A survey of Unbalanced Flow Diagnostics and Their Application

Zhang Fuqing; Steven E. Koch; Christopher A. Davis

doi:10.1007/s00376-000-0001-1

Impact Factor: 5.8

Volume 17 Issue 2

Apr. 2000

Article Contents

Article > ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES > 2000 > 17(2): 165-183

A survey of Unbalanced Flow Diagnostics and Their Application

1.
Department of Marine; Earth; and Atmospheric Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh; North Carolina 27695-8208; USA,Department of Marine; Earth; and Atmospheric Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh; North Carolina 27695-8208; USA,National Center for Atmospheric Research; Boulder; Colorado 80307-3000; U;

doi: 10.1007/s00376-000-0001-1

Abstract
References
Related papers
PDF

Abstract:
This paper presents an extensive survey of the most commonly used tools for diagnosing unbalanced flow in the atmosphere, namely the Lagrangian Rossby number, Psi vector, divergence equation, nonlinear balance equation, generalized omega-equation, and departure from fields obtained by potential vorticity (PV) inversion. The basic theory, assumptions as well as implementation and limitations for each of the tools are all discussed. These tools are applied to high-resolution mesoscale model data to assess the role of unbalanced dynamics in the generation of a mesoscale gravity wave event over the East Cost of the United States. Comparison of these tools in this case study shows that these various methods agree to a large extent with each other though they differ in details.
- Unbalanced flow,
- Geostrophic adjustment,
- Gravity waves,
- Nonlinear balance equation,
- Potential vorticity inversion. Omega equations,
- Rossby number
References

[1]	Fang Juan, Wu Rongsheng, 2002: Energetics of Geostrophic Adjustment in Rotating Flow, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 19, 845-854. doi: 10.1007/s00376-002-0049-1
[2]	Fang Juan, Wu Rongsheng, 2001: Topographic Effect on Geostrophic Adjustment and Frontogenesis, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 18, 524-538. doi: 10.1007/s00376-001-0042-0
[3]	Wu Rongsheng, Fang Juan, 2001: Mechanism of Balanced Flow and Frontogenesis, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 18, 323-334. doi: 10.1007/BF02919313
[4]	Debashis NATH, CHEN Wen, 2013: Investigating the Dominant Source for the Generation of Gravity Waves during Indian Summer Monsoon Using Ground-based Measurements, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 30, 153-166. doi: 10.1007/s00376-012-1273-y
[5]	Y. BHAVANI KUMAR, C. NAGESWARA RAJU, M. KRISHNAIAH, 2006: Indo-Japanese Lidar Observations of the Tropical Middle Atmosphere During 1998 and 1999, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 23, 711-725. doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0711-0
[6]	Kevin HAMILTON, 2006: High Resolution Global Modeling of the Atmospheric Circulation, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 23, 842-856. doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0842-3
[7]	Zhao Ping, 1991: The Effects of Zonal Flow on Nonlinear Rossby Waves, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 8, 299-306. doi: 10.1007/BF02919612
[8]	Shenming FU, Jie CAO, Xingwen JIANG, Jianhua SUN, 2017: On the Variation of Divergent Flow: An Eddy-flux Form Equation Based on the Quasi-geostrophic Balance and Its Application, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 34, 599-612. doi: 10.1007/s00376-016-6212-x
[9]	Li Liming, Huang Feng, Chi Dongyan, Liu Shikuo, Wang Zhanggui, 2002: Thermal Effects of the Tibetan Plateau on Rossby Waves from the Diabatic Quasi-Geostrophic Equations of Motion, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 19, 901-913. doi: 10.1007/s00376-002-0054-4
[10]	Zheng Xingyu, Zeng Qingcun, Huang Ronghui, 1991: The Propagation of Inertia-Gravity Waves and Their Influence on Mean Zonal Flow, Part One: the Propagation of Inertia-Gravity Waves, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 8, 431-446. doi: 10.1007/BF02919266
[11]	Luo Dehai, 1999: Nonlinear Three-Wave Interaction among Barotropic Rossby Waves in a Large-scale Forced Barotropic Flow, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 16, 451-466. doi: 10.1007/s00376-999-0023-2
[12]	Tianju WANG, Zhong ZHONG, Ju WANG, 2018: Vortex Rossby Waves in Asymmetric Basic Flow of Typhoons, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 35, 531-539. doi: 10.1007/s00376-017-7126-y
[13]	Majid M. Farahani, Wu Rongsheng, 1998: A Numerical Study of Geostrophic Adjustment and Frontogenesis, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 15, 179-192. doi: 10.1007/s00376-998-0038-0
[14]	Zheng Xingyu, Zeng Qingcun, Huang Ronghui, 1992: The Propagation of Inertia-Gravity Waves and Their Influence on Zonal Mean Flow Part Two: Wave Breaking and Critical Levels, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 9, 29-36. doi: 10.1007/BF02656927
[15]	Yi Zengxin, T. Warn, 1987: A NUMERICAL METHOD FOR SOLVING THE EVOLUTION EQUATION OF SOLITARY ROSSBY WAVES ON A WEAK SHEAR, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 4, 43-54. doi: 10.1007/BF02656660
[16]	LIU Yongming, CAI Jingjing, 2006: On Nonlinear Stability Theorems of 3D Quasi-geostrophic Flow, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 23, 809-814. doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0809-4
[17]	Liu Yongming, 1999: Nonlinear Stability of Zonally Symmetric Quasi-geostrophic Flow, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 16, 107-118. doi: 10.1007/s00376-999-0007-2
[18]	Li Guoping, Lu Jinghua, 1996: Some Possible Solutions of Nonlinear Internal Inertial Gravity Wave Equations in the Atmosphere, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 13, 244-252. doi: 10.1007/BF02656866
[19]	Qin XU, Jie CAO, 2021: Iterative Methods for Solving the Nonlinear Balance Equation with Optimal Truncation, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 38, 755-770. doi: 10.1007/s00376-020-0291-4
[20]	Liu Yongming, Mu Mu, 1992: A Problem Related to Nonlinear Stability Criteria for Multi-layer Quasi-geostrophic Flow, ADVANCES IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, 9, 337-345. doi: 10.1007/BF02656943

PDF

Get Citation+

Export:

Article Metrics

Article Views: 1725 Times

PDF downloads: 1442 Times

Cited by: Times

Proportional views

Manuscript History

Manuscript received: 10 April 2000

Manuscript revised: 10 April 2000

通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

A survey of Unbalanced Flow Diagnostics and Their Application

1. Department of Marine; Earth; and Atmospheric Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh; North Carolina 27695-8208; USA,Department of Marine; Earth; and Atmospheric Sciences; North Carolina State University; Raleigh; North Carolina 27695-8208; USA,National Center for Atmospheric Research; Boulder; Colorado 80307-3000; U;

Manuscript received: 2000-04-10
Manuscript revised: 2000-04-10

Abstract: This paper presents an extensive survey of the most commonly used tools for diagnosing unbalanced flow in the atmosphere, namely the Lagrangian Rossby number, Psi vector, divergence equation, nonlinear balance equation, generalized omega-equation, and departure from fields obtained by potential vorticity (PV) inversion. The basic theory, assumptions as well as implementation and limitations for each of the tools are all discussed. These tools are applied to high-resolution mesoscale model data to assess the role of unbalanced dynamics in the generation of a mesoscale gravity wave event over the East Cost of the United States. Comparison of these tools in this case study shows that these various methods agree to a large extent with each other though they differ in details.

Keywords: