Generalized Available Potential Energy

The kinetic energy generation in either the dry or moist atmosphere may be estimated by the same relationships if we introduce the new concept of generalized available potential energy. The largest magnitude of generalized available potential energy and corresponding reference state of either dry or moist atmosphere are calculated in terms of the mitial conditions and entropy variation of the atmosphere. The obtained relationships are applicable for the statically unstable atmosphere as well. The generalized available potential energy associated with reversible processes reaches the maximum with respect to same initial state. While the generation of kinetic energy in irreversible processes is characterized by sudden changes. When the reference state is assumed to be saturated, we may predict the final temperature and moisture fields corresponding to provided initial state and entropy variation.

Budget analysis of mesoscale available potential energy in a heavy rainfall event over the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Using model simulated data,the distribution characteristics,genesis,and impacts on precipitation of available potential energy(APE)are analyzed for a heavy rainfall event that took place over the eastern Tibetan Plateau during 10–11 July 2018.Results show that APE was mainly distributed below 4 km and within 8–14 km.The APE distribution in the upper level had a better correspondence with precipitation.Northwestern cold advection and evaporation of falling raindrops were primary factors leading to positive anomalies of APE in the lower level,while positive anomalies of APE in the upper level were caused by a combination of thermal disturbances driven by latent heat and potential temperature perturbations resulting from the orography of the Tibetan Plateau.Budget analysis of APE indicated that APE fluxes and conversion between APE and kinetic energy(KE)were the main source and sink terms.Meridional fluxes of APE and conversion of KE to APE fed the dissipation of APE in the lower level.Vertical motion enhanced by conversion of APE to KE in the upper level was the major factor that promoted precipitation evolution.A positive feedback between APE and vertical motion in the upper level generated a powerful correlation between them.Conversion of KE to APE lasted longer in the lower level,which weakened vertical motion;whereas,northwestern cold advection brought an enhanced trend to the APE,resulting in a weak correlation between APE and vertical motion.

DOMINANT PHYSICAL PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PHASE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SURFACE RAINFALL AND CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY

A lag correlation analysis is conducted with a 21-day TOGA COARE cloud-resolving model simulation data to identify the phase relation between surface rainfall and convective available potential energy (CAPE) and associated physical processes. The analysis shows that the maximum negative lag correlations between the model domain mean CAPE and rainfall occurs around lag hour 6. The minimum mean CAPE lags mean and convective rainfall through the vapor condensation and depositions,water vapor convergence,and heat divergence whereas it lags stratiform rainfall via the transport of hydrometeor concentration from convective regions to raining stratiform regions,vapor condensation and depositions,water vapor storage,and heat divergence over raining stratiform regions.

The Diabatic Heating and the Generation of Available Potential Energy: Results from NCEP Reanalysis

In the existing studies on the atmospheric energy cycle, the attention to thegeneration of available potential energy (APE) is restricted to its global mean value. Thegeographical distributions of the generation of APE and its mechanism of formation are investigatedby using the three-dimensional NCEP/NCAR diabatic heating reanalysis in this study. The results showthat the contributions from sensible heating and net radiation to the generation of zonal andtime-mean APE (G_Z) are mainly located in high and middle latitudes with an opposite sign, while thelatent heating shows a dominant effect on G_Z mainly in the tropics and high latitudes where thecontributions from the middle and upper tropospheres are also contrary to that from the lowtroposphere. In high latitudes, the G_Z is much stronger for the Winter Hemisphere than for theSummer Hemisphere, and this is consistent with the asymmetrical feature shown by the reservoir ofzonal and time-mean APE in two hemispheres, which suggests that the generation of APE plays afundamental role in maintaining the APE in the global atmospheric energy cycle. The samecontributions to the generation of stationary eddy APE (G_(SE)) from the different regions relatedto the maintenance of longitudinal temperature contrast are likely arisen by different physics.Specifically, the positive contributions to G_(SE) from the latent heating in the western tropicalPacific and from the sensible heating over land are dominated by the heating at warm regions,whereas those from the latent heating in the eastern tropical Pacific and from the sensitive heatingover the oceans are dominated by the cooling at cold regions. Thus, our findings provide anobservational estimate of the generation of eddy APE to identify the regional contributions in theclimate simulations because it might be correct for the wrong reasons in the general circulationmodel (GCM). The largest positive contributions to the generation of transient eddy APE (G_(TE)) arefound to be at middle latitudes in the middle and upper tropospheres, where reside the strong localcontributions to the baroclinic conversion from transient eddy APE to transient eddy kinetic energyand the resulting transient eddy kinetic energy.

