Investigation of mixed layer response to Bay of Bengal cyclone using a simple ocean model

Summary A simple 1.5 layer reduced gravity transport model is used to understand the influence of a moving tropical cyclone on the upper layer of the Bay of Bengal. The wind stress used to force the model is derived from an idealised cyclone. The model cyclone is considered to be a symmetric vortex with both tangential and radial winds. The cyclone center moves northwestwards between the points 97E, 8N and 82E, 23N. In the control experiment, the cyclone is allowed to move the total distance in 5 days. The oceanic response is asymmetric in contrast to the symmetric wind forcings. Right bias found in the maxima of model circulation and upper layer thickness deviations, is in agreement with other modelling studies.Fifteen sensitivity experiments are carried out by varying the intensity, size and speed of the cyclone, by changing the model parameters and with different initial conditions. Model fields show linear response to changes in the intensity and size of the cyclone. The changes in the maximum wind of the cyclone produces highest variability in the model fields. Increase in model resolution in association with the corresponding decrease in viscosity results in the enhancement of maxima of the flow magnitude and ULTD. Increasing the phase speed of the initial mode results in a wider spreading of energy and hence decrease in the flow intensity and the upper layer deviations. Model results do not show much variation by considering different initial conditions.With 9 Figures     

Turbulent flow over a wavy boundary

The linearized, two-dimensional flow of an incompressible fully turbulent fluid over a sinusoidal boundary is solved using the method of matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of vanishing skin-friction.A phenomenological turbulence model due to Saffman (1970, 1974) is utilized to incorporate the effects of the wavy boundary on the turbulence structure.Arbitrary lowest-order wave speed is allowed in order to consider both the stationary wavy wall, and the water wave moving with arbitrary positive or negative velocity.Good agreement is found with measured tangential velocity profiles and surface normal stress coefficients. The phase shift of the surface normal stress exhibits correct qualitative behavior with both positive and negative wave speeds, although predicted values are low.     

Interaction of internal waves and turbulence in the ocean

Within the framework of the semiempirical theory of turbulence for stratified fluids some aspects of the problem of internal wave-turbulence interaction in the upper layer of the ocean are discussed. The conditions of amplification and sustaining of turbulence by internal waves are investigated. Stationary distributions of turbulent energy are found for a stratified fluid with a shear flow produced, for example, by a low-frequency internal wave. The internal wave damping due to both turbulent viscosity and turbulent diffusion in the thermocline is studied. For a two-layer model damping constant is determined as a function of the wave number. The variation of surface turbulence by internal waves is estimated and the role of this process in slick formation is considered.     

大气中孤立波的相互作用

本文讨论无限深上层流体和有限深下层流体的两层流体系统，该系统是大气的一种近似模型。采用拉格朗日坐标系，从无粘不可压流体力学方程式出发，利用摄动方法获得了所讨论系统中界面孤立波迎撞的摄动解。结果表明，在迎撞前后每个波独立地由Benjamin-Ono方程所描述，即波的形状不发生变化，迎撞的效应由相移来体现。     

The Effect of Surface Heating on Hill-Induced Flow Separation

A series of two-dimensional mixing length model simulations of boundary-layer flow over idealised ridges of varying steepness are conducted to investigate the effect of surface heating on flow separation. The relatively simple numerical approach used permits characterisation of the influence of heating for a variety of initial conditions and parameter values. For steep terrain, increased surface heating is shown to enhance the strength and extent of hill-induced separation. For more moderate terrain, a critical heating strength is required for a given hill width and background flow speed before separation is initiated. Sensitivity tests show the results to be insensitive to model parameters or the choice of mixing length. The results are accounted for using a scaling analysis in terms of a non-dimensional stability parameter.     

The Uncertainty of Tropical Cyclone Intensity and Structure Based on Different Parameterization Schemes of Planetary Boundary Layer

Based on different parameterization schemes of planetary boundary layer (PBL), the uncertainty of intensity and structure of the Super-strong Typhoon Rammasun (1409) is investigated using the WRF model (v3.4) with six PBL parameterization schemes. Results indicate that PBL uncertainty leads to the uncertainty in tropical cyclone (TC) prediction, which increases with forecast time. The uncertainty in TC prediction is mainly reflected in the uncertainty in TC intensity, with significant differences in the TC intensity forecasts using various PBL schemes. The uncertainty in TC prediction is also reflected in the uncertainty in TC structures. Greater intensity is accompanied by smaller vortex width, tighter vortex structure, stronger wind in the near-surface layer and middle and lower troposphere, stronger inflow (outflow) wind at the lower (upper) levels, stronger vertical upward wind, smaller thickness of the eye wall, smaller outward extension of the eye wall, and warmer warm core at the upper levels of eye. PBL height, surface upward heat flux and water vapor flux are important factors that cause the uncertainty in TC intensity and structure. The more surface upward heat flux and water vapor flux and the lower PBL height, the faster TC development and the stronger TC intensity.     

