If you are using
Navigator 4.x
or
Internet Explorer 4.x
or
Omni Web 4.x
, this site will not render
correctly!
gfdl's home page > gfdl on-line bibliography > 1994: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 51(24), 3823-3828
On energy flux and group velocity of waves in baroclinic flows
| Chang, E. K. M., and I. Orlanski, 1994: On energy flux and group velocity of waves in baroclinic flows. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 51(24), 3823-3828. |
| Abstract: A modified energy flux is defined by adding a nondivergent
term that involves beta to the traditional energy flux. The resultant flux,
when normalized by the total eddy energy, is exactly equal to the group
velocity of Rossby waves on a beta plane with constant zonal flow. In this
study, we computed the normalized energy flux for linear wave packets in
baroclinic basic states with different vertical profiles. The results show
that the normalized energy flux is a good approximation to the group velocity
of all parts of the wave packet for the basic states examined. The extension to the nonlinear case is briefly discussed. The magnitude of the fluxes of a downstream developing wave group over the wintertime northern Pacific storm track defined by a regression analysis is computed, and the group velocity defined by the energy fluxes is found to be comparable to the group velocity of propagation of the observed wave packet. The results indicate a very strong component of downstream energy radiation, suggesting that downstream energy dispersion is very important to the evolution of waves in the storm track. |