The effects of latitudinal asymmetries on baroclinic instability

Abstract

Baroclinic instability of zonal flows with different latitudinal structures is examined, using a linear, quasi‐geostrophic two‐level ß‐plane model. The flows have different amounts of skew, with respect to the channel centre, at different vertical levels. The results are interpreted in terms of the instability of the baroclinic components of the zonal flows. Because of the presence of latitudinal asymmetries, a spectrum of meridional modes is generated in the perturbation. In general, the meridional spectrum has two peaks: a primary peak at the planetary basic flow scale, and a secondary peak near the radius of deformation. As neutral stability is approached, the latter scale becomes more important, i.e. there is a tendency for more small‐scale structure near neutral stability. The perturbation zonal scale is close to the radius of deformation. The eddy amplitudes and momentum fluxes are also examined. The case that best applies to the atmosphere is also discussed.     

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

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热带大气环流平均状况的研究

应用NMCl7年热带u、v风及OLR资料研究了热带地区大气环流的平均结构和特征。指出热带大尺度环流基本上是由东西向的walker环流和南北向的Hadley环流所组成的。这些环流是由热力作用直接驱动的,它具有高低层风向相反的特征。扰动风场与平均风场有密切关系。西风基本气流对应着扰动动能的极大值而东风则对应着扰动动能的极小值。热带地区存在着明显的辐散辐合作用,它也是由热力作用引起的并与热带对流活动有密切联系。      

Some dynamical properties of idealized thermally-forced meridional circulations in the tropics

Summary Through the use of a zonal balance model we investigate the properties of the tropical meridional circulation to a range of specified diabatic forcing fields for climatologically observed zonal winds. As in earlier studies, the solutions show that latent heat release away from the equator forces an asymmetric meridional circulation in response the anisotropy in the inertial stability parameter with respect to the meridional location of the forcing. The presence of strong zonal flows appears to play a relatively minor role in determining the magnitude and asymmetry of the meridional circulation, whereas the structure of the diabatic heating, particularly the meridional breadth, proves to be of much greater importance.A dynamic efficiency factor, which provides an analytic measure of the efficacy of diabatic heating at generating zonal kinetic energy, generally exhibits a meridionally symmetric structure except during Northern Hemisphere summer. This asymmetry gives rise to a pronounced sensitivity of zonal kinetic energy generation to the meridional location of ITCZ convection. Further examination of the flow pattern suggests that for zonal flows representative of those over the Indian Ocean during the Northern Hemisphere summer months, meridional displacements of the heating of less than 20° latitude can result in as much as an order of magnitude difference in the rate of kinetic energy generation. Solution of the balance system also implies the existence of a feedback mechanism, between zonally-organized convection and the energetics properties of the large-scale flow, that is highly sensitive to the meridional location of the convection.With 11 FiguresThe National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Moisture transport between the South Atlantic Ocean and southern Africa: relationships with summer rainfall and associated dynamics

Moisture exchange between the South Atlantic and southern Africa is examined in this study through zonal moisture transport. Along the west coast of southern Africa, a multivariate analysis of the zonal flow of moisture computed from NCEP-DOE AMIP II Re-analyses reveals a primary mode of variability typical of variations in intensity and of the latitudinal migration of the circulation associated with the midlatitude westerlies and the South Atlantic anticyclone. In austral summer (January–February), this mode, referred to as the South Atlantic midlatitude mode, is found to be well correlated with rainfall over southern Africa (i.e. to the south of the upper lands surrounding the Congo basin). Its positive/negative phases are found to correspond with surface pressures changes over the South Atlantic region in austral summer when the South Atlantic anticyclone is shifted northward/southward respectively. Such changes are accompanied by dipole-like SST anomalies in the midlatitude South Atlantic Ocean, while simultaneous SST anomalies with a similar structure are also found over South Indian Ocean regions. In January–February, positive/negative events linked to the South Atlantic midlatitude mode are marked by meridional shifts (northward/southward) and weakening/strengthening of the ITCZ over the southern tropics, together with modulations in intensity (weakened/sustained) of the Angola low, which could act as a tropical source of moisture for Tropical Temperate Troughs (TTTs). In association with a strengthened/weakened zonal component of the southern extension of the African Easterly Jet (AEJ), this could modulate the meridional transfer of moisture south of 15°S to the advantage/detriment of Angolan coastal regions, where above/below rainfall are expected. Variations in the latitudinal position (northward/southward) of the South Atlantic anticyclone, and thus of the midlatitude westerlies, are also found to reduce/favour moisture advection towards southern Africa subtropics allowing the southern Indian trades to penetrate less/more over the subcontinent south of 25°S. This would create a situation where convection processes are inhibited/supported within the SICZ/TTTs region resulting in drier/wetter conditions locally for positive/negative events respectively.     

