NUMERICAL STUDIES OF PLANETARY CIRCULATIONS
Abstract
The quasi-geostrophic equations of motion were integrated numerically to study the growth of baroclinic waves and the evolution of the mean zonal and mean meridional circulations in a wide channel on the Beta-plane. Starting from an initial state of constant vertical shear of the zonal wind, with zero mean zonal wind at the ground, the governing equations were integrated for periods up to 14 days. In a sequence of experiments, the influence of friction, heating and the Beta-term were successively studied. In all cases there developed a similar surface pattern of growing cyclones and anticyclones that moved respectively northeastward and southeastward, producing thereby mean westerlies in the central latitudes and easterlies in the southern and northern latitudes of the channel. In the higher atmospheric levels, a meandering west-wind maximum developed in the central latitudes and a 3cell mean meridional circulation formed, in all cases. The phase speeds and growth rates of the perturbations were compared with the results of linear theory. In a separate study, the primitive equations of motion were integrated for a one-dimensional two-level model atmosphere with a free upper surface and constant static stability. A study was made of the growth in this atmospherere, over six days, of an initially small amplitude sinusoidal disturbance. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0263158
Entities
People
- Yale Mintz
Organizations
- University of California, Los Angeles