Influence of bottom topography inhomogeneity on the near-surface air layer

A connection between processes in the deep-water zone and in the near-surface air layer is considered. Measurements were carried out under different meteorological conditions in the shallow-water zone and in the area of depth variation from 250 to 2500 m. It is found that the change in bottom topography results in a transformation of the flow field and surface-wave spectrum, which leads to a change in the structure of the near-surface air layer. Measurements showed that the structure of atmospheric turbulence varied in all cases of depth variation. Thus, variations in bottom topography can manifest themselves in characteristics of surface waves and near-surface atmospheric layer.     

Some catastrophe properties of two-layer shear flow

In this paper a simple current system which consists of two stratified incompressible layers is examined. For the basic equations of the motion of fluid a lower order spectrum model is established by means of Galerkin method. Adopting the difference of wind velocity between the upper and lower layers, As =as a control parameter, the bifurcation and stability of the solution of the dynamical systemare discussed. It is found that the flow states in the lower layer will have a catastrophe, when where Cg is the phase velocity of the internal inertio-gravitational wave in a geostrophic current.These results may give a reasonable explanation for the mechanism of the catastrophe phenomena, including the "pressure-jump" in the atmosphere.     

2006年超级台风“桑美”强度与结构变化的数值模拟研究

使用一个高分辨率、非静力数值模式WRF模式对2006年超级台风Saomei强度和结构进行了数值模拟研究.首先,评估了Makin的粗糙度长度公式对台风Saomei强度和结构变化的影响,结果表明,采用新参数后,使得模拟的台风强度变化与实况最佳路径资料的强度变化更一致,对超级台风Saomei强度预报有改进;但对台风路径的影响不大.通过QuikSCAT、雷达和TRMM非常规资料的验证,进一步表明模拟的台风Saomei的结构与实况很接近,可以再现台风内核区域的部分"双眼墙"和"Annular"结构.其次,通过对台风Saomei边界层过程模拟的改进,表明在平均风速大于40 m/s时边界层各物理量明显改善,使得模式最大强度比传统的简单外推插值方案有显著改进,特别是在台风最强阶段,当台风Saomei眼墙区域的海表面拖曳系数C_d的相对变小,使得其眼墙区域的平均切向风速、径向风速、垂直风速、温度距平、涡旋动能和绝对角动量等物理量均有增强.表明台风Saomei眼墙氏域(20-40 km)各物理量的贡献对其强度和结构变化的影响十分重要.最后,在此基础上进一步分析模式海温和大尺度环境垂直风切变对台风Saomei强度和结构变化的可能影响,讨论了台风Saomei在其增强和消弱阶段中,大尺度环境垂直风切变对其强度变化的负反馈作用.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of the Diurnal Variation of Flow in a Street Canyon

Urban surface and radiation processes are incorporated into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the diurnal variation of flow in a street canyon with an aspect ratio of 1. The developed CFD model predicts surface and substrate temperatures of the roof, walls, and road. One-day simulations are performed with various ambient wind speeds of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 ms⁻¹, with the ambient wind perpendicular to the north–south oriented canyon. During the day, the largest maximum surface temperature for all surfaces is found at the road surface for an ambient wind speed of 3 ms⁻¹ (56.0°C). Two flow regimes are identified by the vortex configuration in the street canyon. Flow regime I is characterized by a primary vortex. Flow regime II is characterized by two counter-rotating vortices, which appears in the presence of strong downwind building-wall heating. Air temperature is relatively low near the downwind building wall in flow regime I and inside the upper vortex in flow regime II. In flow regime II, the upper vortex expands with increasing ambient wind speed, thus enlarging the extent of cool air within the canyon. The canyon wind speed in flow regime II is proportional to the ambient wind speed, but that in flow regime I is not. For weak ambient winds, the dependency of surface sensible heat flux on the ambient wind speed is found to play an essential role in determining the relationship between canyon wind speed and ambient wind speed.     

