C. A. F. Marques

A Detailed Normal-Mode Energetics of the General Circulation of the Atmosphere

AbstractAn energetics formulation is here introduced that enables an explicit evaluation for the conversion rates between available potential energy and kinetic energy, the nonlinear interactions of both energy forms, and their generation and dissipation rates, in both the zonal wavenumber and vertical mode domains. The conversion rates between available potential energy and kinetic energy are further decomposed into the contributions by the rotational (Rossby) and divergent (gravity) components of the circulation field. The computed energy terms allow one to formulate a detailed energy cycle describing the flow of energy among the zonal mean and eddy components, and also among the barotropic and baroclinic components. This new energetics formulation is a development of the 3D normal-mode energetics scheme. The new formulation is applied on an assessment of the energetics of winter (December–February) circulation in the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40), the 25-yr Japan Meteorological Agency Reanalysis (JR...

Bridging the Annular Mode and North Atlantic Oscillation paradigms

[1]xa0The annular nature of the leading patterns of the Northern Hemisphere winter extratropical circulation variability is revisited. The analysis relies on principal component analysis (PCA) of tropospheric geopotential height fields and lagged correlations with the stratospheric polar vortex strength and with a proxy of midlatitude tropospheric zonal mean zonal momentum anomalies. Results suggest that two processes, occurring at different times, contribute to the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) spatial structure. Polar vortex anomalies appear to be associated with midlatitude tropospheric zonal mean zonal wind anomalies occurring before the stratospheric anomalies. After the polar vortex anomalies, zonal mean zonal wind anomalies of the same sign are observed in the troposphere at high latitudes. The timescale separation between the two signals is about 2 weeks. It is suggested that the leading tropospheric variability patterns found in the literature represent variability associated with both processes. The tropospheric variability patterns which appear to respond to the polar vortex variability have a hemispheric scale but show a dipolar structure only over the Atlantic basin. The dipole resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation pattern (NAO), but with the node line shifted northward.

Diagnosis of Free and Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves

A methodology for diagnosis of free and convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs) is reviewed and illustrated for Kelvin and mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) waves. The method is based on prefiltering of the geopotential and horizontal wind, using three-dimensional normal mode functions of the adiabatic linearized equations of a resting atmosphere, followed by space–time power and cross-spectral analysis applied to the normal-mode-filtered fields and the outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) to identify spectral regions of coherence. The methodology is applied to geopotential and horizontal wind fields produced by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis and OLR data produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The same type of data simulated by two climate models that participated in the fifth phase of the climate model intercomparison project are also used. Overall, simulation of free and CCEWs was achieved by the models with moderate success. Kelvin and MRG waves were identified in the space–time spectral domains, using both observationally based and climate model datasets. Other nonequatorial waves, classified as tropical depression and extratropical storm track activity, along with the Madden–Julian oscillation were also observed. However, significant deviations were also evident in the models, which may help identification of deficiencies in the models’ simulation schemes for some physical processes. Therefore, this diagnosis method should be a useful procedure for climate model validation and model benchmarking.

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,xa0were 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.