Surface available gravitational potential energy in the world oceans

Satellite altimetry observations,including the upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission,provide snapshots of the global sea surface high anomaly field.The common practice in analyzing these surface elevation data is to convert them into surface velocity based on the geostrophic approximation.With increasing horizontal resolution in satellite observations,sea surface elevation data will contain many dynamical signals other than the geostrophic velocity.A new physical quantity,the available surface potential energy,is conceptually introduced in this study defined as the density multiplied by half of the squared deviation from the local mean reference surface elevation.This gravitational potential energy is an intrinsic property of the sea surface height field and it is an important component of ocean circulation energetics,especially near the sea surface.In connection with other energetic terms,this new variable may help us better understand the dynamics of oceanic circulation,in particular the processes in connection with the free surface data collected through satellite altimetry.The preliminary application of this concept to the numerically generated monthly mean Global Ocean Data Assimilation System data and Archiving,Validation,and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic altimeter data shows that the available surface potential energy is potentially linked to other dynamic variables,such as the total kinetic energy,eddy kinetic energy and available potential energy.

Meso-scale available gravitational potential energy in the world oceans

The pitfalls of applying the commonly used definition of available gravitational potential energy （AGPE） to the world oceans are re-examined. It is proposed that such definition should apply to the meso-scale problems in the oceans, not the global scale. Based on WOA98 climatological data, the meso-scale AGPE in the world oceans is estimated. Unlike previous results by Oort et al. , the meso-scale AGPE is large wherever there is a strong horizontal density gradient. The distribution of meso-scale AGPE reveals the close connection between the baroclinic instability and the release of gravitational potential energy stored within the scale of Rossby deformation radius.

Assessment of Several Moist Adiabatic Processes Associated with Convective Energy Calculation

Several methods dealing with the moist adiabatic process are described in this paper. They are based on static energy conservation, pseudo-equivalent potential temperature conservation, the strict pseudo- adiabatic equation, and the reversible moist adiabatic process, respectively. Convective energy parame- ters, which are closely related to the moist adiabatic process and which re?ect the gravitational e?ects of condensed liquid water, are reintroduced or de?ned, including MCAPE [Modi?ed-CAPE (convective avail- able potential energy)], DCAPE (Downdraft-CAPE), and MDCAPE (Modi?ed-Downdraft-CAPE). Two real case analyses with special attention given to condensed liquid water show that the selection of moist adiabatic process does a?ect the calculated results of CAPE and the gravitational e?ects of condensed liq- uid water are not negligible in severe storms. Intercomparisons of these methods show that static energy conservation is consistent with pseudo-equivalent potential temperature conservation not only in physical properties but also in calculated results, and both are good approximations to the strict pseudo-adiabatic equation. The lapse rate linked with the reversible moist adiabatic process is relatively smaller than that linked with other moist adiabatic processes, especially when considering solidi?cation of liquid water in the reversible adiabatic process.

The Energy Budget of a Southwest Vortex With Heavy Rainfall over South China

Energy budgets were analyzed to study the development of an eastward propagating southwest vortex (SWV) associated with heavy rainfall over southern China(11-13 June 2008).The results show that kinetic energy(KE) generation and advection were the most important KE sources,while friction and sub-grid processes were the main KE sinks.There was downward conversion from divergent to rotational wind KE consistent with the downward stretching of SWVs.The Coriolis force was important for the formation and maintenance of the SWV.Convergence was also an important factor for maintenance,as was vertical motion during the mature stage of the SWV and the formation stage of a newly formed vortex(vortex B).The conversion from available potential energy(APE) to KE of divergent wind can lead to strong convection.Vertical motion influenced APE by dynamical and thermal processes which had opposite effects. The variation of APE was related to the heavy rainfall and convection;in this case,vertical motion with direct thermal circulation was the most important way in which APE was released,while latent heat release and vertical temperature advection were important for APE generation.

