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The k H −3 and k H −5/3 energy spectra in stratified turbulence
Author(s) -
Kitamura Y.,
Matsuda Y.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl024996
Subject(s) - physics , turbulence , mesoscale meteorology , energy cascade , troposphere , wavenumber , spectral line , spectral slope , range (aeronautics) , stratified flows , rotation (mathematics) , computational physics , stratified flow , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , geometry , optics , materials science , mathematics , astronomy , composite material
Numerical experiments of stratified turbulence are conducted with a high‐resolution nonhydrostatic Boussinesq model to investigate the energy spectrum produced by synoptic scale forcings. The spectral slope obtained in our experiment with planetary rotation is close to −3 in the synoptic scales and −5/3 in the mesoscales, as observed in the troposphere. While the vortical modes are predominant in the −3 spectral range, magnitude of the divergent modes is greater than that of the vortical ones in the −5/3 range. The downscale energy cascade associated with the divergent modes plays an important role in the formation of the mesoscale k H −5/3 spectrum. In experiments without planetary rotation, the obtained spectral slope is steeper and energy transfer to larger vertical wavenumbers is increased.