 27, 2002     

地形对长波和超长波不稳定发展的影响

图3.2.1—3.2.5表示了地形对长波和超长波移动和发展影响的一般规律。如以地形脊对东移西风冷槽的影响为例,当地形相当涡度和扰动涡度的振辐比a_m/a_(20)较小时,在它越过地形脊时,首先流场槽减弱而温度槽加强,减弱的流场槽以较快的速度移动,而温度槽则相对减慢,越过地形脊后,流场槽又重新增强。 我们根据地形的影响,初步讨论了一锢囚气旋在向风坡填塞,在背风坡又重新产生的物理过程。超长波的斜压不稳定的不能发展,是由于温度场东进和流场西退造成的。根据地形脊对超长波脊移动的影响,可以推测,在两个地形超长波脊之间的地区,最有利于超长波脊的不稳定发展。阻塞脊出现频数的地理分布的观测结果和理论推测有很好的一致性。     

The global energy cycle of stationary and transient atmospheric waves: Results from ECMWF analyses

Summary The role of stationary (monthly mean) and transient (departure from monthly mean) waves within the atmospheric energy cycle is examined using global analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for the period 1980–1987. Only January and July averages are considered.It is confirmed that planetary stationary waves are basically baroclinic. Their contribution to the globally averaged energy cycle of the atmosphere is comparable to that of the transient waves. In January they contribute about 40% to the baroclinic conversion (CA) from zonal mean to eddy available potential energy. Local values for the northern hemisphere even show a predominant role of the stationary wave conversions over those originating from transient waves. Part of the available potential energy of stationary waves (A _SE) is converted to kinetic energy by warm air rising and cold air sinking. Nonlinear energy conversion, which can be interpreted as destruction of stationary temperature waves by transients, is the second sink forA _SE. The order of magnitude of these two processes is similar.Barotropic nonlinear conversions, though negligible in the global average, reveal large conversion rates between the mean positions of the polar and the subtropical jets. Their orientation is suggestive of a tendency to increase stationary wave kinetic energyK _SE at its local minimum between the jets at the expense of the synoptic scale transients.While all terms of the energy cycle related to stationary waves reveal a predominance of the planetary scale (zonal wave numbers 1–3) transient waves are governed by synoptic scale waves (zonal wave numbers 4–9) only with respect to the baroclinic and barotropic conversions: a significant amount of transient wave energy (50% for the global average ofA _TE) is due to planetary scale waves.With 15 Figures     

三层模式中风场对背风波的影响

为了研究风场对背风波的影响,针对边界层附近为弱稳定层结的背风波,建立了一个三维三层的理论模型和线性计算模式,分析了各层中风速和风向的变化对背风波特征的影响,揭示了气流过孤立山脉产生背风波的有利风场条件。结果表明：背风波的波长、振幅等特征对各层风速和风向的变化具有相当的敏感性,波长随着低、高层风速的增大而增大,随着中层风速的增大先减小后增大;振幅随着低、中层风速的增大先增大后减小,随着高层风速的增大而增大。此外,风速和上下层风向切变的增大均使背风波的形态逐渐由横波型转为辐散型,但是上下层风向的切变对背风波形态的影响比风速更为显著。     

Seasonal variations of gravity waves revealed in rawinsonde data at Pohang,Korea

Summary Seasonal variations of gravity wave characteristics are investigated using rawinsonde data observed at Pohang observatory, Korea (36°2′N, 129°23′E) during the one-year period of 1998. Analysis is carried out for two atmospheric layers representing the troposphere (2–9 km) and stratosphere (17–30 km). There exist clear seasonal variations in amplitudes of temperature and wind perturbations and wave energy in the stratosphere, with their maxima in wintertime and minima in summertime. A strong correlation is found between the wave activity and the strength of the jet stream, but there is no clear correlation between the wave activity and the vertical gradient of static stability. The intrinsic frequency and vertical and horizontal wavelengths of gravity waves in the stratosphere are 2f–3f, where f is the Coriolis parameter, and 2–3 km and 300–500 km, respectively. The intrinsic phase velocity directs westward in January and northeastward in July. The vertical flux of the stratospheric zonal momentum is mostly negative except in summertime with a maximum magnitude in January. Topography seems to be a major source of stratospheric gravity waves in wintertime. Convection can be a source of gravity waves in summertime, but it is required to know convective sources at nearby stations, due to their intermittency and locations relative to floating balloons.     

