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The global energy cycle of stationary and transient atmospheric waves: Results from ECMWF analyses

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Summary

The role of stationary (monthly mean) and transient (departure from monthly mean) waves within the atmospheric energy cycle is examined using global analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for the period 1980–1987. Only January and July averages are considered.

It is confirmed that planetary stationary waves are basically baroclinic. Their contribution to the globally averaged energy cycle of the atmosphere is comparable to that of the transient waves. In January they contribute about 40% to the baroclinic conversion (CA) from zonal mean to eddy available potential energy. Local values for the northern hemisphere even show a predominant role of the stationary wave conversions over those originating from transient waves. Part of the available potential energy of stationary waves (A SE) is converted to kinetic energy by warm air rising and cold air sinking. Nonlinear energy conversion, which can be interpreted as destruction of stationary temperature waves by transients, is the second sink forA SE. The order of magnitude of these two processes is similar.

Barotropic nonlinear conversions, though negligible in the global average, reveal large conversion rates between the mean positions of the polar and the subtropical jets. Their orientation is suggestive of a tendency to increase stationary wave kinetic energyK SE at its local minimum between the jets at the expense of the synoptic scale transients.

While all terms of the energy cycle related to stationary waves reveal a predominance of the planetary scale (zonal wave numbers 1–3) transient waves are governed by synoptic scale waves (zonal wave numbers 4–9) only with respect to the baroclinic and barotropic conversions: a significant amount of transient wave energy (50% for the global average ofA TE) is due to planetary scale waves.

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  1. U. Ulbrich

    Present address: Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 13, DW-5000, Köln 41, Germany

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  1. Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie, Universität zu Köln, Kerpener Str. 13, DW-5000, Köln 41, Germany

    P. Speth

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Ulbrich, U., Speth, P. The global energy cycle of stationary and transient atmospheric waves: Results from ECMWF analyses. Meteorl. Atmos. Phys. 45, 125–138 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01029650

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