高空急流区内纬向基本气流加速与EP通量的关系

采用多时间尺度方法, 并假设纬向基本气流是正压的, 在不引入剩余环流的情况下, 推导出纬向基本气流局地变化与一种新形式Eliassen-Palm通量之间的关系, 这种Eliassen-Palm通量关系在形式上比较简单, 而且物理意义明确, 适合诊断分析高空急流区内纬向基本气流的加速与减速.理论分析表明, 正压纬向基本气流的局地变化由新形式Eliassen-Palm通量散度决定.作者利用该Eliassen-Palm通量关系对2002年12月一次寒潮过程中200 hPa等压面上纬向基本气流的发展演变进行了诊断分析.诊断结果表明, 在200 hPa纬向基本气流急流区内, 新形式Eliassen-Palm通量散度是影响纬向基本气流发展演变的重要因子, 并且纬向基本气流的加速与减速主要是由新形式Eliassen-Palm通量中扰动动量的经向输送造成的.     

Nonlinearity and Finite-Time Instability in a T21L3 Quasigeostrophic Model

In this paper,a nonlinear optimization method is used to explore the finite-time instability of the atmospheric circulation with a three-level quasigeostrophic model under the framework of the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP).As a natural generalization of linear singular vector (SV),CNOP is defined as an initial perturbation that makes the cost function the maximum at a prescribed forecast time under certain physical constraint conditions.Special attentions are paid to the different structures and energy evolutions of the optimal perturbations.The results show that the most instable region of the global atmospheric circulation lies in the midlatitude Eurasian continent.More specially,SV and CNOP in the total energy norm with an optimization time of 2 days both present localness:they are mainly located in the midlatitude Asian continent and its east coast.With extension of the optimization time,SVs are more upstream and less localized in the zonal direction,and CNOPs differ essentially from SVs with broader zonal and meridional coverages; as a result,CNOPs acquire larger kinetic and available potential energy amplifications than SVs in the nonlinear model at the corresponding optimization time.For the climatological wintertime flow,it is seen that the baroclinic terms remain small over the entire time evolution,and the energy production comes essentially from the eddy kinetic energy,which is induced by the horizontal shear of the basic flow.In addition,the effects of SVs and CNOPs on the Eurasian atmospheric circulation are explored.The results show that the weather systems over the Eurasian continent in the perturbed fields by CNOPs are stronger than those by SVs at the optimization time.This reveals that the CNOP method is better in evaluating the instability of the atmospheric circulation while the SV method underestimates the possibility of extreme weather events.     

Weakening of Interannual Variability in the Summer East Asian Upper-tropospheric Westerly Jet since the Mid-1990s

In this study,we found that the intensity of interannual variability in the summer upper-tropospheric zonal wind has significantly weakened over Northeast Asia and the subtropical western North Pacific(WNP) since the mid-1990s,concurrent with the previously documented decrease of the westerly jet over North China and Northwest China.Corresponding to this weakening of zonal wind variability,the meridional displacement of the East Asian westerly jet(EAJ) manifested as the leading mode of zonal wind variability over the WNP and East Asia(WNP-EA) before the mid-1990s but not afterward.The energetics of the anomalous pattern associated with the meridional displacement of the EAJ suggests that barotropic energy conversion,from basic flow to anomalous patterns,has led to the weakening of the variability in the EAJ meridional displacement and to a change in the leading dominant mode since the mid-1990s.The barotropic energy conversion efficiently maintained the anomalies associated with the variability in the EAJ meridional displacement during 1979-1993 but acted to dampen the anomalies during 1994-2008.A further investigation of the energetics suggests that the difference in the patterns of the circulation anomaly associated with either the first leading mode or the meridional displacement of the EAJ,i.e.,a southwest-northeast tilted pattern during 1979-1993 and a zonally oriented pattern during 1994-2008,has contributed greatly to the change in barotropic energy conversion.     