太行山东麓焚风天气的统计特征和机理分析Ⅱ:背风波对焚风产生和传播影响的个例分析

利用中尺度模式WRF3.3对太行山东麓焚风典型个例进行了数值模拟。结果表明,太行山东麓焚风的发生和移动与山脉背风波密切相关。由此建立了太行山东麓焚风的概念模型:西北或偏西气流途经山西盆地、山西境内的山脉或高原,再越过太行山,在其东麓形成背风波。背风波的下沉气流气温按干绝热方式上升,同时下沉气流也会对低层大气产生压缩增温效应,使得太行山东麓产生焚风。背风波即为重力波,可以伴随着下沉气流向下游移动,正变温区同时也向东移动。变温区移动的速度和重力波的传播速度相同。背风波的产生,需要Scorer数向上足够的减小,而且不连续,即要求大气是稳定的且存在明显的风速切变。     

Water exchange in fjords induced by tidally generated internal lee waves

Tidal processes are examined that control the water exchange between two basins of the Trondheimsfjord through a narrow channel with sills. For this purpose, a non-hydrostatic numerical model based on the laterally averaged Reynolds equations in the Boussinesq approximation was developed. The model takes into account the real vertical fluid stratification, variable bottom topography and variable cross-section of the fjord. Numerical experiments were performed to investigate tidally generated internal waves and their influence on the water exchange.The model produces both baroclinic tides and tidally generated lee waves. It was found that, for the Skarnsund strait which connects the Middle Fjord and the Beitstadfjord, the internal tides generated over the Skarnsund sills are very weak. Their amplitudes do not exceed 1 m.The intense short internal waves, which are identified as unsteady lee waves, comprise the basic input of the total internal wave field. These waves are generated by tidal currents at sill breaks, are trapped by topography in the generation area and grow by continuing feedback into large-amplitude waves. As the tidal flow slackens, they move upstream as freely propagating waves.As essentially nonlinear responses, the lee waves cause a nonlinear water transport. The detailed analysis of the residual currents produced by unsteady lee waves (which are propagating in both directions from the Scarnsund sills) has shown, in particular, that the residual currents can reach values as high as 0.27 m s⁻¹.It was also found that such currents exert a considerable effect on the water exchange through the Skarnsund strait between the adjacent basins. This mechanism can play an important role in water renewal and formation of the Beitasdfjord waters.     

Stratified flow over three-dimensional topography

In order to investigate flows over topography in an atmospheric context, we have studied experimentally the wake structure of axi-symmetric Gaussian obstacles towed through a linearly stratified fluid. Three dimensionless parameters govern the flow dynamics: F, the Froude number based on the topography height h; Re, the Reynolds number and the aspect ratio r = h/L, where L is the topography horizontal scale. Two-dimensional (2-D), saturated lee wave (SLW) and three-dimensional (3-D) regimes, as defined in Chomaz et al. (1993), are found to be functions of F and r only (Fig. 1) as soon as Re is larger than Re_c ≈ 2000. For F < 0.7 the flow goes around the obstacle and the motion in the wake is quasi-two-dimensional. This 2-D layer is topped by a region affected by lee wave motions with amplitude increasing with r and F. For 0.7 < F < 1/r, the flow is entirely dominated by a lee wave of saturated amplitude which suppresses the separation of the boundary layer from the obstacle. Above the critical value 1/r, the lee wave amplitude decreases with F and a recirculating zone appears behind the obstacle. Simultaneously, coherent large-scale vortices start to be shed periodically from the wake at a Strouhal number which decreases as 1/F until it reaches its neutral asymptotic value.     

