scholarly journals Horizontal Wavenumber Spectra of Vertical Vorticity and Horizontal Divergence in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 1017-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Lindborg
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Internal Gravity Waves ◽  
Energy Cascade ◽  
Stratified Turbulence ◽  
Measured Velocity ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Vertical Vorticity ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Point Correlation

Abstract The author shows that the horizontal two-point correlations of vertical vorticity and the associated vorticity wavenumber spectrum can be constructed from previously measured velocity structure functions in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The spectrum has a minimum around k = 10−2 cycles per kilometer (cpkm) corresponding to wavelengths of 100 km. For smaller wavenumbers it displays a k−1 range and for higher wavenumbers, corresponding to mesoscale motions, it grows as k1/3. The two-point correlation of horizontal divergence of horizontal velocity and the associated horizontal spectrum is also constructed. The horizontal divergence spectrum is of the same order of magnitude as the vorticity spectrum in the mesoscale range and show similar inertial range scaling. It is argued that these results show that the mesoscale motions are not dominated by internal gravity waves. Instead, the author suggests that the dynamic origin of the k1/3 range is stratified turbulence. However, in contrast to Lilly, the author finds that stratified turbulence is not a phenomenon associated with an upscale energy cascade, but with a downscale energy cascade.

scholarly journals Eddy Diffusivities for Momentum and Heat in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Measured by MU Radar and RASS, and a Comparison of Turbulence Model Predictions

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 323-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromasa Ueda ◽  
Tetsuo Fukui ◽  
Mizuo Kajino ◽  
Mitsuaki Horiguchi ◽  
Hiroyuki Hashiguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Measurement ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Spectral Width ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Algebraic Stress Model ◽  
Eddy Diffusivities ◽  
Mu Radar ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

Abstract Recently, middle- and upper-atmosphere Doppler radar (MU radar) has enabled the measurement of middle-atmosphere turbulence from radar backscatter Doppler spectra. In this work, eddy diffusivities for momentum Km in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during clear-air conditions were derived from direct measurements of the Reynolds stress and vertical gradient of mean wind velocity measured by MU radar. Eddy diffusivity for heat Kh below 8 km was determined from measurements of temperature fluctuations by the Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) attached to the MU radar. The eddy diffusivity for momentum was on the order of 10 m2 s−1 in the upper troposphere and decreased gradually in the stratosphere by an order of magnitude or more. The eddy diffusivity for heat was almost of the same order of magnitude as Km. Estimates of eddy diffusivity from the radar echo power spectral width give fairly good values compared with the direct measurement of Km. Applicability of three turbulence models—the spectral width method, the k–ɛ model modified for stratified flows, and the algebraic stress model—were also examined, using radar observation values of turbulent kinetic energy k and turbulent energy dissipation rate ɛ together with atmospheric stability observations from rawinsonde data. It is concluded that the algebraic stress model shows the best fit with the direct measurement of Km, even in the free atmosphere above the atmospheric boundary layer once k and ɛ values are obtained from observations or a model.

scholarly journals Third-order structure functions in rotating and stratified turbulence: a comparison between numerical, analytical and observational results

2014 ◽  
Vol 755 ◽  
pp. 294-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Deusebio ◽  
P. Augier ◽  
E. Lindborg
Keyword(s):  
Structure Function ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Structure Functions ◽  
Energy Cascade ◽  
Order Structure ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Stratified Turbulence ◽  
Third Order ◽  
The Third ◽  
Spectral Flux

AbstractFirst, we review analytical and observational studies on third-order structure functions including velocity and buoyancy increments in rotating and stratified turbulence and discuss how these functions can be used in order to estimate the flux of energy through different scales in a turbulent cascade. In particular, we suggest that the negative third-order velocity–temperature–temperature structure function that was measured by Lindborg & Cho (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 85, 2000, p. 5663) using stratospheric aircraft data may be used in order to estimate the downscale flux of available potential energy (APE) through the mesoscales. Then, we calculate third-order structure functions from idealized simulations of forced stratified and rotating turbulence and compare with mesoscale results from the lower stratosphere. In the range of scales with a downscale energy cascade of kinetic energy (KE) and APE we find that the third-order structure functions display a negative linear dependence on separation distance $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}} r $, in agreement with observation and supporting the interpretation of the stratospheric data as evidence of a downscale energy cascade. The spectral flux of APE can be estimated from the relevant third-order structure function. However, while the sign of the spectral flux of KE is correctly predicted by using the longitudinal third-order structure functions, its magnitude is overestimated by a factor of two. We also evaluate the third-order velocity structure functions that are not parity invariant and therefore display a cyclonic–anticyclonic asymmetry. In agreement with the results from the stratosphere, we find that these functions have an approximate $ r^{2} $-dependence, with strong dominance of cyclonic motions.

scholarly journals A Case Study of Mass Transport during the East-West Oscillation of the Asian Summer Monsoon Anticyclone

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiali Luo ◽  
Jiayao Song ◽  
Hongying Tian ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Xinlei Liang
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Chemical Transport ◽  
Upward Motion ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Asian Summer ◽  
Mode Tm ◽  
East West

We use ERA-Interim reanalysis, MLS observations, and a trajectory model to examine the chemical transport and tracers distribution in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) associated with an east-west oscillation case of the anticyclone in 2016. The results show that the spatial distribution of water vapor (H2O) was more consistent with the location of the anticyclone than carbon monoxide (CO) at 100 hPa, and an independent relative high concentration center was only found in H2O field. At 215 hPa, although the anticyclone center also migrated from the Tibetan Mode (TM) to the Iranian Mode (IM), the relative high concentration centers of both tracers were always colocated with regions where upward motion was strong in the UTLS. When the anticyclone migrated from the TM, air within the anticyclone over Tibetan Plateau may transport both westward and eastward but was always within the UTLS. The relative high concentration of tropospheric tracers within the anticyclone in the IM was from the east and transported by the westward propagation of the anticyclone rather than being lifted from surface directly. Air within the relative high geopotential height centers over Western Pacific was partly from the main anticyclone and partly from lower levels.

