Barotropic Process Contributing to the Formation and Growth of Tropical Cyclone Nargis

This study reveals the barotropic dynamics associated with the formation and growth of tropical cyclone Nargis in 2008,during its formation stage.Strong equatorial westerlies occurred over the southern Bay of Bengal in association with the arrival of an intraseasonal westerly event during the period 22-24 April 2008. The westerlies,together with strong tropical-subtropical easterlies,constituted a large-scale horizontal shear flow,creating cyclonic vorticity and thereby promoting the incipient disturbance that eventually evolved into Nargis.This basic zonal flow in the lower troposphere was barotropically unstable,with the amplified disturbance gaining more kinetic energy from the easterly jet than from the westerly jet during 25-26 April. This finding suggests that more attention should be paid to the unstable easterly jet when monitoring and predicting the development of tropical cyclones.Energetics analyses reveal that barotropic energy conversion by the meridional gradient of the basic zonal flow was indeed an important energy source for the growth of Nargis.     

Intraseasonal modulation of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific: a case study

The temporal clustering of the western North Pacific tropical cyclogenesis and its modulation by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) during the 1991 summer were examined based on the tropical cyclone best track, outgoing longwave radiation, and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets. The wavelet analysis shows that convective activities around the monsoon trough in the western North Pacific possessed a distinct MJO with a period of 20–60 days. Two or more tropical cyclones were observed to form successively during each active phase of the MJO, and tropical cyclones tended to generate around the southeastern part of the maximum vorticity of the low-frequency cyclonic circulation during the developing and peak stages of the active MJO phase. But tropical cyclogenesis scarcely occurred during inactive MJO phases. Thus the MJO was a major agent in modulating repeated development of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific during the 1991 summer. The MJO in circulation was characterized by a huge anomalous cyclone (anticyclone) in the lower troposphere existing alternately over the western North Pacific, leading to an enhanced (weakened) monsoon trough. An examination of the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity associated with the zonal flow indicates that the zonal flow in the monsoon trough region satisfied the necessary conditions for barotropic instability, with both zonal flow and the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity varying on the similar MJO timescale. The intraseasonal oscillation of such an unstable zonal flow might thus be an important mechanism for temporal clustering of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific. The barotropic conversion could provide a major energy source for the formation and growth of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific during active MJO phases, with the eddy kinetic energy generation being dominated by both terms of eddies interacting with zonal and meridional gradients of the basic zonal flow.     

The influence of the coast on the dynamics of upwelling fronts: Part II. Numerical simulations

We investigated the dynamics of upwelling fronts near a coast. This work was first motivated by laboratory experiments [Bouruet-Aubertot, Linden, Dyn. Atmos. Oceans, 2002] in which the front is produced by the adjustment of a buoyant fluid initially confined within a bottomless cylinder. It was shown that cyclonic eddies consisting of coastal waters are enhanced when the front is unstable near the coast (the outer vertical boundary). The purpose of this paper is to provide further insights into this process. We reproduced the experimental configuration using a three-dimensional model of the primitive equations. We first show that for coastal fronts more potential energy, in terms of the maximum available potential energy, is released than for open-ocean fronts. Therefore, waves of larger amplitude are generated during the adjustment and the mean flow that establishes has a higher kinetic energy in the former case. Then as baroclinic instability starts and wave crests reach the boundary, cyclonic eddies are enhanced as in the laboratory experiments and in a similar way. However, in contrast to the laboratory experiments, offshore advection of cyclonic eddies can occur in two stages, depending on the spatial organization of the baroclinic wave. When the baroclinic wave consists of the sum of different modes and is thus highly asymmetric, the offshore advection of cyclonic eddies occurs just after their enhancement at the boundary, as in the laboratory experiments. By contrast, when a single-mode baroclinic wave develops, neighboring cyclonic eddies first merge before being advected offshore. Very different behavior is observed for open-ocean fronts. First a mixed baroclinic–barotropic instability grows. Then the eddies transfer their energy to the mean flow and the barotropic and baroclinic instabilities start again. An excellent agreement is obtained with the main result obtained in the laboratory experiments: the ratio between growth rates of surface cyclonic and anticyclonic vorticity increases as the instability develops nearer to the coast.     

