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A diagnosis of adiabatic production and destruction of kinetic energy by the meridional and zonal motions of the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Kung E. C.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49709741105
Subject(s) - zonal and meridional , latitude , kinetic energy , atmosphere (unit) , adiabatic process , atmospheric sciences , geopotential , middle latitudes , meridional flow , environmental science , climatology , geology , physics , meteorology , geodesy , classical mechanics , thermodynamics
Adiabatic production and destruction of kinetic energy by the meridional and zonal motions of the atmosphere at different latitudes from 20° to 70°N were investigated with twice‐daily observed wind and geopotential data over North America during a one‐year period. At the lower latitudes kinetic energy is produced by the meridional motion and destroyed by the zonal motion; while in the middle and higher latitudes, functions of meridional and zonal winds are reversed. Despite the general smallness of the meridional wind, the magnitude of – v δϕ/δ y is comparable to that of – u δϕ/δ x . As the result of the characteristic latitudinal distribution of – u δϕ/δ x and – v δϕ/δ y , the resultant kinetic energy generation – V. ∇δ is maximum at the subtropical latitudes and minimum at the middle latitudes.