On the problem of the Neva river flood waves identification

Based on the analysis of the measurements of hydrometeorological characteristics, the identification is corroborated of the Neva River flood waves as the baroclinic topographic waves. It is demonstrated that during the formation and maximum development of the most significant sea level rises in the Neva Bay, the stratification in the Gulf of Finland still remains pronounced despite the storm conditions. The baroclinic nature of the flood wave is indicated by the significant changes in the dispersion of currents with depth with their direction changing to the reverse one as it occurs in the first baroclinic mode wave. Directions of major axes of the standard deviation ellipses are oriented not along the isobaths as it should be in case of long gravity waves (being the longitudinal ones) but are extended across the bottom topography contours that is typical of gradient-vorticity waves assigned to the class of horizontal transverse waves.     

The effects of friction and heating of convective condensation in the baroclinic instability problem

By using the β-plane, two-layer quasi-geostrophic baroclinic model, this paper discusses the baroclinic in-stability problem concerning the effects of friction and heating of convective condensation. By Linear analysis it is shown that the combination of β effect, friction and convective heating brings about the asymmetric phenom-enon of margin curves. The convective heating plays a role in the increased baroclinic instability. As the heating increases (m*→1), the short wave cutoff can increase infinitely. Besides, the numerical integration of the finite-amplitude equations shows that the trajectory on the phase plane oscillates periodically in the case of non-dissipation. When the friction dissipation is considered, the trajectory of phase decays and oscillates to the equilibrium. The stronger convective heating not only makes the unstable wave length shorter and the amplitude of the equilibrium decrease, but also makes multiple equilibrium into single equilibrium.     

THE EFFECT OF LAND-SEA CONTRAST ON INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY OF THE ASIAN MONSOON*

Values of the net radiative heating(QRT)at the top of atmosphere(TOA) are derived from the satellite-observed outgoing long wave radiation(OLR)and the TOA short wave net irradiance (SHT) for the region of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas(40°S-40°N,0-180°E)and the period of months from January 1979 to December 1988.The anomalous QRT(QRTA)in relation to the interannual variability of Asian monsoon is discussed.QRTA for the earth-atmosphere system in the domain may be linked to the thermal contrasts between continents and oceans and between the plateau and surrounding free atmosphere.     

The <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">int</Emphasis>OA Experiment: A Study of Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions Under Moderate to Strong Offshore Winds and Opposing Swell Conditions in the Gulf of Tehuantepec,Mexico

The Gulf of Tehuantepec air–sea interaction experiment (intOA) took place from February to April 2005, under the Programme for the Study of the Gulf of Tehuantepec (PEGoT, Spanish acronym for Programa para el Estudio del Golfo de Tehuantepec). PEGoT is underway aiming for better knowledge of the effect of strong and persistent offshore winds on coastal waters and their natural resources, as well as performing advanced numerical modelling of the wave and surface current fields. One of the goals of the intOA experiment is to improve our knowledge on air–sea interaction processes with particular emphasis on the effect of surface waves on the momentum flux for the characteristic and unique conditions that occur when strong Tehuano winds blow offshore against the Pacific Ocean long period swell. For the field campaign, an air–sea interaction spar (ASIS) buoy was deployed in the Gulf of Tehuantepec to measure surface waves and the momentum flux between the ocean and the atmosphere. High frequency radar systems (phase array type) were in operation from two coastal sites and three acoustic Doppler current profilers were deployed near-shore. Synthetic aperture radar images were also acquired as part of the remote sensing component of the experiment. The present paper provides the main results on the wave and wind fields, addressing the direct calculation of the momentum flux and the drag coefficient, and gives an overview of the intOA experiment. Although the effect of swell has been described in recent studies, this is the first time for the very specific conditions encountered, such as swell persistently opposing offshore winds and locally generated waves, to show a clear evidence of the influence on the wind stress of the significant steepness of swell waves.     

Trapped lee waves: A special analytical solution

Summary A special analytical solution is derived for the classical orographic configuration of two-dimensional, stratified, linear, non-hydrostatic and dry model (without friction and Coriolis force). The well-known differential equation for the vertical velocity involves the vertical distribution of the Scorer parameterl ²(z) and in this casel ² is specified such that the lower atmosphere has a stable duct near the surface and is capped by a layer which acts as a good reflector.Examination of the solution for the vertical amplitude in the vicinity of singularities indicates the dominant lee wavelength and observations confirm that in comparable settings resonant trapped gravity waves develop in the lee of mountains. Comparison with a real atmospheric lee-wave events gives good predictions for the wavelength and wave drag, but, as in other linear models, the amplitude is underestimated.With 2 Figures     