季风槽中热带气旋生成初期扰动的扰动动能收支分析

热带气旋总是发生在天气尺度扰动中,本文利用NCEP/NCAR提供的FNL资料,选取了2004年8月11日—9月10日期间季风槽中5个热带气旋生成初期扰动,通过计算动能收支分析这些初期扰动的发展。其中4个热带气旋都是生成在向西北方向传播的天气尺度波列的气旋性环流中,气旋性环流可以和呈东北—西南方向倾斜西传的MRG波的逆时针环流耦合。动能收支计算表明,初期扰动动能在热带气旋生成前12~72 h不断增加,扰动位势通量的辐合对扰动动能增长起了主要作用。在季风槽东端的合流区时,能量聚集项有重要作用,随着扰动移入季风槽内,低频纬向风切变项成为能量增加的一个重要来源。Sarika生成于季风槽西撤阶段,非线性作用项对扰动发展起了关键作用。     

Interannual Variations in Synoptic-Scale Disturbances over the Western North Pacific

The present study investigates the interannual variation of June–November synoptic disturbance activity over the western North Pacific(WNP) and its relationship with large-scale circulation for the period 1958–2014. Two leading modes of eddy kinetic energy for the disturbance variability over the WNP are obtained by EOF analysis, characterized by anomalous eddy kinetic energy over the subtropical WNP and around the Philippines, respectively. These modes explain a large portion of the interannual variance of synoptic disturbance activity over the WNP. Both are associated with lower-level cyclonic anomalies, but with different locations: over the subtropical WNP for the first mode and over the South China Sea for the second mode. Considering the impact of ENSO on synoptic disturbance activity over the WNP, we repeat the analyses after removing the effect of ENSO, which is simply defined as the components linearly regressed onto the Ni o3.4 index, and find similar results, suggesting that the leading modes and their relationships with large-scale circulation exist without SST effects.Further analyses suggest that the meridional shear of zonal winds caused by cyclonic anomalies is crucial for maintaining the leading modes through barotropic conversion.     

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.     

Modulation of Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Genesis by Intraseasonal Oscillation of the ITCZ: A Statistical Analysis

The present study investigates modulation of western North Pacific(WNP) tropical cyclone(TC) genesis in relation to different phases of the intraseasonal oscillation(ISO) of ITCZ convection during May to October in the period 1979-2008.The phases of the ITCZ ISO were determined based on 30-80-day filtered OLR anomalies averaged over the region(5-20 N,120-150 E).The number of TCs during the active phases was nearly three times more than during the inactive phases.The active(inactive) phases of ISO were characterized by low-level cyclonic(anticyclonic) circulation anomalies,higher(lower) midlevel relative humidity anomalies,and larger(smaller) vertical gradient anomalies of relative vorticity associated with enhanced(weakened) ITCZ convection anomalies.During the active phases,TCs tended to form in the center of the ITCZ region.Barotropic conversion from the low-level mean flow is suggested to be the major energy source for TC formation.The energy conversion mainly depended on the zonal and meridional gradients of the zonal flow during the active phases.However,barotropic conversion weakened greatly during the inactive phases.The relationship between the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity and low-level zonal flow indicates that the sign of the absolute vorticity gradient tends to be reversed during the two phases,whereas the same sign between zonal flow and the absolute vorticity gradient is more easily satisfied in the active phases.Thus,the barotropic instability of low-level zonal flow might be an important mechanism for TC formation over the WNP during the active phases of ISO.     

A mechanism for formation of the western North Pacific monsoon trough: nonlinear upscale cascade

Linear and nonlinear barotropic vorticity model frameworks are constructed to understand the formation of the monsoon trough in boreal summer over the western North Pacific. The governing equation is written with respect to specified zonal background flows, and a wave perturbation is prescribed in the eastern boundary. Whereas a uniform background mean flow leads no scale contraction, a confluent background zonal flow causes the contraction of zonal wavelength. Under linear dynamics, the wave contraction leads to the development of smaller scale vorticity perturbations. As a result, there is no upscale cascade. Under nonlinear dynamics, cyclonic (anticyclonic) wave disturbances shift northward (southward) away from the central latitude due to the vorticity segregation process. The merging of small-scale cyclonic and anticyclonic perturbations finally leads to the generation of a pair of large-scale cyclonic and anti-cyclonic vorticity gyres, straddling across the central latitude. The large-scale cyclonic circulation due to nonlinear upscale cascade can be further strengthened through a positive convection-circulation feedback.

