Linear simulation of the stationary eddies in a general circulation model. Part I. The no-mountain model

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1986)043<2944:LSOTSE>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6130851

Nigam, S; Held, I M; Lyons, S W

The quantitative validity of linear stationary wave theory is examined by comparing the results from a linear primitive equation model on the sphere with the stationary eddies produced by a general circulation model (GCM). The GCM simulated has a flat lower boundary, so that the stationary eddies can be thought of as forced by heating (sensible, latent and radiative) and time-averaged transient eddy flux convergences. Orographic forcing is examined in the second part of this study. The distribution of the diabatic heating and transient eddy flux convergences and the zonally symmetric basic state are taken directly from the GCM's climatology for Northern winter (DJF). Strong Rayleigh friction is included in the linear model wherever the zonal mean wind is small, as well as near the surface. The linear model is found to simulate the stationary eddy pattern of the GCM with considerable skill in both midlatitudes and the tropics. Some deficiencies include the inaccurate simulation of the upper tropospheric geopotential over North America and distortion of the wind field near the low-level zero-wind line in the subtropics. Decomposition of the linear solution shows that 1) the extratropical upper tropospheric eddy pattern generated by tropical forcing is significant but smaller than that due to extratropical forcing, 2) the upper-level extratropical pattern deteriorates somewhat when forcing by transients is removed, while the low-level pattern deteriorates dramatically and 3) there is considerable compensation between the effects of low-level thermal transients and extratropical sensible heating, to the point that the authors argue that this decomposition is not physically meaningful. The sensitivity of the results to the Rayleigh friction formulation is discussed, as is the effect of replacing the transients with thermal damping.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
• OSTI ID: 6130851
• Journal Information: J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Atmos. Sci.; (United States) Vol. 43:23; ISSN JAHSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
CLIMATES
EVALUATION
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SIMULATION
WIND