Effect of non-local near-resonant interactions of Rossby waves on formation of large-scale zonal flows in unforced two-dimensional turbulence on rotating sphere

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of nonlinear interactions of Rossby waves on large-scale zonal flow formation in two-dimensional turbulence on a rotating sphere. The coefficients of nonlinear interactions are first calculated. Then, the non-local, near-resonant, and non-local near-resonant interactions are investigated in detail. The results show that the formation of large-scale westward circumpolar zonal flows is directly caused by non-local energy transfer due to the three-wave near-resonant interactions of Rossby waves.