     

30—50 天振荡动能特性及其与平均气流正压不稳定能的转换

该文利用冬季500 hPa的欧洲中心（ECMWF）网格点逐日资料，分析了30—50天振荡的E矢量分布、动能特性及平均气流的正压不稳定能转换特征，从而得到:30—50天振荡的能量传播与西风急流的位置有密切的关系，在西风大风速区作纬向能量传播，在小风速区作指向赤道的经向传播；在急流的出口区有较强的正压能转换，低频振荡从基本流中获得能量，使这里的低频动能最大，并表现出较强的正压特性，与低纬度的斜压特性形成鲜明对照。     

Some Aspects of the Characteristics of Monsoon Disturbances Using a Combined Barotropic－Baroclinic Model

ＳｏｍｅＡｓｐｅｃｔｓｏｆｔｈｅＣｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｉｓｔｉｃｓｏｆＭｏｎｓｏｏｎＤｉｓｔｕｒｂａｎｃｅｓＵｓｉｎｇａＣｏｍｂｉｎｅｄＢａｒｏｔｒｏｐｉｃ－ＢａｒｏｃｌｉｎｉｃＭｏｄｅｌ￥Ｎ．Ｒ．ＰａｒｉｊａａｎｄＳ．Ｋ．Ｄａｓｈ（ＣｅｎｔｒｅｆｏｒＡ...     

Barotropic processes associated with the development of the Mei-yu precipitation system

The barotropic processes associated with the development of a precipitation system are investigated through analysis of cloud-resolving model simulations of Mei-yu torrential rainfall events over eastern China in mid-June 2011. During the model integration period, there were three major heavy rainfall events: 9–12, 13–16 and 16–20 June. The kinetic energy is converted from perturbation to mean circulations in the first and second period, whereas it is converted from mean to perturbation circulations in the third period. Further analysis shows that kinetic energy conversion is determined by vertical transport of zonal momentum. Thus, the prognostic equation of vertical transport of zonal momentum is derived, in which its tendency is associated with dynamic, pressure gradient and buoyancy processes. The kinetic energy conversion from perturbation to mean circulations in the first period is mainly associated with the dynamic processes. The kinetic energy conversion from mean to perturbation circulations in the third period is generally related to the pressure gradient processes.     

The effect of barotropic shear on baroclinic instability Part II: The initial value problem

The effect of barotropic shear on baroclinic instability has been investigated using both a linear quasi-geostrophic β-plane channel model and a multilevel primitive equation model on the sphere when a nonmodal disturbance is used as the initial perturbation condition. The analysis of the initial value problem has demonstrated the existence of a rapid transient growth phase of the most unstable mode. The inclusion of a linear barotropic shear reduces initial rapid transient growth, although at intermediate times the transient growth rates of the sheared cases can be larger than in the unsheared case owing to downgradient eddy momentum fluxes. Certain disturbances can amplify by factors of 4.5–60 times (for the L₂ norm), or 3–30 times (for the perturbation amplitude maximum), as large as disturbances based on the linear normal modes. However, linear horizontal shear always reduces the amplification factors. The mechanism is that the shear confines the disturbance meriodionally and therefore limits the energy conversion from the zonal available potential energy to eddy energy. The effect of barotropic shear on the transient growth is not changed much in the presence of either thermal damping or Ekman pumping. Nonmodal integrations of baroclinic wave lifecycles show that the energy level reached by eddies is not very sensitive to the structure of the initial disturbance if the amplitude of the initial disturbance is small. Although in some cases the eddy kinetic energy level reached by the wave integrated from nonmodal disturbance can be 25–150% larger than the normal mode integrations, barotropic shear, characterized by large shear vorticity with small horizontal curvature, always reduces the eddy kinetic energy level reached by the wave, confirming the results of normal mode studies.     

The effect of barotropic shear on baroclinic instability Part I: Normal mode problem

The effect of barotropic shear in the basic flow on baroclinic instability is investigated using a linear multilevel quasi-geostrophic β-plane channel model and a nonlinear spherical primitive equation model. Barotropic shear has a profound effect on baroclinic instability. It reduces the growth rates of normal modes by severely restricting their structure, confirming earlier results with a two-layer model. Dissipation, in the form of Ekman pumping and Newtonian cooling, does not change the main characteristics of the effect of the shear on normal mode instability.Barotropic shear in the basic state, characterized by large shear vorticity with small horizontal curvature, also effects the nonlinear development of baroclinic waves. The shear limits the energy conversion from the zonal available potential energy to eddy energy, reducing the maximum eddy kinetic energy level reached by baroclinic waves. Barotropic shear, which controls the level of eddy activity, is a major factor which should be considered when parameterizing the eddy temperature and momentum fluxes induced by baroclinic waves in a climate model.     

