Decadal Trend in Atmospheric Wave-Activity
Abstract
An apparent trend of increasing planetary wave amplitude has been detected in the upper troposphere using a novel circulation based diagnostic. Conventional wave-activity diagnostics, such as E-P flux, have provided insight about the propagation of atmospheric waves. However, computation of absolute eddy amplitude remains somewhat unclear, since it relies on the construction of a wave-free basic state. Here a new diagnostic is introduced, which utilizes the equivalent latitude transformation (the latitude given by an area preserving, axisymmetric rearrangement of a potential vorticity contour) to establish the basic state of the flow. Analysis of both UKMet and NCEP data illustrates some of the advantages of this diagnostic as well as some differences between these two reanalysis products.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFM.A13E1600S
- Keywords:
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- 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0325 Evolution of the atmosphere (1610;
- 8125);
- 0342 Middle atmosphere: energy deposition (3334);
- 0399 General or miscellaneous