Energy Budget of Wave Disturbances over the Marshall Islands During the Years of 1956 and 1958

Abstract

Based on the data in the Marshall Islands obtained in 1956 and 1958, vertical velocities and heat source associated with tropical wave disturbances are estimated and the energy transformation of the disturbances are examined. An approximate estimate of the upward transport of sensible and latent heat by small-scale convective motions is also obtained.
Eddy available potential energy is generated by the heat of condensation and is transformed to the eddy kinetic energy in the upper troposphere centered about 300mb. Energy flux is upward above the level about 300mb and downward below that level. Other terms of energy transformations such as the conversions from mean kinetic energy and from mean potential energy are one or two order of magnitude smaller than terms of generation and conversion of eddy available potential energy.
The sensible and the latent heat supplied from the sea surface is transported upward by the cumulus convecsions and strong convective transport corresponds to the upward motion of the large-scale disturbances. A non-dimensional heating parameter η(p) is also obtained and is compared with that used in theoretical studies.