On the Energetics of the Various Large-scale Atmospheric Disturbances

Abstract

In this article we first make a scale analysis of the four kinds of disturbances, i. e., the long waves, the north-south elongated long waves, the ultra-long waves, and the east-west elongated long waves, and then present the first approximation equations of motion for the respective disturbances. Based upon the approximation equations, we find for the north-south elongated long waves that the two energy interaction terms (the conversion of the eddy available potential energy into eddy kinetic energy, and the transfer of available potential energy from zonal mean to eddy) are two orders of magnitude larger than the other two interaction terms (the transfer of kinetic energy from eddy to zonal mean motion, and the interaction between the zonal mean kinetic energy and zonal mean available potential energy). For the ultra-long waves, however, the interaction between the zonal mean and eddy available potential energy is two orders of magnitude larger than the other three interaction terms.