The kinetic and available potential energy budget of a winter extratropical cyclone system

Smith, Phillip J.; Dare, Patricia M.

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0870.1986.tb00452.x

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 26 publications

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“…Diabatic processes from clouds and precipitation associated with cyclonic eddies have been shown to increase APE generation when acting to strengthen temperature gradients (e.g., Winston and Krueger 1961;Wiin-Nielsen and Brown 1962;Brown 1964;Smith and Dare 1986). However, such eddies have also been shown to deplete A Z through wave amplifications, which can induce strong meridional flow and increased baroclinic conversion (e.g., Smith and Dare 1986;Bosart et al 1996;Veiga et al 2008;Pezza et al 2010). Robust increases in baroclinic conversions are found to be associated with the robust meridional heat transport associated with explosively deepening cyclones, while weaker cyclones do not exhibit a strong reduction in A Z (Black and Pezza 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic-Scale Zonal Available Potential Energy Increases in the Northern Hemisphere

Bowley

Atallah

Gyakum

2018

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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Available potential energy (APE), a measure of the energy available for conversion to kinetic energy, has been previously applied to examine changes in baroclinic instability and seasonal changes in the general circulation. Here, pathways in which the troposphere can build the reservoir of zonal available potential energy AZ on synoptic (3–10 day) time scales are explored. A climatology of AZ and its generation GZ and conversion terms are calculated from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 dataset from 1979 to 2011 for 20°–85°N. A standardized anomaly-based identification technique identifies 183 AZ buildup events, which are grouped into two event types based upon their final AZ standardized anomaly (σ) value: 1) buildup anomalous (BA) events, which exceed 1.5σ, and 2) buildup neutral (BN) events, which do not exceed 1.5σ. Increases in GZ and reductions in baroclinic conversion CA, source and sink terms for AZ, are shown to equally contribute toward increasing AZ in most seasons. A synoptic analysis of composited mass fields for winter BA events (n = 18 events) and winter BN events (n = 28 events) is performed to identify contributions to anomalously low CA and high GZ. A process of high-latitude cooling near 160°E–120°W is found for both composite event types. The cooling processes are characterized by a period of poleward moisture flux and ascent followed by an isolation of the Arctic from the midlatitude flow, resulting in enhanced GZ. Negative anomalies in CA are also diagnosed, which generally occur in regions with northerly dynamic tropopause wind anomalies and neutral to positive thickness anomalies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic-Scale Zonal Available Potential Energy Increases in the Northern Hemisphere

Bowley

Atallah

Gyakum

2018

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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A composite diagnosis in sigma coordinates of the atmospheric energy balance during intense cyclonic activity

Prezerakos¹,

Michaelides²

1989

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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Following the recent trend for composite analysis of the energetics of cyclonic systems, a rapidly deepening Saharan depression is studied within this framework. This case refers to a cyclone which was the prevailing feature in the synoptic analyses over the Mediterranean for several days in mid March 1981. This system was marked with a range of interesting phenomena over the central and eastern Mediterranean, such as very strong surface winds, rising and transportation of desert dust to large distances, and coloured precipitation. The synoptic dynamics of the evolution of the system is briefly presented and a reasoning for its unusually rapid deepening is provided.The forms of energy considered here are kinetic energy, and sensible and latent heats. The diagnostic analysis of the budgets of these forms of energy has been carried out using the sigma coordinate system. Bearing in mind the explosive nature of the cyclogenesis studied here, the analysis is separated into two parts: one associated with the deepening phase of the cyclone and the other with its filling phase. The results are presented and discussed as time-height cross-sections of the energy contents; as time-averaged vertical distributions of budget components; and as vertically averaged budgets. The analysis revealed contrasting differences in the energy budgets in each phase of the development of the system.

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Quasi‐lagrangian energetics of an intense mediterranean cyclone

Michaelides¹,

Prezerakos

Flocas

1999

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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SUMMARYStudies of the energetics of synoptic-scale systems and similar kinds of investigation have traditionally used a Eulerian framework. In this study, the energetics of a synoptic-scale system have been considered using a quasiLagrangian method, in order to isolate the disturbance under consideration within a volume which moves together with the system at each stage of its development.Applying a Lagrangian framework implies that the dimensions of the computational area can be modified on the basis of predetermined criteria. In this study, an area surrounding a depression as shown on the surface analysis, has been selected. This area moves together with the centre of the depression. The energetics results obtained using such a quasi-Lagrangian scheme are compared to those obtained by using a Eulerian framework.The synoptic-scale system studied here is a wintertime frontal depression, the greatest development of which occurred in the central Mediterranean on 7 December 1991. This depression moved east accompanied by significant temperature changes, heavy precipitation and gale force winds.

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The kinetic and available potential energy budget of a winter extratropical cyclone system

Cited by 5 publications

References 26 publications

Synoptic-Scale Zonal Available Potential Energy Increases in the Northern Hemisphere

Synoptic-Scale Zonal Available Potential Energy Increases in the Northern Hemisphere

A composite diagnosis in sigma coordinates of the atmospheric energy balance during intense cyclonic activity

Quasi‐lagrangian energetics of an intense mediterranean cyclone

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