Kerr, Robert M. and King, G. P.. (2009) Evidence for a mid-latitude, mesoscale downscale energy cascade from the marine boundary layer. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences . pp. 1-33. ISSN 0022-4928

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The third-order longitudinal velocity structure function SLLL and the longitudinal and transverse second order structure functions SLL (r) and ST T (r) are determined for the marine boundary layer over the Pacific Ocean. The velocities are the 10 meter equivalent neutral winds inferred from measurements of radar backscatter by the scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite. The sign of SLLL is used to infer the direction of the energy cascade, with SLLL < 0 indicating a down-scale energy cascade and SLLL > 0 indicating an upscale energy cascade. This is analogous to how SLLL would behave in three- and two- dimensional turbulence respectively, but does not imply that either of these dynamical systems is completely applicable. In order to distinguish different geophysical effects, the analysis of structure functions is divided into latitudinal and longitudinal boxes. In this paper we concentrate on mid-latitude and mid-longitudes over the North Pacific Ocean, because these boxes were found to be least influenced by the equatorial waveguide and large sea surface temperature gradients. The overall conclusion is that for scales r less than 1000 km SLLL < 0 is favored, while for r greater than 1000 km, SLLL > 0 is favored. In this sense the results are consistent with upper tropospheric aircraft measurements and recent numerical results for the developing theory of stratified, rotating tur- bulence.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Engineering
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Publisher:	American Meteorological Society
ISSN:	0022-4928
Date:	2009
Number of Pages:	33
Page Range:	pp. 1-33
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/46469

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item