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2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

FORMATION MECHANISM OF STORM TRACKS AND THEIR FEEDBACK EFFECTS TO THE TIME-MEAN CIRCULATION

Research Project

Project/Area Number 12640417
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
Research InstitutionKYOTO UNIVERSITY (2002)
Hokkaido University (2000-2001)

Principal Investigator

MUKOUGAWA Hitoshi  DISASTER PREVENTION RESEARCH INSTITUTE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 防災研究所, 助教授 (20261349)

Project Period (FY) 2000 – 2002
Keywordsstorm track / baroclinic disturbance / planetary wave / time-mean circulation / extratropical SST distribution / diabetic heating / atmospheric general circulation model
Research Abstract

In the wintertime northern hemispheric circulations, storm tracks where the activity of synoptic-scale disturbances is enhanced in the extratropical troposphere are zonally localized over the Pacific and the Atlantic. However, the dynamical mechanism of the zonally localization of storm tracks has not been fully established. Their role on the formation of the time-mean tropospheric circulation is also controversial. In particular, the relevance of extratropical sea surface temperature (SST) distribution to the storm track formation, which is central to understand the dynamics of decadal climate variability remains unclear. In this study, we proceeded a series of long-term integration of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) (CCSR/NIES AGCM with horizontal resolution of T42 and 20 vertical levels) to reveal the dynamics of storm track and its feedback onto the time-mean circulation. The numerical experiments were conducted under a perpetual January condition without topography by specifying idealized land-sea and SST distribution. The following results were obtained:
1 In the absence of topographically forced Rossby waves, the zonal asymmetry of the low-level baroclinicity formed by the underlying SST distribution is indispensable to localize the storm, while that in the upper tropospheric circulation, such as subtropical jet and barotropic energy conversion, plays only a secondary role.
2 The zonal asymmetry of the low-level baroclinicity is maintained by stationary planetary waves forced by the diabatic heating distribution associated with the storm track.
3 Thus, the positive feedback mechanism between synoptic-scale eddies and planetary waves through the diabatic heating plays the most important role in localizing the storm track in the zonal direction.

  • Research Products

    (12 results)

All Other

All Publications (12 results)

  • [Publications] Mukougawa, H., M.Abe: "Multiple zonal flow regimes in a two-layer model"Tohoku Geophysical Journal, The Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University. 36. 200-206 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M. et al.: "Stationary eddy response to surface boundary forcing : Idealized GCM experiments"Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 59・11. 1898-1915 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M. et al.: "Tropical and extratropical SST effects on the midlatitude storm track"Journal of Meteorological Society of Japan. 80・4B. 1069-1076 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Arai, M., H.Mukougawa: "On the effectiveness of the eddy straining mechanism for the maintenance of blocking flows"Journal of Meteorological Society of Japan. 80・4B. 1089-1102 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M. et al.: "Atmospheric response to zonal variations in mid-latitude SST : Transient and stationary eddies and their feedback"Journal of Climate. (in press). (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M. et al.: "On the localization of strong wind shear and storm tracks in an idealized AGCM"Bulletin of the Research Center for North Eurasia and North Pacific Regions, Hokkaido University. (in press). (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Mukougawa, H., M. Abe: "Multiple zonal flow regimes in a two-layer model"Tohoku Geophysical Journal, The Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University. 36. 200-206 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M., H. Mukougawa, S. -P. Xie: "Stationary eddy response to surface boundary forcing: Idealized GCM experiments"Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 59(11). 1898-1915 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M., H. Mukougawa, S. -P. Xie: "Tropical and extratropical SST effects on the midlatitude storm track"Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. 80(4B). 1069-1076 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Arai, M., H. Mukogawa: "On the effectiveness of the eddy straining mechanism for the maintenance of blocking flows"Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. 80(4B). 1089-1102 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M., H. Mukougawa, S. -P. Xie: "Atmospheric response to zonal variations in mid-latitude SST: Transient and stationary eddies and their feedback"Journal of Climate. in press.. (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Inatsu, M., H. Mukougawa, S. -P. Xie: "On the localization of strong wind shear and storm tracks in an idealized AGCM"Bulletin of the Research Center for North Eurasia and North Pacific Regions. Hokkaido University.. in press.. (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2004-04-14  

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