Atmospheric measurements of aerosol precursor gases in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. S65-S66 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Arnold ◽  
K.H. Wohlfrom ◽  
J. Schneider ◽  
M. Klemm ◽  
T. Stilp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Measurements ◽  
Upper Troposphere

scholarly journals Aircraft measurements of gravity waves in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during the START08 field experiment

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (13) ◽  
pp. 7667-7684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuqing Zhang ◽  
Junhong Wei ◽  
Meng Zhang ◽  
K. P. Bowman ◽  
L. L. Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Law ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Shear Instability ◽  
Aircraft Measurements ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. This study analyzes in situ airborne measurements from the 2008 Stratosphere–Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport (START08) experiment to characterize gravity waves in the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (ExUTLS). The focus is on the second research flight (RF02), which took place on 21–22 April 2008. This was the first airborne mission dedicated to probing gravity waves associated with strong upper-tropospheric jet–front systems. Based on spectral and wavelet analyses of the in situ observations, along with a diagnosis of the polarization relationships, clear signals of mesoscale variations with wavelengths ~ 50–500 km are found in almost every segment of the 8 h flight, which took place mostly in the lower stratosphere. The aircraft sampled a wide range of background conditions including the region near the jet core, the jet exit and over the Rocky Mountains with clear evidence of vertically propagating gravity waves of along-track wavelength between 100 and 120 km. The power spectra of the horizontal velocity components and potential temperature for the scale approximately between ~ 8 and ~ 256 km display an approximate −5/3 power law in agreement with past studies on aircraft measurements, while the fluctuations roll over to a −3 power law for the scale approximately between ~ 0.5 and ~ 8 km (except when this part of the spectrum is activated, as recorded clearly by one of the flight segments). However, at least part of the high-frequency signals with sampled periods of ~ 20–~ 60 s and wavelengths of ~ 5–~ 15 km might be due to intrinsic observational errors in the aircraft measurements, even though the possibilities that these fluctuations may be due to other physical phenomena (e.g., nonlinear dynamics, shear instability and/or turbulence) cannot be completely ruled out.

scholarly journals Effect of tropical cyclones on the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange observed using satellite observations over north Indian Ocean

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Venkat Ratnam ◽  
S. Ravindra Babu ◽  
S. S. Das ◽  
Ghouse Basha ◽  
B. V. Krishnamurthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
North Indian Ocean ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Tropical cyclones play an important role in modifying the tropopause structure and dynamics as well as stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) process in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) region. In the present study, the impact of cyclones that occurred over the North Indian Ocean during 2007–2013 on the STE process is quantified using satellite observations. Tropopause characteristics during cyclones are obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) measurements and ozone and water vapor concentrations in UTLS region are obtained from Aura-Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite observations. The effect of cyclones on the tropopause parameters is observed to be more prominent within 500 km from the centre of cyclone. In our earlier study we have observed decrease (increase) in the tropopause altitude (temperature) up to 0.6 km (3 K) and the convective outflow level increased up to 2 km. This change leads to a total increase in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) thickness of 3 km within the 500 km from the centre of cyclone. Interestingly, an enhancement in the ozone mixing ratio in the upper troposphere is clearly noticed within 500 km from cyclone centre whereas the enhancement in the water vapor in the lower stratosphere is more significant on south-east side extending from 500–1000 km away from the cyclone centre. We estimated the cross-tropopause mass flux for different intensities of cyclones and found that the mean flux from stratosphere to troposphere for cyclonic stroms is 0.05 ± 0.29 × 10−3 kg m−2 and for very severe cyclonic stroms it is 0.5 ± 1.07 × 10−3 kg m−2. More downward flux is noticed in the north-west and south-west side of the cyclone centre. These results indicate that the cyclones have significant impact in effecting the tropopause structure, ozone and water vapour budget and consequentially the STE in the UTLS region.

scholarly journals Local Mixing Events in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere. Part I: Detection with the Lyapunov Diffusivity

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 3678-3694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco d’Ovidio ◽  
Emily Shuckburgh ◽  
Bernard Legras
Keyword(s):  
Lyapunov Exponent ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Effective Diffusivity ◽  
Strong Mixing ◽  
Longitudinal Variation ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Subtropical Jet ◽  
Active Mixing ◽  
The Western Pacific

Abstract A new diagnostic (the “Lyapunov diffusivity”) is presented that has the ability to quantify isentropic mixing in diffusion units and detects local mixing events by describing latitude–longitude variability. It is a hybrid diagnostic, combining the tracer-based effective diffusivity with the particle-based Lyapunov exponent calculation. Isentropic mixing on the 350-K surface shows that there is significant longitudinal variation to the strength of mixing at the northern subtropical jet, with a strong mixing barrier over Asia and the western Pacific, a weaker mixing barrier over the western Atlantic, and active mixing regions at the jet exits over the eastern Pacific and Atlantic.

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