四川地形扰动对降水分布影响

引入一维加权平均的谱分析方法定量研究四川地形强迫对该区域降水分布的影响。结果表明:纬向地形和冬季降水谱峰锁相于同一波长（475.8 km）,呈共振关系,地形与其他季节降水呈漂移关系,这与经向和纬向上环流变动有关,即冬季纬向环流占主导,纬向地形触发的大气波动对冬季降水策动作用大;夏季降水是各种不同尺度系统相互作用的结果,地形是重要因素之一。经向和纬向地形特征尺度分别为296.8 km和475.8 km,反映了地形强迫的中尺度特征,且纬向地形谱峰比经向大1个数量级,纬向强迫更明显。夏季降水谱峰比冬季大2个数量级,降水系统纬向特征尺度比冬季小约150 km,说明夏季在纬向地形强迫下,降水系统尺度减小的同时其强度大大增加,这在一定程度上可以解释中尺度对流性降水在夏季偏多。四川夏季最大降水位于雅安地区,其地形扰动比四川整体扰动更明显,故产生的降水也更大。夏季降水和经向地形锁相于同一波长（37.1 km）,经向地形对雅安夏季强降水起关键作用。     

The effect of spatial structure character of heat source on the ray path and the evolution of wave energy of meridional wave train

This paper studies correlations between the spatial structure character of thermal forcing and deformation and the amplitude of rays of meridional wave train. It is shown that if thermal forcing appears a meridional linear varia-tion the rays of quasi-stationary planetary wave may propagate along oblique lines and if the meridional variability of heat source has second order term the rays show distinct deformation as a great circular route. Additionally, the inhomogeneous distribution may cause lower frequency oscillations in mid- and low- latitudes. The combination of zonal and meridional wave numbers and distributive character of heat source may form an inverse mechanism of variational trend of generized wave energy, reflecting in some degree the physical process of transition between meridional and zonal flow patterns.     

Some effects of truncation on topographic instability

Abstract

The topographic stability of forced planetary waves in α β‐channel is investigated using a barotropic model. The equilibrium forced waves are the result of the interaction of a constant mean zonal wind over finite‐amplitude surface orography. Small‐amplitude perturbations of the equilibrium flows are considered that have a wavy part with the same zonal wavenumber as the forcing but an arbitrary meridional structure. The mean zonal part of the perturbations is also taken to be arbitrary. This configuration allows us to (1) isolate those instabilities that depend crucially on topography through form drag and (2) investigate non‐topographic effects on topographic instability that arise from the convergence of Reynolds stresses. A numerical stability analysis is then performed wherein the effects of truncation are emphasized.

This numerical approach casts doubts about the results obtained from some earlier studies involving various ad hoc assumptions. We find, in particular, that unstable long waves (i.e. waves with the zonal wavelength greater than the meridional wavelength) exist under superresonant conditions. This contradicts some previous results that suggest long waves are unstable only when the flow is subresonant. Further, our model reveals the existence of some interesting travelling instabilities. The latter are shown to depend on both form drag and Reynolds stresses in that these two mechanisms alternate in time in supplying the perturbation with the required energy to maintain the exponential growth.     

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.     

切变基本纬向流中赤道Rossby包络孤立波

利用多重尺度摄动法，从描写赤道Rossby波的正压大气位涡度方程中推导出在切变基本纬向流中非线性赤道Rossby波包演变所满足的非线性Schrodinger方程，并得到其单个包络孤立子波解，分析基本流切变对非线性赤道Rossby波动的影响。     

切变基流中赤道Rossby包络孤立波

A simple shallow-water model on an equatorialβ-plane is employed to investigate the nonlinear equatorial Rossby solitons in a mean zonal flow with meridional shear by the asymptotic method of multiple scales. The cubic nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS, for short) equation, satisfied for large amplitude equatorial envelope Rossby solitons in shear basic flow, is derived. The effects of basic flow shear on the nonlinear equatorial Rossby solitons are also analyzed.     

