1. Maintenance and oscillation mechanisms of summer tropical upper-tropospheric easterlies
- Author
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Zhu Qiangen and Zhi Xiefei
- Subjects
Quasi-biennial oscillation ,Atmospheric Science ,Atmospheric circulation ,Baroclinity ,Barotropic fluid ,Environmental science ,Mean flow ,Dissipation ,Atmospheric sciences ,Kinetic energy ,Potential energy ,Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Abstract
The mechanisms of the maintenance and oscillation of 1982 summer tropical 200-hPa mean easterly flow and extra-long waves are investigated in terms of the energy equations in wavenumber-frequency space. Calculation results show that the difference in heating between land and sea and the boundary effect serve as the main source of energy; frictional dissipation as the sink; the conversion of available potential energy into kinetic takes place dominantly in the waves of number 1–2 such transformation is accomplished in just a small amount in zonal mean flow and therefore can be ignored because of the value. In the interaction between wave and zonal mean flow, the latter loses its available potential and gains kinetic energy. The tropical easterly belt over 20°N-5°S is found barotropically stable and that over 10°-5°S, unstable. The waves of number 2 and 1 manifest themselves a primary source and sink of kinetic energy, respectively, in the interplay between waves and between zonal mean flow and wave. It is found that zonal mean flow and the waves of number 1-2 have a roughly 40-and 20-day oscillational period of kinetic energy, respectively, whose primary mechanism is the transfer of barotropic energy, the conversion of baroclinic energy, and the boundary effect.
- Published
- 1988
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