scholarly journals On the correlation between ozone and potential vorticity for large-scale Rossby waves

1997 ◽  
Vol 102 (D7) ◽  
pp. 8793-8804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Peter Riishøjgaard ◽  
Erland Källén
2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 4091-4106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Harvey ◽  
John Methven ◽  
Maarten H. P. Ambaum

Abstract The amplitude of ridges in large-amplitude Rossby waves has been shown to decrease systematically with lead time during the first 1–5 days of operational global numerical weather forecasts. These models also exhibit a rapid reduction in the isentropic gradient of potential vorticity (PV) at the tropopause during the first 1–2 days of forecasts. This paper identifies a mechanism linking the reduction in large-scale meander amplitude on jet streams to declining PV gradients. The mechanism proposed is that a smoother isentropic transition of PV across the tropopause leads to excessive PV filamentation on the jet flanks and a more lossy waveguide. The approach taken is to analyze Rossby wave dynamics in a single-layer quasigeostrophic model. Numerical simulations show that the amplitude of a Rossby wave propagating along a narrow but smooth PV front does indeed decay transiently with time. This process is explained in terms of the filamentation of PV from the jet core and associated absorption of wave activity by the critical layers on the jet flanks, and a simple method for quantitatively predicting the magnitude of the amplitude reduction without simulation is presented. Explicitly diffusive simulations are then used to show that the combined impact of diffusion and the adiabatic rearrangement of PV can result in a decay rate of Rossby waves that is 2–4 times as fast as could be expected from diffusion acting alone. This predicted decay rate is sufficient to explain the decay observed in operational weather forecasting models.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
A.V. Agapitov ◽  
◽  
A.V. Grytsai ◽  
D.A. Salyuk ◽  
◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Zaqarashvili ◽  
M. Albekioni ◽  
J. L. Ballester ◽  
Y. Bekki ◽  
L. Biancofiore ◽  
...  

AbstractRossby waves are a pervasive feature of the large-scale motions of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. These waves (also known as planetary waves and r-modes) also play an important role in the large-scale dynamics of different astrophysical objects such as the solar atmosphere and interior, astrophysical discs, rapidly rotating stars, planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres. This paper provides a review of theoretical and observational aspects of Rossby waves on different spatial and temporal scales in various astrophysical settings. The physical role played by Rossby-type waves and associated instabilities is discussed in the context of solar and stellar magnetic activity, angular momentum transport in astrophysical discs, planet formation, and other astrophysical processes. Possible directions of future research in theoretical and observational aspects of astrophysical Rossby waves are outlined.


2021 ◽  
pp. 17-28
Author(s):  
A. V. Gochakov ◽  
◽  
O. Yu. Antokhina ◽  
V. N. Krupchatnikov ◽  
Yu. V. Martynova ◽  
...  

Many large-scale dynamic phenomena in the Earth’s atmosphere are associated with the processes of propagation and breaking of Rossby waves. A new method for identifying the Rossby wave breaking (RWB) is proposed. It is based on the detection of breakings centers by analyzing the shape of the contours of potential vorticity or temperature on quasimaterial surfaces: isentropic and iserthelic (surfaces of constant Ertel potential vorticity (PV)), with further RWB center clustering to larger regions. The method is applied to the set of constant PV levels (0.3 to 9.8 PVU with a step of 0.5 PVU) at the level of potential temperature of 350 K for 12:00 UTC. The ERA-Interim reanalysis data from 1979 to 2019 are used for the method development. The type of RWB (cyclonic/anticyclonic), its area and center are determined by analyzing the vortex geometry at each PV level for every day. The RWBs obtained at this stage are designated as elementary breakings. Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise algorithm (DBSCAN) was applied to all elementary breakings for each month. As a result, a graphic dataset describing locations and dynamics of RWBs for every month from 1979 to 2019 is formed. The RWB frequency is also evaluated for each longitude, taking into account the duration of each RWB and the number of levels involved, as well as the anomalies of these parameters.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikos Bakas

<p>Forced-dissipative beta-plane turbulence in a single-layer shallow-water fluid has been widely considered as a simplified model of planetary turbulence as it exhibits turbulence self-organization into large-scale structures such as robust zonal jets and strong vortices. In this study we perform a series of numerical simulations to analyze the characteristics of the emerging structures as a function of the planetary vorticity gradient and the deformation radius. We report four regimes that appear as the energy input rate ε of the random stirring that supports turbulence in the flow increases. A homogeneous turbulent regime for low values of ε, a regime in which large scale Rossby waves form abruptly when ε passes a critical value, a regime in which robust zonal jets coexist with weaker Rossby waves when ε passes a second critical value and a regime of strong materially coherent propagating vortices for large values of ε. The wave regime which is not predicted by standard cascade theories of turbulence anisotropization and the vortex regime are studied thoroughly. Wavenumber-frequency spectra analysis shows that the Rossby waves in the second regime remain phase coherent over long times. The coherent vortices are identified using the Lagrangian Averaged Deviation (LAVD) method. The statistics of the vortices (lifetime, radius, strength and speed) are reported as a function of the large scale parameters. We find that the strong vortices propagate zonally with a phase speed that is equal or larger than the long Rossby wave speed and advect the background turbulence leading to a non-dispersive line in the wavenumber-frequency spectra.</p>


