scholarly journals Near-Surface Transport Properties and Lagrangian Statistics during Two Contrasting Years in the Adriatic Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Saeed Hariri

This paper describes the near-surface transport properties and Lagrangian statistics in the Adriatic semi-enclosed basin using synthetic drifters. Lagrangian transport models were used to simulate synthetic trajectories from the mean flow fields obtained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm), implemented in the Adriatic from October 2006 until December 2008. In particular, the surface circulation properties in two contrasting years (2007 had a mild winter and cold fall, while 2008 had a normal winter and hot summer) are compared here. In addition, the Lagrangian statistics for the entire Adriatic Basin after removing the Eulerian mean circulation for numerical particles were calculated. The results indicate that the numerical particles were slower in this simulation when compared with the real drifters. This is because of the reduced energetic flow field generated by the MIT general circulation model during the selected years. The numerical results showed that the balanced effects of the wind-driven recirculation in the northernmost area(which would be a sea response to the Bora wind field) and the Po River discharge cause the residence times to be similar during the two selected years (182 and 185 days in 2007 and 2008, respectively). Furthermore, the mean angular momentum, diffusivity, and Lagrangian velocity covariance values are smaller than in the real drifter observations, while the maximum Lagrangian integral time scale is the same.

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 2375-2397
Author(s):  
Todd A. Mooring ◽  
Isaac M. Held ◽  
R. John Wilson

Abstract The extent to which the eddy statistics of the Martian atmosphere can be inferred from the mean state and highly simplified assumptions about diabatic and frictional processes is investigated using an idealized general circulation model (GCM) with Newtonian relaxation thermal forcing. An iterative technique, adapted from previous terrestrial studies, is used to generate radiative equilibrium temperatures such that the three-dimensional time-mean temperature fields of the idealized model match means computed from the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA). Focusing on a period of strong Northern Hemisphere eddy activity prior to winter solstice, it is found that the idealized model reproduces some key features of the spatial patterns of the MACDA eddy temperature variance and kinetic energy fields. The idealized model can also simulate aspects of MACDA’s seasonal cycle of spatial patterns of low-level eddy meridional wind and temperature variances. The most notable weakness of the model is its eddy amplitudes—both their absolute values and seasonal variations are quite unrealistic, for reasons unclear. The idealized model was also run with a mean flow based on output from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) full-physics Mars GCM. The idealized model captures the difference in mean flows between MACDA and the GFDL Mars GCM and reproduces a bias in the more complex model’s eddy zonal wavenumber distribution. This implies that the mean flow is an important influence on transient eddy wavenumbers and that improving the GFDL Mars GCM’s mean flow would make its eddy scales more realistic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 2553-2570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads B. Poulsen ◽  
Markus Jochum ◽  
James R. Maddison ◽  
David P. Marshall ◽  
Roman Nuterman

AbstractAn interpretation of eddy form stress via the geometry described by the Eliassen–Palm flux tensor is explored. Complimentary to previous works on eddy Reynolds stress geometry, this study shows that eddy form stress is fully described by a vertical ellipse, whose size, shape, and orientation with respect to the mean flow shear determine the strength and direction of vertical momentum transfers. Following a recent proposal, this geometric framework is here used to form a Gent–McWilliams eddy transfer coefficient that depends on eddy energy and a nondimensional geometric parameter α, bounded in magnitude by unity. The parameter α expresses the efficiency by which eddies exchange energy with baroclinic mean flow via along-gradient eddy buoyancy flux—a flux equivalent to eddy form stress along mean buoyancy contours. An eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model is used to estimate the spatial structure of α in the Southern Ocean and assess its potential to form a basis for parameterization. The eddy efficiency α averages to a low but positive value of 0.043 within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, consistent with an inefficient eddy field extracting energy from the mean flow. It is found that the low eddy efficiency is mainly the result of that eddy buoyancy fluxes are weakly anisotropic on average. The eddy efficiency is subject to pronounced vertical structure and is maximum at ~3-km depth, where eddy buoyancy fluxes tend to be directed most downgradient. Since α partly sets the eddy form stress in the Southern Ocean, a parameterization for α must reproduce its vertical structure to provide a faithful representation of vertical stress divergence and eddy forcing.