北极涛动的纬向对称结构

运用NCEP／NCAR再分析月资料,分季节研究了北极涛动的纬向结构,以及与之相对应的纬向平均纬向风和经圈环流异常的空间结构特征,并初步探讨了北极涛动的维持机制。结果表明,北极涛动在水平方向上主要呈纬向对称的环形模态,且这种结构在冬季北极涛动的活跃期表现更为显著;而夏季纬向对称型随季节风带的北移和极涡的减弱,其节点也相应向极地移动。与北极涛动纬向对称型相联系的纬向平均纬向风在冬季表现为明显的偶极型,向上延伸到平流层;而夏季这种形态明显减弱,并只限于对流层中。与冬、夏季北极涛动纬向对称型相对应的平均经圈环流异常均表现为增强的费雷尔环流和哈得来环流,这种形势有利于北极涛动形成正反馈机制,使之得以长期维持。     

夏季南亚—西太平洋地区对流层环流的演变及其与低纬扰动的关系

本文着重讨论了对流层中、上层大气环流的演变对低纬度扰动的制约作用。应用两层模式中的扰动振幅方程,按实际的环流形势所确定的风场随纬度和高度的分布,计算了扰动特征相速及其振幅在区域内的分布,考察了南亚——西太平洋地区低纬度扰动的结构和性质。      

Cross-equatorial structures of equatorially trapped nonlinear Rossby waves

Analysis of the Sea Surface Height (SSH) from satellite altimeters has shown that equatorially trapped Rossby waves exhibit asymmetric cross-equatorial structures; their northern extrema are much larger in magnitude than their southern counterparts. Such asymmetry is inconsistent with the classical theory for the first baroclinic, first meridional equatorially trapped Rossby mode, which predicts that SSH and zonal velocity are symmetric in latitude and the meridional velocity is latitudinally antisymmetric (Matsuno, 1966). Chelton et al. (2003) attributed the observed asymmetry to the mean-shear-induced modifications of first meridional mode Rossby waves. The present paper examines nonlinear rectification of cross-equatorial wave structures in the presence of different zonal mean currents. Nonlinear traveling Rossby waves embedded in shears are calculated numerically in a 1.5-layer model. Nonlinearity is shown to increase the cross-equatorial asymmetry substantially making the northern extrema even more pronounced. However, nonlinearity only slightly increases the magnitude of the westward phase speed.     

On nonlinear stability theorems of 3D quasi-geostrophic flow

Nonlinear stability criteria for quasi-geostrophic zonally symmetric flow are improved by establishing an optimal Poincar′e inequality. The inequality is derived by a variational calculation considering the additional invariant of zonal momentum. When applied to the Eady model in a periodic channel with finite zonal length, the improved nonlinear stability criterion is identical to the linear normal-mode stability criterion provided the channel meridional width is no greater than 0.8605· · · times its channel length (which is the geophysically relevant case).     

旋转大气中有限振幅扰动波包与基本气流的非线性共振相互作用

本文应用多重尺度法研究了在旋转球面上正压大气中有限振幅扰动波包与纬向基本气流的非线性共振相互作用.首先,导出了同时包含色散效应和耗散效应的三波共振非线性耦合方程.然后,在零耗散极限和无规相位近似下,求得了不同模态波包的非线性共振耦合方程.并着重讨论了有限振幅扰动波包与纬向基本气流之间的能量输运过程.结果表明,在旋转球面上正压大气中的有限振幅扰动波包通过非线性共振相互作用能够激发出纬向基本气流,而且其能量最终都要输运给纬向基本气流,直至大气运动成为完全的带状环流为止.从而阐明了非线性共振相互作用是大气旋转适应过程的重要物理机制.