Propagation of gravity wave packet near critical level

Abstract

A couple of two-dimensional linear and fully nonlinear numerical models for compressible atmosphere are used to numerically study the propagation of the gravity wave packet into a mean wind shear. For a linear propagation wave packet, the critical level interactions are in good agreement with the linear critical level theory. The dynamically and convectively unstable regions are formed due to the critical level interaction of a finite-amplitude wave packet, but they would not break. The free exchange of potential energy with kinetic energy in the background atmosphere at rest ceases after entering the mean wind shear. However, it still goes on in the nonlinear propagation. It is shown that the nonlinear effects modify the mean flow markedly, reduce the momentum and energy propagation velocity and drop the elevation of the critical level. The gravity wave packet becomes unstable and breaks down into smaller scales in some regions. It expends much more kinetic energy than potential energy in the early phase of the breakdown. This means that the wave breakdown sets up due to the action of the shear instability rather than a convective one.