2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 4454-4473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renguang Wu ◽  
Ben P. Kirtman

Abstract Equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Center for Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Studies (COLA) interactive ensemble coupled general circulation model show near-annual variability as well as biennial El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. There are two types of near-annual modes: a westward propagating mode and a stationary mode. For the westward propagating near-annual mode, warm SST anomalies are generated in the eastern equatorial Pacific in boreal spring and propagate westward in boreal summer. Consistent westward propagation is seen in precipitation, surface wind, and ocean current. For the stationary near-annual mode, warm SST anomalies develop near the date line in boreal winter and decay locally in boreal spring. Westward propagation of warm SST anomalies also appears in the developing year of the biennial ENSO mode. However, warm SST anomalies for the westward propagating near-annual mode occur about two months earlier than those for the biennial ENSO mode and are quickly replaced by cold SST anomalies, whereas warm SST anomalies for the biennial ENSO mode only experience moderate weakening. Anomalous zonal advection contributes to the generation and westward propagation of warm SST anomalies for both the westward propagating near-annual mode and the biennial ENSO mode. However, the role of mean upwelling is markedly different. The mean upwelling term contributes to the generation of warm SST anomalies for the biennial ENSO mode, but is mainly a damping term for the westward propagating near-annual mode. The development of warm SST anomalies for the stationary near-annual mode is partially due to anomalous zonal advection and upwelling, similar to the amplification of warm SST anomalies in the equatorial central Pacific for the biennial ENSO mode. The mean upwelling term is negative in the eastern equatorial Pacific for the stationary near-annual mode, which is opposite to the ENSO mode. The development of cold SST anomalies in the aftermath of warm SST anomalies for the westward propagating near-annual mode is coupled to large easterly wind anomalies, which occur between the warm and cold SST anomalies. The easterly anomalies contribute to the cold SST anomalies through anomalous zonal, meridional, and vertical advection and surface evaporation. The cold SST anomalies, in turn, enhance the easterly anomalies through a Rossby-wave-type response. The above processes are most effective during boreal spring when the mean near-surface-layer ocean temperature gradient is the largest. It is suggested that the westward propagating near-annual mode is related to air–sea interaction processes that are limited to the near-surface layers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Lutsko

An equatorial heat source mimicking the strong diabatic heating above the west Pacific is added to an idealized, dry general circulation model. For small (<0.5 K day−1) heating rates the responses closely match the expectations from linear Matsuno–Gill theory, though the amplitudes of the responses increase sublinearly. This “linear” regime breaks down for larger heating rates and it is found that this is because the stability of the tropical atmosphere increases. At the same time, the equatorial winds increasingly superrotate. This superrotation is driven by stationary eddy momentum fluxes by the waves excited by the heating and is damped by the vertical advection of low-momentum air by the mean flow and, at large heating rates, by the divergence of momentum by transient eddies. These dynamics are explored in additional experiments in which the equator-to-pole temperature gradient is varied. Very strong superrotation is produced when a large heating rate is applied to a setup with a relatively weak equator-to-pole temperature gradient, though there is no evidence that this is a case of “runaway” superrotation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Ando ◽  
Kotaro Takaya ◽  
Masahiro Takagi ◽  
Norihiko Sugimoto ◽  
Takeshi Imamura ◽  
...  

&lt;div class=&quot;page&quot; title=&quot;Page 2&quot;&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;layoutArea&quot;&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;column&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;Distributions of temperature and static stability in the Venus atmosphere consistent with&amp;#160;recent radio occultation measurements are reproduced using a general circulation model.&amp;#160;A low-stability layer is maintained at low- and mid-latitudes at 50&amp;#8211;60 km altitude and&amp;#160;is sandwiched by high- and moderate-stability layers extending above 60 and below 50 &amp;#160;km, respectively. In the polar region, the low-stability layer is located at 46&amp;#8211;63 km altitude and the relatively low-stability layer is also found at 40&amp;#8211;46 km altitude. To investigate how these thermal structures form, we examine the dynamical effects of the atmospheric motions on the static stability below 65 km altitude. The results show that&amp;#160;the heat transport due to the mean meridional circulation is important at low-latitudes.&amp;#160;At mid- and high-latitudes, meanwhile, the baroclinic Rossby-type wave plays an important role in maintaining the thermal structure. In addition, appreciable equatorward heat&amp;#160;transport is found to maintain the deep and low-stability layer in the polar region, which&amp;#160;might be induced by the interaction between the baroclinic Rossby-type wave in the low-stability layer and the trapped Rossby-type wave below it.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;


Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 725
Author(s):  
Tomohito J. Yamada ◽  
Yadu Pokhrel

Irrigation can affect climate and weather patterns from regional to global scales through the alteration of surface water and energy balances. Here, we couple a land-surface model (LSM) that includes various human land-water management activities including irrigation with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to examine the impacts of irrigation-induced land disturbance on the subseasonal predictability of near-surface variables. Results indicate that the simulated global irrigation and groundwater withdrawals (circa 2000) are ~3600 and ~370 km3/year, respectively, which are in good agreement with previous estimates from country statistics and offline–LSMs. Subseasonal predictions for boreal summers during the 1986–1995 period suggest that the spread among ensemble simulations of air temperature can be substantially reduced by using realistic land initializations considering irrigation-induced changes in soil moisture. Additionally, it is found that the subseasonal forecast skill for near-surface temperature and sea level pressure significantly improves when human-induced land disturbance is accounted for in the AGCM. These results underscore the need to incorporate irrigation into weather forecast models, such as the global forecast system.


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