The orographic deformation and retardation of a frontal zone

Summary A three-layer version of Davies' (1984) model is used to investigate orographic impact on fronts. Uniform potential vorticity is assumed for each layer. The uppermost layer represents the flow ahead and above a frontal zone approaching a mountain. The frontal zone is represented by the second layer and the cold air behind it by the third layer of the model. The upper layer induces weak frontogenesis when the frontal zone is moving towards the mountain. However, rapid frontogenesis sets in when the zone's leading edge is climbing up the slope while part of the frontal zone is still in the plain. When, finally, the whole frontal zone is moving up the slope, the flow evolution strongly depends on the structure of the frontal zone: frontolysis as well as frontogenesis can occur.With 5 Figures     

线性准地转模型中副热带感热加热强迫的定常波

通过求取定常线性准地转位涡模式的解析解,研究了感热加热强迫所激发的副热带定常波的结构特征,讨论了基本流、牛顿冷却及地面摩擦等对定常波振幅和位相的影响。结果表明,东风时定常波在垂直方向上表现为上、下层反位相的第一斜压结构,且地面系统远强于中高层;西风时定常波呈现出向上的传播特征,在高层,随着风速增大振幅随高度的升高有增大趋势。在近地层,东风时气旋（反气旋）主体位于加热西（东）侧;西风时气旋（反气旋）主体位于加热东（西）侧,近地层以上相反。此外,发现东、西风基本流的作用具有对称特征,这与潜热加热显著不同。研究结果还表明,牛顿冷却对定常波有重要影响,基本流越弱影响越显著。在静止大气中,感热加热强迫下无斯韦尔德鲁普（Sverdrup）解,考虑牛顿冷却时,感热强迫在热源范围内的近地层和中高层分别激发出气旋式和反气旋式环流,气旋中心位于加热中心略偏西的位置。在非静止大气中,牛顿冷却项使地面系统中心向上风方向移动,东风时向东移。牛顿冷却对高、低层系统均有削弱作用。地面摩擦则明显不同,它总会使低层系统减弱,高层系统增强。     

Mixed-phase clouds cause climate model biases in Arctic wintertime temperature inversions

Temperature inversions are a common feature of the Arctic wintertime boundary layer. They have important impacts on both radiative and turbulent heat fluxes and partly determine local climate-change feedbacks. Understanding the spread in inversion strength modelled by current global climate models is therefore an important step in better understanding Arctic climate and its present and future changes. Here, we show how the formation of Arctic air masses leads to the emergence of a cloudy and a clear state of the Arctic winter boundary layer. In the cloudy state, cloud liquid water is present, little to no surface radiative cooling occurs and inversions are elevated and relatively weak, whereas surface radiative cooling leads to strong surface-based temperature inversions in the clear state. Comparing model output to observations, we find that most climate models lack a realistic representation of the cloudy state. An idealised single-column model experiment of the formation of Arctic air reveals that this bias is linked to inadequate mixed-phase cloud microphysics, whereas turbulent and conductive heat fluxes control the strength of inversions within the clear state.     

Heat budget of the upper Arctic Ocean under a warming climate

The heat budget of the upper Arctic Ocean is examined in an ensemble of coupled climate models under idealised increasing CO₂ scenarios. All of the experiments show a strong amplification of surface air temperatures but a smaller increase in sea surface temperature than the rest of the world as heat is lost to the atmosphere as the sea-ice cover is reduced. We carry out a heat budget analysis of the Arctic Ocean in an ensemble of model runs to understand the changes that occur as the Arctic becomes ice free in summer. We find that as sea-ice retreats heat is lost from the ocean surface to the atmosphere contributing to the amplification of Arctic surface temperatures. Furthermore, heat is mixed upwards into the mixed layer as a result of increased upper ocean mixing and there is increased advection of heat into the Arctic as the ice edge retreats. Heat lost from the upper Arctic Ocean to the atmosphere is therefore replenished by mixing of warmer water from below and by increased advection of warm water from lower latitudes. The ocean is therefore able to contribute more to Arctic amplification.     

Numerical simulation of a South China Sea typhoon Leo (1999)

Summary ?A South China Sea typhoon, Leo (1999), was simulated using the Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model MM5 with the Betts-Miller convective parameterization scheme (BMEX). The simulation had two nested domains with resolutions at 54 and 18 km, and the forecast duration was 36 hours. The model was quite successful in predicting the track, the rapid deepening, the central pressure, and the maximum wind speed of typhoon Leo as verified with reports from the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). The structure of the eye, the eye wall, and the spiral convective cloud band simulated in the model are found to be comparable to corresponding features identified in satellite images for the storm, and also with those reported by other authors. A trajectory analysis was performed. Three kinds of trajectory were found: (1) spirally rising trajectories near the eye wall; (2) spirally rising/descending trajectories in the convective/cloud free belt; (3) straight and fast rising trajectories in a heavy convection zone along one of the cloud bands on the periphery of the tropical cyclone. Both the HKO and the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported the rapid deepening of Leo started around 00 UTC 29 April. In the model, the eye was first formed in the lower troposphere, and it extended to the upper troposphere within a few hours. We speculate that the spin-up of cyclonic rotation in the low-level eye enhanced the positive vorticity along the low-level eye wall. The positive vorticity was then transported to the upper troposphere by convection, leading to an extension and growth of the eye into the upper troposphere. To examine the impact of convective parameterization scheme (CPS) on the simulation, the Grell scheme (GLEX) was also tested. The GLEX predicted a weaker typhoon with a wilder eye that extended not as high up in the upper troposphere as BMEX. The different structures of the eye between the BMEX and GLEX suggest that the mesoscale features of the eye are dependent on the convection. In other words, the vertical and horizontal distribution of convective heating is essential to the development and structure of the eye. Received December 18, 2001; accepted May 7, 2002 Published online: March 20, 2003     

How Does Tropical Cyclone Size Affect the Onset Timing of Secondary Eyewall Formation?

