Open AccessThe vortical response to penetrative convection and the associated gravity‐wave generation
Author(s) -
Lane Todd P.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.167
Subject(s) - baroclinity , convection , vorticity , gravity wave , physics , wavelength , mechanics , potential vorticity , vortex , overshoot (microwave communication) , geophysics , thermal , wave packet , gravitational wave , geology , meteorology , astrophysics , optics , computer science , telecommunications , quantum mechanics
This study documents the vortical motions that arise due to penetrative convective updraughts. Using an idealized axisymmetric model of dry thermals it is shown that in a stable environment the baroclinic generation of vorticity forms a circulation that opposes updraught overshoot and manifests the first signature of gravity waves emanating from the thermal. Continued baroclinic generation of vorticity of oscillating sign completes the first full wavelength and populates the wave packet. These examples provide an alternate description of the generation of gravity waves by penetrative convection and provide further insight into the morphology of the wave source Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society