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The dissipation of kinetic energy in large‐scale atmospheric circulations
Author(s) -
Smith Phillip J.,
Adhikary Sharad P.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/rg012i002p00281
Subject(s) - dissipation , kinetic energy , planetary boundary layer , scale (ratio) , atmosphere (unit) , boundary layer , atmospheric models , atmospheric sciences , atmospheric circulation , environmental science , mechanics , physics , meteorology , classical mechanics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
A concise review is given of the role of eddy processes in the dissipation of kinetic energy in large‐scale atmospheric circulations above the planetary boundary layer. A distillation of the more prominent works relevant to this problem is accomplished with the following two goals in mind: (1) to consolidate existing evidence for the presence of a dissipation maximum above the boundary layer in the so‐called ‘free’ atmosphere and (2) to provide new insight into the concept of dissipation as applied to large‐scale open atmospheric circulations.