Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2011
Energy equations, similar to those proposed by Saltzman, were applied to four specific latitudinal belts to investigate the atmospheric energetics in the wavenumber domain during three summers in 1970–2. The selected latitudinal belts are: region 1 (30.8° to 44.6° N); region 2 (14.8° to 30.8° N); region 3 (0° to 14.8° N); and region 4 (14.8° S to 0°). Energy exchanges due to wave–wave and wave–zonal mean flow interactions are important for the maintenance of eddy kinetic energy, over all regions. Almost all waves furnish their kinetic energy to zonal mean flows via wave–zonal flow interaction.
A computational model to partition kinetic energy exchanges into the standing- (summer mean) and transient-wave motions has been proposed. Planetary-scale standing waves 1 to 3, over regions 2 and 3, lose large amounts of kinetic energy to transient eddies via ‘standing to transient’ wave interactions. The majority of transient waves, over regions 2 and 4, act as a kinetic energy drain for standingwave motions.
Introduction
Scale interactions are usually defined in terms of zonal wavenumber. In such a scale resolution, the monsoon circulation can be identified as a distinct low wavenumber mode. The Fourier representation of atmospheric motion has shed much light upon the processes of generation, dissipation, and transfer of kinetic energy in and among scales of atmospheric motions in extratropical and tropical regions. Saltzman (1970) summarized the results of several studies of energy interactions in the Fourier domain, in extratropical regions where synoptic-scale baroclinic disturbances are dominant.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.