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Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales

Publication ,  Journal Article
Eghdami, M; Bhushan, S; Barros, AP
Published in: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
April 1, 2018

Understanding the development of the atmospheric energy spectrum across scales is necessary to elucidate atmospheric predictability. In this manuscript, the authors investigate energy transfer between the synoptic scale and the mesoscale using direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence transfer under forcing applied at different scales. First, DNS results forced by a single kinetic energy source at large scales show that the energy spectra slopes of the direct enstrophy cascade are steeper than the theoretically predicted -3 slope. Second, the presence of two inertial ranges in 2D turbulence at intermediate scales is investigated by introducing a second energy source in the meso-a-scale range. The energy spectra for the DNS with two kinetic energy sources exhibit flatter slopes that are closer to -3, consistent with the observed kinetic energy spectra of horizontal winds in the atmosphere at synoptic scales. Further, the results are independent of model resolution and scale separation between the two energy sources, with a robust transition region between the lower synoptic and the upper meso-a scales in agreement with classical observations in the upper troposphere. These results suggest the existence of a mesoscale feedback on synoptic-scale predictability that emerges from the concurrence of the direct (downscale) enstrophy transfer in the synoptic scales and the inverse (upscale) kinetic energy transfer from the mesoscale to the synoptic scale in the troposphere.

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Published In

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

DOI

EISSN

1520-0469

ISSN

0022-4928

Publication Date

April 1, 2018

Volume

75

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1163 / 1171

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

APA
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ICMJE
MLA
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Eghdami, M., Bhushan, S., & Barros, A. P. (2018). Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 75(4), 1163–1171. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-17-0216.1
Eghdami, M., S. Bhushan, and A. P. Barros. “Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales.” Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 75, no. 4 (April 1, 2018): 1163–71. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-17-0216.1.
Eghdami M, Bhushan S, Barros AP. Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 2018 Apr 1;75(4):1163–71.
Eghdami, M., et al. “Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales.” Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, vol. 75, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 1163–71. Scopus, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-17-0216.1.
Eghdami M, Bhushan S, Barros AP. Direct numerical simulations to investigate energy transfer between meso- and synoptic scales. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 2018 Apr 1;75(4):1163–1171.

Published In

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

DOI

EISSN

1520-0469

ISSN

0022-4928

Publication Date

April 1, 2018

Volume

75

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1163 / 1171

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences