Abstract
Some important diagnostic characteristics for a model’s physical background are reflected in the model’s energy transport, conversion, and cycle. Diagnosing the atmospheric energy cycle is a suitable way towards understanding and improving numerical models. In this study, formulations of the “Mixed Space-Time Domain” energy cycle are calculated and the roles of stationary and transient waves within the atmospheric energy cycle of the Global-Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES) model are diagnosed and compared with the NCEP analysis data for July 2011. Contributions of the zonal-mean components of the energy cycle are investigated to explain the performance of numerical models.
The results show that the GRAPES model has the capability to reproduce the main features of the global energy cycle as compared with the NCEP analysis. Zonal available potential energy (AZ) is converted into stationary eddy available potential energy (ASE) and transient eddy available potential energy (ATE), and ASE and ATE have similar values. The nonlinear conversion between the two eddy energy terms is directed from the stationary to the transient. AZ becomes larger with increased forecast lead time, reflecting an enhancement of the meridional temperature gradient, which strengthens the zonal baroclinic processes and makes the conversion from AZ to eddy potential energy larger, especially for CAT (conversion from AZ to ATE). The zonal kinetic energy (KZ) has a similar value to the sum of the stationary and transient eddy kinetic energy. Barotropic conversions are directed from eddy to zonal kinetic energy. The zonal conversion from AZ to KZ in GRAPES is around 1.5 times larger than in the NCEP analysis. The contributions of zonal energy cycle components show that transient eddy kinetic energy (KTE) is associated with the Southern Hemisphere subtropical jet and the conversion from KZ to KTE reduces in the upper tropopause near 30°S. The nonlinear barotropic conversion between stationary and transient kinetic energy terms (CKTE) is reduced predominantly by the weaker KTE.
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Supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (41305091) and China Meteorological Administration Special Fund for Numerical Prediction (GRAPES).
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Zhao, B., Zhang, B. Diagnostic study of global energy cycle of the grapes global model in the mixed space-time domain. J Meteorol Res 28, 592–606 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-014-3072-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-014-3072-0