Diagnostic Study of Global Energy Cycle of the GRAPES Global Model in the Mixed Space-Time Domain

Some important diagnostic characteristics for a model’s physical background are reflected in the model’s energy transport, conversion, and cycle. Diagnosing the atmospheric energy cycle is a suitable way towards understanding and improving numerical models. In this study, formulations of the “Mixed Space-Time Domain”energy cycle are calculated and the roles of stationary and transient waves within the atmospheric energy cycle of the Global-Regional Assimilation and Prediction System （GRAPES） model are diagnosed and compared with the NCEP analysis data for July 2011. Contributions of the zonal-mean components of the energy cycle are investigated to explain the performance of numerical models. The results show that the GRAPES model has the capability to reproduce the main features of the global energy cycle as compared with the NCEP analysis. Zonal available potential energy （AZ） is converted into stationary eddy available potential energy （ASE） and transient eddy available potential energy （ATE）, and ASE and ATE have similar values. The nonlinear conversion between the two eddy energy terms is directed from the stationary to the transient. AZ becomes larger with increased forecast lead time, reflecting an enhancement of the meridional temperature gradient, which strengthens the zonal baroclinic processes and makes the conversion from AZ to eddy potential energy larger, especially for CAT （conversion from AZ to ATE）. The zonal kinetic energy （KZ） has a similar value to the sum of the stationary and transient eddy kinetic energy. Barotropic conversions are directed from eddy to zonal kinetic energy. The zonal conversion from AZ to KZ in GRAPES is around 1.5 times larger than in the NCEP analysis. The contributions of zonal energy cycle components show that transient eddy kinetic energy （KTE） is associated with the Southern Hemisphere subtropical jet and the conversion from KZ to KTE reduces in the upper tropopause near 30？S. The nonlinear barotropic conversion between stationary     

Nonlinear meridional scale interaction in baroclinic instability

Baroclinic instability of a zonal flow with latitudinal structure is examined using a nonlinear quasi-geostrophic, two-level β-plane model. An initially small perturbation with the structure of the linearly most unstable mode is allowed to grow to finite amplitude through nonlinear interaction. Because of latitudinal asymmetries of the basic zonal flow, a spectrum of meridional modes is generated in the perturbation. The time evolution of zonal wind and perturbation meridional structures, and their Fourier meridional mode spectra are examined. The radius of deformation is an important meridional scale in both the zonal flow and perturbation. This is especially true during the barotropic decay phase of the baroclinic wave. Time series of energy conversion terms show there is no energy accumulation.     

MAINTENANCE AND OSCILLATION MECHANISMS OF SUM-MER TROPICAL UPPER-TROPOSPHERIC EASTERLIES

The mechanisms of the maintenance and oscillation of 1982 summer tropical 200-hPa mean easterly flow and extra-long waves are investigated in terms of the energy equations in wavenumber-frequency space. Calculation results show that the difference in heating between land and sea and the boundary effect serve as the main source of energy; frictional dissipation as the sink; the conversion of available potential energy into kinetic takes place dominantly in the waves of number 1-2; such transformation is accomplished in just a small amount in zonal mean flow and therefore can be ignored because of the value.In the interaction between wave and zonal mean flow, the latter loses its available potential and gains kinetic energy. The tropical easterly belt over 20oN-5oS is found barotropically stable and that over 10oN-5oS, unstable. The waves of number 2 and 1 manifest themselves a primary source and sink of kinetic energy, respectively, in the interplay between waves and between zonal mean flow and wave.It is found that zonal mean flow and the waves of number 1-2 have a roughly 40-and 20-day oscillational period of kinetic energy, respectively, whose primary mechanism is the transfer of barotropic energy, the conversion of baroclinic energy, and the boundary effect.     