水汽空间分布对大气船舶重力波影响的数 值试验

利用中尺度数值模式ARPS模拟研究了水汽在山脉重力波和大气船波的产生和演变中的作用。研究发现水汽和非绝热效应对大气船波的影响与水汽的空间分布有关,大气船波的产生和演变对水汽的空间分布具有极端的敏感性,在一定条件下水汽的引入有可能减少大气船波的活动。对于3层模式结构的气流过山而言,如果初始的水汽分布在中层大气,则水汽和非绝热效应对大气船波的影响较小,而如果初始的水汽分布在中下层大气,则引入水汽后减少了大气船波的强度,但是如果初始的水汽分布在整个模式大气层,则水汽的引入减少了大气船波的活动。     

Wave disturbances associated with the red river valley severe weather outbreak of 10–11 April 1979

Summary An analysis of mesoscale gravity wave events during the severe weather outbreak in the Red River Valley on 10–11 April 1979 is presented utilizing surface pressure data and the 3 h rawinsonde data from the AVE-SESAMEI special network. The unique data set provided by the SESAME field experiment makes it possible to relate the wavelike characteristics observed at the surface to the variability of the temperature, humidity, and wind fields over a deep tropospheric layer that act to initiate and sustain the waves over long distances and time periods.Three different wave events (A, B, and C) were identified via spectral analysis and cross-correlation techniques. They all have similar periods, approximately 3 h, but different phase velocities. All three wave events are generated and propagate in the exit region or anticyclonic side of upperlevel jet streaks. Convection and wind shear are shown to be unlikely contributors to the generation of event A, which is probably related to the development of a strong divergent field in association with an upper-tropospheric jet streak and to the ensuing mass adjustment process. Events B and C also appear in a region of strong ageostrophic motion associated with an upper-level jet streak. However, the low values of the Richardson number (Ri) at the critical levels of these two waves suggest vertical wind shear as a likely contributor to their generation and/or maintenance. A linear stability analysis confirms, with unprecedent spatial and temporal resolution, that a modal structure is present in the atmosphere whose characteristics are consistent with those of waves B and C.Three-hourly rawinsonde data show strong temporal and spatial variability throughout the troposphere in the wind, temperature, and humidity fields when the waves are present. Convective systems, as detected by radar, are closely linked to the waves, although not in a consistent manner: cells intensify or develop at the passage of a wave trough in event A, at the passage of a wave ridge in event C, and at the passage of a wave trough or ridge in event B, depending on the geographic location of the cells. For all three events, maximum rainfall recorded at the surface is associated with a wave ridge with a time lag of approximately 1 h.With 20 Figures     

斜压大气中的地形扰动

本文主要讨论地形对天气系统的影响,研究了斜压大气中地形背风气旋的问题。用小参数法简化基本运动方程,利用青藏高原和落基山脉的实际地形,采用FFT的数值方法,考虑了不同地形、风切变、大气层结等诸因素对地形扰动的影响。结果表明:青藏高原和落基山脉东侧的地形扰动与统计结果较一致;层结对地形扰动的影响较敏感。     

A numerical study on severe downslope windstorms occurred on 5 April 2005 at Gangneung and Yangyang, Korea

Severe downslope windstorms occurred on 5 April 2005 in the Taebaek Mountain Range, located in the eastern coast of Korea, are examined using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Strong winds are observed at Gangneung and Yangyang during two separate periods with a rapidly decreasing period in between. These downslope windstorms are reproduced in the simulation reasonably well, although the rapidly decreasing surface wind speed after the second windstorm could not be captured at Yangyang. It is found that the generation mechanisms of the downslope windstorms in these two periods are somewhat different. The severe wind in the first period is likely due to the reflection of the mountain waves from a critical level that locates near z = 8–9 km. Upward-propagating waves and reflected downward-propagating waves interact constructively in a duct between the critical level and the surface, resulting in strong surface wind. In the second period, the hydraulic-jump theory can be applied in that the wave breaking above the downstream induces a well-mixed region, and severe downslope wind is developed beneath this turbulent region as the streamlines descend along the downstream. Simultaneous lee wave structure is also reproduced during the second windstorm period. The sensitivity of the downslope wind speed to the change in the land-cover map showed that the absorption of trapped lee waves in the boundary layer reduces the downslope wind speed significantly after the second windstorm at Gangneung, improving the model performance, although with no significant impact at Yangyang.     