By using idealized numerical simulations, the impact of tropical cyclone size on secondary eyewall formation (SEF) is examined. Both unbalanced boundary layer and balanced processes are examined to reveal the underlying mechanism. The results show that a tropical cyclone (TC) with a larger initial size favors a quicker SEF and a larger outer eyewall. For a TC with a larger initial size, it will lead to a stronger surface entropy flux, and thus more active outer convection. Meanwhile, a greater inertial stability helps the conversion from diabatic heating to kinetic energy. Furthermore, the progressively broadening of the tangential wind field will induce significant boundary layer imbalances. This unbalanced boundary layer process results in a supergradient wind zone that acts as an important mechanism for triggering and maintaining deep convection. In short, different behaviors of balanced and unbalanced processes associated with the initial wind profile lead to different development rates of the secondary eyewall.     

Wave Flow Simulations Over Arctic Leads

We investigate the flow over Arctic leads using a mesoscale numerical model, typical of both summer and winter, under idealised conditions. We find that Arctic leads may be the source of standing atmospheric internal gravity waves during both seasons. The summertime wave may be compared with the wave generated by a small ridge, though with the phase reversed. The mechanism for exciting the wave is found to be the internal boundary layer developing due to horizontal variations in surface temperature and roughness length. During the more exploratory wintertime simulations, with substantial temperature difference between the lead and the ice surface, we find that secondary circulations and intermittent wave-breaking may occur. The effects of the lead appear far downstream.     

螺旋度在对流天气预报中的应用研究进展

螺旋度表征流体旋转与沿旋转方向运动的强度,在等熵流体中具有守恒性。螺旋性是维持大气运动的基本物理图案：边界层流体、湍流、强风暴、热带气旋等都有较强的螺旋结构;对流风暴常发生在螺旋度值大的地方,流体稳定性与螺旋度密切相关,高螺旋度阻碍了扰动能量串级,对超级单体风暴的维持有重要作用;z螺旋度对大范围暴雨有较好的指示意义。风暴相对螺旋度对决定对流风暴类型有重要作用,其大小决定超级单体是否能形成中气旋,同时,其对冰雹预报有一定的指示意义;风暴相对螺旋度用于预报时计算的难点在于确定预报风暴移动速度。热力场与螺旋度有内在联系,地面相对螺旋度可视为地转风或实际风引起温度平流的一个量度。     

Numerical simulation of nocturnal drainage flow properties in a rugged canyon

A two-dimensional, time-dependent flow model coupled with a radiative transfer module has been applied to examine the characteristics of nocturnal flow in a steep canyon in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The effect of nighttime surface cooling on drainage flow is examined and compared with observations. In a complementary study, tracer data have been analyzed to estimate the mass flux from a tributary canyon and to examine processes of transport and diffusion. Simulations indicate that the strength and structure of the drainage wind are controlled mainly by terrain features, ambient wind conditions, and effective radiative cooling rates. The transport of tracer from a lower secondary vortex to an upper primary vortex is largely controlled by diffusional processes; removal of tracer from the canyon is controlled by the primary vortex and its interaction with the ambient wind. Differences between mass fluxes from model simulations and those calculated from experiments involve uncertainties in both the structure of the model and the analysis of data.     

Propagation of fronts and frontogenesis versus frontolysis over orography

Summary Frontal propagation and its evolution over complex terrain features is not well understood. Moreover, one of the major sources of forecast error occurs over the earth's orography. This presentation reviews model studies of frontal interaction with smooth and relatively simple orographic profiles. Emphasis is placed on model predictions, of propagation speed and on the properties of the flow that favor either frontogenesis or frontolysis. The physical processes involved in the front-mountain interaction are isolated, with the aim of providing a basic physical understanding of the interaction process that may be used in the interpretation of more realistic but more complex flow models. Considered are bot homogeneous and density stratified fluid, both two- and three-dimensional orographic features, and both filtered (geostrophic and semigeostrophic) and unfiltered flow models. Potentially important areas of research that may add to knowledge of front-mountain interactions are briefly explored.With 10 Figures