Influence of friction on the motion of quasigeostrophic vortices

Abstract

Who show through numerical experiments that friction may enhance westward motion of vortices on the beta-plane and establish a relation betwen the dissipation coefficients and westward aceleration. This suggests an explanation fot the dunamics of westward intensification.     

初始误差对双环流变异可预报性的影响

使用球坐标下1.5 层约化重力浅水模式模拟海洋风生双环流, 结果显示双环流射流存在拉伸模态和收缩模态间的年际变化。以双环流从拉伸模态向收缩模态的转变过程为背景场, 利用条件非线性最优扰动(CNOP)方法, 考察初始误差对双环流变异可预报性的影响, 得到两类初始误差: 全局CNOP型和局部CNOP(LCNOP)型, 两类初始误差对双环流变异的影响几乎相反。通过考察误差发展, 发现在射流从拉伸模态向收缩模态转变过程中, CNOP 型初始误差使射流弯曲程度变大, 并在预报时刻导致涡脱落; 而LCNOP 型初始误差则使射流弯曲程度变小。相比LCNOP, CNOP 型初始误差引起更大预报误差, 导致双环流变异的预报技巧下降更多。两类误差得到较大发展的区域可能存在正压不稳定, 使误差能够不断从背景场吸收能量进而得到快速发展。给出了两类使双环流变异预报技巧下降最大的初始误差, 在实际的数值预报中减少这两种类型的误差, 将有助于提高双环流变异的预报技巧。     

The Circulation in the Upper and Intermediate Layers of the South China Sea

The circulation in the basin of the South China Sea is reproduced using a four-layer numerical model. Current fields in the second (upper) and third (intermediate) layers are emphasized. Three eddies coexist in the upper layer in summer. The circulation pattern in this layer is similar to that in the first (surface) layer. In winter, a cyclonic circulation occupies the entire basin of the South China Sea in the upper layer as in the surface layer. On the other hand, the circulation pattern in the intermediate layer is fairly different from that in upper two layers especially in winter. A double-gyre pattern appears in the intermediate layer during winter. The pattern is caused by the propagation of the baroclinic Rossby wave of the second mode. This wave is excited at onset of the winter monsoon wind. Such circulation pattern well explains the observed salinity distribution in the intermediate layer. Although the double-gyre pattern in the intermediate layer is revealed even in summer in this model, it is restricted in the western part of the basin. Besides, its current speed is small compared to that in winter.     

The Theory of the Beta-Plane Baroclinic Topographic Modons

Form-preserving, uniformly translating, horizontally localized solutions (modons) are considered within the framework of nondissipative quasi-geostrophic dynamics for a two-layer model with meridionally sloping bottom. A general classification of the beta-plane baroclinic topographic modons ( g -BTMs) is given, and three distinct domains are shown to exist in the plane of the parameters. The first domain corresponds to the regular modons with the translation speed outside the range of the phase speeds of linear waves. In the second domain, modons cannot exist: only non-localized solutions are permissible here. The third domain contains both linear periodic waves and the so-called anomalous modons traveling without resonant radiation. Exact modon solutions with piecewise linear relation between the potential vorticity and streamfunction are found and analyzed. Special attention is given to the smooth regular dipole-plus-rider solutions (anomalous modons cannot carry a smooth axisymmetric rider). As distinct from their flat-bottom analogs, g -BTMs may have nonzero total angular momentum. This feature combined with the ability of g -BTMs to bear smooth riders of arbitrary amplitude provides the existence of almost monopolar (in both layers) stationary vortices.     

Energy and pseudomomentum of propagating disturbances on the beta-plane

The far-field amplitude of the waves generated by a steadily propagating radially symmetric disturbance on the beta-plane is calculated using Lighthill's method. From this can be obtained the fluxes of quantities such as wave energy which are radiated away from the disturbance. The radiated wave power is computed for a variety of forms of the disturbance. The rate of change of pseudomomentum in the system is also calculated: the component parallel to the motion of the disturbance is the radiated wave power divided by velocity. Results are compared to previous work and some physical issues are discussed.     

Optimal precursors of double-gyre regime transitions with an adjoint-free method

In this paper, we find the optimal precursors which can cause double-gyre regime transitions based on conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) method with Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Firstly, we simulate the multiple-equilibria regimes of double-gyre circulation under different viscosity coefficient and obtain the bifurcation diagram, then choose two equilibrium states (called jet-up state and jet-down state) as reference states respectively, propose Principal Component Analysis-based Simulated Annealing (PCASA) algorithm to solve CNOP-type initial perturbations which can induce double-gyre regime transitions between jet-up state and jet-down state. PCASA algorithm is an adjoint-free method which searches optimal solution randomly in the whole solution space. In addition, we investigate CNOP-type initial perturbations how to evolve with time. The results show:(1) the CNOP-type perturbations present a two-cell structure, and gradually evolves into a three-cell structure at predictive time;(2) by superimposing CNOP-type perturbations on the jet-up state and integrating ROMS, double-gyre circulation transfers from jet-up state to jet-down state, and vice versa, and random initial perturbations don't cause the transitions, which means CNOP-type perturbations are the optimal precursors of double-gyre regime transitions;(3) by analyzing the transition process of double-gyre regime transitions, we find that CNOP-type initial perturbations obtain energy from the background state through both barotropic and baroclinic instabilities, and barotropic instability contributes more significantly to the fast-growth of the perturbations. The optimal precursors and the dynamic mechanism of double-gyre regime transitions revealed in this paper have an important significance to enhance the predictability of double-gyre circulation.     

Upscale effects in simulations of tropical convection on an equatorial beta-plane

A cloud-resolving model is configured to span the full meridional extent of the tropical atmosphere and have sufficient zonal extent to permit the representation of tropical cloud super-clusters. This is made computationally feasible by the use of anisotropic horizontal grids where one horizontal coordinate direction has over an order of magnitude finer resolution than the other direction. Typically, the meridional direction is chosen to have the coarser resolution (40 km grid spacing) and the zonal direction has enough resolution to ‘permit’ crude convective squall line ascent (1 km grid spacing). The aim was to run in cloud-resolving model (CRM) mode yet still have sufficient meridional resolution and extent to capture the equatorial trapped waves and the Hadley circulation. The large-scale circulation is driven by imposed uniform tropospheric cooling in conjunction with a fixed sea surface temperature distribution. At quasi-equilibrium the flow is characterized by sub-tropical jetstreams, tropical squall line systems that form eastward-propagating super-clusters, tropical depressions and even hurricanes.Two scientific issues are briefly addressed by the simulations: what forces the Hadley circulation and the nature of stratospheric waves appearing in the simulation. It is found that the presence of a meridional sea surface temperature gradient is not sufficient on its own to force a realistic Hadley circulation even though convection communicates the underlying temperature gradient to the atmosphere. It is shown in a simulation that accounts for the observed time and zonal-mean momentum forcing effect of large-scale eddies (originating in middle latitudes) that the heaviest precipitation is concentrated near the equator in association with moisture flux convergence driven by the Trade winds.A spectral analysis of the stratospheric waves found on the equator using the dispersion relation for equatorially-trapped waves provides strong evidence for the existence of a domain-scale Kelvin wave together with eastward and westward propagating inertia-gravity waves. The eastward-propagating stratospheric waves appear to be part of a convectively coupled wave system travelling at about 15 ms⁻¹.