Prediction Errors Associated with Sparse Grid Estimates of Flows over Hills

Numerical simulations of geophysical flows have to be done on very sparse grids. Nevertheless, flows over moderately sloped hills can be predicted quite accurately as long as the near ground vertical resolution is reasonably dense. Recirculation flows behind steeper hills are associated with slow convergence towards grid independent integrations, but even then moderately stratified flows of this type can be predicted usefully accurately. For better horizontal grids than about half the hill-height Δx ₁/H ≈ 0.5 or so, separation and recirculating domains are predicted with an error factor comparable to 0.3. The characteristic wavelength of lee waves is predicted more accurately while the lee wave amplitude and the maximum turbulence intensity in recirculating domains are underestimated by factors comparable to 0.3. Strongly stratified flows may be associated with hydraulic transitions and even this is predicted on quite coarse grids, up to say Δx ₁/H ≈ 0.5. However, the details of such flows turn out to be predicted with considerable errors also on high-resolution grids. Inaccurate modelling of stratified turbulence is a main contributor to this error.     

Changes in the normal mode energetics of the general atmospheric circulation in a warmer climate

Changes in the normal mode energetics of the general atmospheric circulation are assessed for the northern winter season (DJF) in a warmer climate, using the outputs of four climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 3. The energetics changes are characterized by significant increases in both the zonal mean and eddy components for the barotropic and the deeper baroclinic modes, whereas for the shallower baroclinic modes both the zonal mean and eddy components decrease. Significant increases are predominant in the large-scale eddies, both barotropic and baroclinic, while the opposite is found in eddies of smaller scales. While the generation rate of zonal mean available potential energy has globally increased in the barotropic component, leading to an overall strengthening in the barotropic energetics terms, it has decreased in the baroclinic component, leading to a general weakening in the baroclinic energetics counterpart. These global changes, which indicate a strengthening of the energetics in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), sustained by enhanced baroclinic eddies of large horizontal scales, and a weakening below, mostly driven by weaker baroclinic eddies of intermediate to small scales, appear together with an increased transfer rate of kinetic energy from the eddies to the zonal mean flow and a significant increase in the barotropic zonal mean kinetic energy. The conversion rates between available potential energy and kinetic energy, C, were further decomposed into the contributions by the rotational (Rossby) and divergent (gravity) components of the circulation field. The eddy component of C is due to the conversion of potential energy of the rotational adjusted mass field into kinetic energy by the work realized in the eddy divergent motion. The zonal mean component of C is accomplished by two terms which nearly cancel each other out. One is related to the Hadley cell and involves the divergent component of both wind and geopotential, while the other is associated to the Ferrel cell and incorporates the divergent wind with the rotationally adjusted mass field. Global magnitude increases were found in the zonal mean components of these two terms for the warmer climate, which could be the result of a strengthening and/or widening of both meridional cells. On the other hand, the results suggest a strengthening of these conversion rates in the UTLS and a weakening below, that is consistent with the rising of the tropopause in response to global warming.     

Analyses and calculation facts of the baroclinic term in synoptic-scale motion over tropics

Analyses are made of all terms in the vorticity equation for the atmosphere at low latitudes by using the scale analysis theory, with the result that for synotic-scale motion the baroclinic term, i. e. the twisting term and the vorticity vertical-transport term, approximates in order to the relative-vorticity advection, divergence and β term. With intensified atmospheric disturbance ratios of the β term to others become smaller while the others stay in more or less fixed proportions between them. This statement has been confirmed by the results of 22 typhoons calculated covering a large area in low latitudes. Besides, the baroclinic term for the genesis and development of 6 typhoons over 1979－1980 is calculated and the results ob-tained show that it has significant effect. Finally, the baroclinicity is shown not to be ignored in dealing with synoptics and dynamics of synoptic-scale systems such as typhoons and easterly waves.