Maintenance and oscillation mechanisms of summer tropical upper-tropospheric easterlies

The mechanisms of the maintenance and oscillation of 1982 summer tropical 200-hPa mean easterly flow and extra-long waves are investigated in terms of the energy equations in wavenumber-frequency space. Calculation results show that the difference in heating between land and sea and the boundary effect serve as the main source of energy; frictional dissipation as the sink; the conversion of available potential energy into kinetic takes place dominantly in the waves of number 1–2 such transformation is accomplished in just a small amount in zonal mean flow and therefore can be ignored because of the value. In the interaction between wave and zonal mean flow, the latter loses its available potential and gains kinetic energy. The tropical easterly belt over 20°N-5°S is found barotropically stable and that over 10°-5°S, unstable. The waves of number 2 and 1 manifest themselves a primary source and sink of kinetic energy, respectively, in the interplay between waves and between zonal mean flow and wave. It is found that zonal mean flow and the waves of number 1-2 have a roughly 40-and 20-day oscillational period of kinetic energy, respectively, whose primary mechanism is the transfer of barotropic energy, the conversion of baroclinic energy, and the boundary effect.     

Quasi-40-day oscillation and its teleconnection structure together with the possible dependence on conversion of barotropic unstable energy of temporal mean flow

A study is made of the distribution of the diagnostic quantity vector E and the teleconnection structure of 30-50 (quasi-40) day oscillation, together with the dependence on the conversion of barotropic unstable energy of mean flow in terms of ECWMF daily 500 hPa grid data in winter, indicating that the energy transportation is closely associated with the westerly jet position, with zonal (meridional) propagation in the strong (weak) wind region, that considerable conversion of barotropic energy occurs at the jet exit region where low-frequency oscillation gains energy from the mean flow, leading to maximum kinetic energy for the oscillation observed there, which is marked by evident barotropy in striking contrast to the baroclinicity at low latitudes and that the teleconnection core is related to the center of action in the atmosphere and bound up with the pattern of the west wind.     

GOALS模式中大气能量循环的诊断分析与不同版本计算结果的比较研究

利用大气能量循环框图,对比分析中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学与地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室(LASG/IAP)全球海-陆-气耦合系统模式(GOALS)两个版本(GOALS-2和GOALS-4),以及观测的全球平均大气能量循环的主要特征,并从能量循环贮蓄和转换项的纬向平均贡献去解释全球积分值改善和转坏的原因,以及诊断分析参数化方案变化后产生的影响.结果表明:模式的两个版本基本上能正确地模拟出全球能量循环的主要特征.旧版本GOALS-2能较好模拟全球积分值,常常是不同符号局地误差的相互抵消结果.新版本GOALS-4中某种局地过程的改善在一些情况下导致了全球积分值的转坏.引入辐射日变化参数化方案可能对能量循环各参数的局地贡献有着明显的影响.如纬向平均有效位能向瞬变涡动有效位能的斜压转换率、瞬变涡动有效位能向瞬变涡动动能的斜压转换率以及定常涡动动能的局地贡献有明显改善.南极地区不合实际的上升运动,是模拟的纬向平均有效位能与纬向平均动能之间的转换项全球积分值为负数的主要原因.     

华北地区“16·7”极端强降水事件之环流及扰动能量变化特征

2016年7月18—22日在华北地区发生了一次极端强降水事件，其中19—20日降水较为集中，20日降水最强。本文利用NCEP/NCAR再分析逐日风场资料和国家级地面气象站基本气象要素日值数据集，研究了本次事件的Rossby波活动及能量变化，结果表明：本次极端强降水事件持续时间约5 d，雨带呈西南—东北走向。华北地区受对流层中低层的气旋性异常环流和对流层上层反气旋性异常环流的控制，水汽则主要源于孟加拉湾和中国南海地区。发生极端降水期间，波扰动能量在对流层低层主要呈经向传播而在对流层上层呈纬向传播，对流层低层的波扰动能量对华北地区的影响比上层更为明显。涡动动能在华北地区的增强和维持主要是涡动非地转位势通量散度项、涡动有效位能和涡动动能的斜压转换项以及其他剩余部分与摩擦耗散引起的能量损耗之和的共同作用，涡动动能在19日增强、20日维持，随后减弱。涡动热量通量变化显示低层有暖湿空气向北输送，高层有干冷空气向南输送，支持了正压和斜压转换，而华北地区上空涡动动量通量的变化则使得基本气流中的涡动动能增强，这些变化影响到极端降水事件的发生发展。