The development of a powerful Mongolian cyclone on 14-15 March 2021:Eddy energy analysis

Intense and extensive dust,caused by a strong Mongolian cyclone,hit Mongolia and northern China on 14-15 March 2021.In this study,the development process of this cyclone is analysed from the perspective of highfrequency eddy energetics.During the low-frequency circulation field of early March of 2021,an amplified polar vortex intruding towards central Asia and a ridge straddling eastern and northeastern Asia worked in concert to comprise a strong baroclinic zone from central Asia to Lake Baikal.Under these favourable conditions,on 13 March,a migratory trough triggered the Mongolian cyclone by crossing over the Sayan Mountains.The downwards transfer of kinetic energy from the eddy at 850 hPa played a key role in the intensification and mature stage of the cyclone.This mechanism was primarily completed by the cold air sinking behind the cold front.The frontal cyclone wave mechanism became crucial once the cyclone started to rapidly develop.The authors emphasize that the anomalously large growth of high-frequency available potential energy,which characterized this super strong cyclone,was obtained by extracting energy first from the time-mean available potential energy and then from the low-frequency available potential energy.The interannual temperature anomaly pattern of"north cold south warm"facilitated the additional time-mean available potential energy,and the temperature anomaly pattern of"northwest cold southeast warm"conditioned the extra low-frequency available potential energy.The analysis results suggest that the interaction between high-and low-frequency waves was also important in the development of the intense cyclone.

Study on Internal Waves Generated by Tidal Flow over Critical Topography

Resonance due to critical slope makes the internal wave generation more effectively than that due to supercritical or subcritical slopes(Zhang et al., 2008). Submarine ridges make a greater contribution to ocean mixing than continental margins in global oceans(Müller, 1977; Bell, 1975; Baines, 1982; Morozov, 1995). In this paper, internal wave generation driven by tidal flow over critical topography is examined in laboratory using Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV) and synthetic schlieren methods in synchrony. Non-tidal baroclinic velocities and vertical isopycnal displacements are observed in three representative regions, i.e., critical, outward-propagating, and reflection regions. Temporal and spatial distributions of internal wave rays are analyzed using the time variations of baroclinic velocities and vertical isopycnal displacement, and the results are consistent with those by the linear internal wave theory. Besides, the width of wave beam changes with the outward propagation of internal waves. Finally, through monitoring the uniformly-spaced 14 vertical profiles in the x-z plane, the internal wave fields of density and velocity fields are constructed. Thus, available potential energy, kinetic energy and energy fluxes are determined quantitatively. The distributions of baroclinic energy and energy fluxes are confined along the internal wave rays. The total depth averaged energy and energy flux of vertical profiles away from a ridge are both larger than those near the ridge.

Precipitation efficiency and its relationship to physical factors

The precipitation efficiency and its relationship to physical factors are examined by analyzing a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulation during TOGA COARE in this study. The basic physical factors include convective avail- able potential energy, water-vapor convergence, vertical wind shear, cloud ratio, sea surface temperature, air temperature, and precipitable water. Precipitation efficiencies do not show a close relationship to air temperature nor to sea surface tem- perature nor to precipitable water. The precipitation efficiency increases as the water-vapor convergence rate increases and vertical wind shear weakens, whereas it decreases as the convective available potential energy dissipates and anvil clouds develop.

Analysis and Comparison of Mesoscale Convective Systems over the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau

A series of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) occurred daily over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau during 25–28 July 1995. In this paper, their physical characteristics and evolutions based on infrared satellite imagery, their largescale meteorological conditions, and convective available potential energy (CAPE) are analyzed. It is found that similar diurnal evolution is present in all these MCSs. Their initial convective activities became active at noon LST by solar heating, and then built up rapidly. They formed and reached a peak in the early evening hours around 1800 LST and then abated gradually. Among them, the strongest and largest is the MCS on 26 July, which developed under the conditions of the great upper-level nearly-circular Qinghai-Xizang anticyclonic high and driven by the strong low-level thermal forcing and conditional instability. All these conditions are intimately linked with the thermal effects of the plateau itself. So its development was mainly associated with the relatively pure thermal effects peculiar to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The next strongest one is the MCS on 28 July, which was affected notably by the baroclinic zone linked with the westerly trough. There are different features and development mechanisms between these two strongest MCSs.