Author(s):  
QI QUAN ◽  
ZHONGYA CAI ◽  
GUANGZHEN JIN ◽  
ZHIQIANG LIU

AbstractTopographic Rossby waves (TRWs) in the abyssal South China Sea (SCS) are investigated using observations and high-resolution numerical simulations. These energetic waves can account for over 40% of the kinetic energy (KE) variability in the deep western boundary current and seamount region in the central SCS. This proportion can even reach 70% over slopes in the northern and southern SCS. The TRW-induced currents exhibit columnar (i.e., in-phase) structure in which the speed increases downward. Wave properties such as the period (5–60 days), wavelength (100–500 km), and vertical trapping scale (102–103 m) vary significantly depending on environmental parameters of the SCS. The TRW energy propagates along steep topography with phase propagation offshore. TRWs with high frequencies exhibit a stronger climbing effect than low-frequency ones and hence can move further upslope. For TRWs with a certain frequency, the wavelength and trapping scale are dominated by the topographic beta, whereas the group velocity is more sensitive to the internal Rossby deformation radius. Background circulation with horizontal shear can change the wavelength and direction of TRWs if the flow velocity is comparable to the group velocity, particularly in the central, southern, and eastern SCS. A case study suggests two possible energy sources for TRWs: mesoscale perturbation in the upper layer and large-scale background circulation in the deep layer. The former provides KE by pressure work, whereas the latter transfers the available potential energy (APE) through baroclinic instability.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 363-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Bencherif ◽  
L. El Amraoui ◽  
G. Kirgis ◽  
J. Leclair De Bellevue ◽  
A. Hauchecorne ◽  
...  

Abstract. This paper reports on an increase of ozone event observed over Kerguelen (49.4° S, 70.3° E) in relationship with large-scale isentropic transport. This is evidenced by ground-based observations (co-localised radiosonde and SAOZ experiments) together with satellite global observations (Aura/MLS) assimilated into MOCAGE, a Méteo-France model. The study is based on the analyses of the first ozonesonde experiment never recorded at the Kerguelen site within the framework of a French campaign called ROCK that took place from April to August 2008. Comparisons and interpretations of the observed event are supported by co-localised SAOZ observations, by global mapping of tracers (O3, N2O and columns of O3) from Aura/MLS and Aura/OMI experiments, and by model simulations of Ertel Potential Vorticity initialised by the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) data reanalyses. Satellite and ground-based observational data revealed a consistent increase of ozone in the local stratosphere by mid-April 2008. Additionally, Ozone (O3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) profiles obtained during January–May 2008 using the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Aura satellite are assimilated into MOCAGE (MOdèle de Chimie Atmosphérique à Grande Echelle), a global three-dimensional chemistry transport model of Météo-France. The assimilated total O3 values are consistent with SAOZ ground observations (within ±5%), and isentropic distributions of O3 match well with maps of advected potential vorticity (APV) derived from the MIMOSA model, a high-resolution advection transport model, and from the ECMWF reanalysis. The event studied seems to be related to the isentropic transport of air masses that took place simultaneously in the lower- and middle-stratosphere, respectively from the polar region and from the tropics to the mid-latitudes. In fact, the ozone increase observed by mid April 2008 resulted simultaneously: (1) from an equator-ward departure of polar air masses characterised with a high-ozone layer in the lower stratosphere (near the 475 K isentropic level), and (2) from a reverse isentropic transport from the tropics to mid- and high-latitudes in the upper stratosphere (nearby the 700 K level). The increase of ozone observed over Kerguelen from the 16-April ozonesonde profile is thus attributed to a concomitant isentropic transport of ozone in two stratospheric layers: the tropical air moving southward and reaching over Kerguelen in the upper stratosphere, and the polar air passing over the same area but in the lower stratosphere.


2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1735-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. T. M. Verkley

Abstract A global version of the equivalent barotropic vorticity equation is derived for the one-layer shallow-water equations on a sphere. The equation has the same form as the corresponding beta plane version, but with one important difference: the stretching (Cressman) term in the expression of the potential vorticity retains its full dependence on f 2, where f is the Coriolis parameter. As a check of the resulting system, the dynamics of linear Rossby waves are considered. It is shown that these waves are rather accurate approximations of the westward-propagating waves of the second class of the original shallow-water equations. It is also concluded that for Rossby waves with short meridional wavelengths the factor f 2 in the stretching term can be replaced by the constant value f02, where f0 is the Coriolis parameter at ±45° latitude.


2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 3312-3327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semion Sukoriansky ◽  
Nadejda Dikovskaya ◽  
Boris Galperin

Abstract The notion of the cascade arrest in a β-plane turbulence in the context of continuously forced flows is revised in this paper using both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. It is demonstrated that the upscale energy propagation cannot be stopped by a β effect and can only be absorbed by friction. A fundamental dimensional parameter in flows with a β effect, the Rhines scale, LR, has traditionally been associated with the cascade arrest or with the scale that separates turbulence and Rossby wave–dominated spectral ranges. It is shown that rather than being a measure of the inverse cascade arrest, LR is a characteristic of different processes in different flow regimes. In unsteady flows, LR can be identified with the moving energy front propagating toward the decreasing wavenumbers. When large-scale energy sink is present, β-plane turbulence may attain several steady-state regimes. Two of these regimes are highlighted: friction-dominated and zonostrophic. In the former, LR does not have any particular significance, while in the latter, the Rhines scale nearly coincides with the characteristic length associated with the large-scale friction. Spectral analysis in the frequency domain demonstrates that Rossby waves coexist with turbulence on scales smaller than LR thus indicating that the Rhines scale cannot be viewed as a crossover between turbulence and Rossby wave ranges.


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