The Effect of Surface Friction on the Development of Tropical Cyclones

When tropical cyclones （hereafter referred as TCs） are over the ocean, surface friction plays a dual role in the development of TCs. Prom the viewpoint of water vapor supply, frictional convergence and Ekman pumping provide a source of moisture for organized cumulus convection and is propitious to the spin-up of TCs. On the other hand, surface friction leads to a dissipation of kinetic energy that impedes the intensification of TCs. Which role is dominant in the developing stage of TCs is a controversial issue. In the present work, the influence of surface friction on the growth of TCs is re-examined in detail by conducting two sets of numerical experiments initialized with different cyclonic disturbances. Results indicate that, because of the inherent complexities of TCs, the impact of surface friction on the evolution of TCs can not be simply boiled down to being positive or negative. In the case that a TC starts from a low-level vortex with a warm core, surface friction and the resultant vertical motion makes an important contribution to the convection in the early developing stage of the TC by accelerating the build-up of convective available potential energy （CAPE） and ensuring moisture supply and the lifting of air parcels. This effect is so prominent that it dominates the friction-induced dissipation and makes surface friction a facilitative factor in the spin-up of the TC. However, for a TC formed from a mesoscale convective vortex （MCV） spawned in a long-lasting mesoscale convective system （MCS）, the initial fields, and especially the low-level humidity and cold core, enable the prerequisites of convection （i.e., conditional instability, moisture, and lifting）, to be easily achieved even without the help of boundary-layer pumping induced by surface friction. Accordingly, the reliance of the development of TCs on surface friction is not as heavy as that derived from a lowlevel vortex. The positive effect of surface friction on the development of TCs realized through facilitating favorable conditions for convection is nearly cancelled out by the friction-induced dissipation. However, as SST is enhanced in the latter case, the situation may be changed, and different development speeds may emerge between model TCs with and without surface friction considered. In short, owing to the fact that TC development is a complicated process affected by many factors such as initial perturbations, SST, etc., the importance of surface friction to the intensification of TCs may vary enormously from case to case.

Construction of the Forecast System of Classified Severe Convection Weather in Qinghai Province Based on Ingredients-based Method

Based on the data of the cases of severe convection weather such as hail,thunderstorm(thunderstorm gale)and short-time heavy precipitation in recent 10 years,the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of different types of severe convection weather were analyzed.The results show that the frequency of severe convection weather tended to increase,of which short-time heavy precipitation and thunderstorm weather rose,and hail and thunderstorm gale weather decreased.Severe convection weather began to extend in late spring and early autumn.Typical cases were selected to analyze the evolution mechanism,and the conceptual models of severe convective weather caused by cold advection forcing,warm advection forcing and baroclinic frontogenesis were obtained.The key predictors for the potential prediction of severe convection weather were proposed,such as CAPE(convective available potential energy)for hail weather,UH index(maximum ascending helicity)for thunderstorm gale and PWV(precipitable water vapor)for short-time heavy precipitation.ERA5 data were used to get the forecast threshold of the key factor of classified severe convection weather,and it was verified that the threshold was available.Meanwhile,the causes of the error of failure cases were analyzed.For instance,the larger deviation of CAPE was caused by the 2 m deviation of temperature.Supplementary correction method and threshold were given to provide a reference for the objective forecast and early warning of severe convection weather.

Energy Budgets on the Interactions between the Mean and Eddy Flows during a Persistent Heavy Rainfall Event over the Yangtze River Valley in Summer 2010

In this study,a persistent heavy rainfall event（PHRE） that lasted for around 9 days（from 0000 UTC 17 to0000 UTC 26 June 2010） and caused accumulated precipitation above 600 mm over the Yangtze River valley,was reasonably reproduced by the advanced research WRF model.Based on the simulation,a set of energy budget equations that divided the real meteorological field into the mean and eddy flows were calculated so as to understand the interactions between the precipitation-related eddy flows and their background circulations（BCs）.The results indicated that the precipitation-related eddy flows interacted with their BCs intensely during the PHRE.At different layers,the energy cycles showed distinct characteristics.In the upper troposphere,downscaled energy cascade processes appeared,which favored the maintenance of upper-level eddy flows;whereas,a baroclinic energy conversion,which reduced the upper-level jet,also occurred.In the middle troposphere,significant upscaled energy cascade processes,which reflect the eddy flows＇ reactionary effects on their BCs,appeared.These effects cannot be ignored with respect to the BCs＇ evolution,and the reactionary effects were stronger in the dynamical field than in the thermodynamical field.In the lower troposphere,a long-lived quasi-stationary lower-level shear line was the direct trigger for the PHRE.The corresponding eddy flows were sustained mainly through the baroclinic energy conversion associated with convection activities.Alongside this,the downscaled energy cascade processes of kinetic energy,which reflect the direct influences of BCs on the precipitation-related eddy flows,were also favorable.A downscaled energy cascade of exergy also appeared in the lower troposphere,which favored the precipitation-related eddy flow indirectly via the baroclinic energy conversion.

Environmental Influences on the Intensity Change of Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific

The atmospheric and oceanic conditions are examined during different stages of the lifecycle of western North Pacific tropical cyclones （TCs）, with the intention to understand how the environment affects the intensity change of TCs in this area. It is found that the intensification usually occurs when the underlying sea surface temperature （SST） is higher than 26℃. TCs usually experience a rapid intensification when the SST is higher than 27.5℃ while lower than 29.5℃. However, TCs decay or only maintain its intensity when the SST is lower than 26℃. The intensifying TCs usually experience a low-to-moderate vertical wind shear （2-10 m s-l）. The larger the vertical wind shear, the slower the TCs strengthen. In addition, the convective available potential energy （CAPE） is much smaller in the developing stage than in the formation stage of TCs. For the rapidly intensifying TCs, the changes of SST, CAPE, and vertical wind shear are usually small, indicating that the rapid intensification of TCs occurs when the evolution of the environment is relatively slow.

Cold Air Activities in July 2004 and Its Impact on Intense Rainfalls over Southwest China

The severe rainfall events in the mid-summer of July 2004 and the roles of cold air in the formation of heavy precipitation are investigated by using daily observational precipitation data of China and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. The results show that the severe rainfalls in Southwest China are closely related to the cold air activities from the mid-high latitudes, and the events take place under the cooperative effects of mid-high latitude circulation and low latitude synoptic regimes. It is the merging of a cold vortex over mid-latitudes with the northward landing typhoon and eastward Southwest China Vortex, as well as the abrupt transformation from a transversal trough into an upright one that causes three large alterations of mid-high atmospheric circulation respectively in the early and middle ten days of this month. Then, the amplitude of long waves soon magnifies, leading to the unusual intrusion of cold air to low-latitude areas in the mid-summer. Meanwhile, the warm and humid southwest summer monsoon is quite active. The strong interactions of cold air and summer monsoon over Southwest China result in the large-scale convective rainfalls on the southern side of cold air. With regard to the activities of cold air, it can influence rainfalls in three prominent ways. Firstly, the incursion of upper-level cold air is often accompanied by partial southerly upper-level jet. The ascending branch of the corresponding secondary circulation, which is on the left front side of the jet center, provides the favorite dynamic upward motion for the rainfalls. Secondly, the southward movement of cold air contributes to the establishment of atmospheric baroclinic structure, which would lead to baroclinic disturbances. The atmospheric disturbances associated with the intrusion of cold air can destroy the potential instability stratification, release the convective available potential energy （CAPE） and finally cause convective activities. In addition, the advection processes of dry and cold air at the upper level along with the advection of humid and warm air at the lower level are rather significant for the reestablishment of potential instability in the precipitation area, which is one of the crucial factors contributing to persistent rainfalls.

Sensitivity of Lake-Effect Convection to the Lake Surface Temperature over Poyang Lake in China

In this study, high-resolution weather research and forecasting(WRF) simulations are used to explore the sensitivity of lake-effect convection over Poyang Lake(PL) to the change of lake surface temperature(LST). A control experiment(CTR) with climate mean LST(303 K) is compared with six sensitivity experiments(CTR-1/2/3K and CTR+1/2/3K) in which the LSTs are set based on the mean LST difference of 6 K between the maximum and minimum. The results show that the CTR experiment reasonably reproduces the lake-effect convection, and the lake-effect convection in sensitivity experiments is significantly influenced by the LST. With the increase of LST, the initiation time of the lake-effect convection is advanced gradually, while the initiation location moves PL from its shore.The lake-effect convection strengthens(weakens) in the increase-temperature CTR+1/2/3K(decrease-temperature CTR-1/2/3K) experiments, but the lake-effect convection does not monotonically strengthen with the LST, for the strongest one occurring in the CTR+1K experiment. The corresponding diagnostic analysis shows that the upward sensible heat flux and latent heat flux over PL increase with the LST, resulting in the enhancement of the lake-land breeze and the enlargement of the convective available potential energy(CAPE). This is the main reason for the changes in the initiation time and location, as well as the intensity of lake-effect convection in different experiments.In addition, the non-monotonous variation of the level of free convection, which is mainly induced by the non-monotonous variation of the lifting condensation level, is responsible for the non-monotonous variation of the lake-effect convection intensity with the LST.