Mean Flow Advection Research Articles

Moisture Dependence of an African Easterly Wave Within the West African Monsoon System

AbstractThe growth and propagation of African easterly waves (AEWs) remains an active area of research, especially for those that become tropical cyclones (TCs). This is partly due to the complex role of moisture, realized through AEW‐convection interactions. The goal of this study is to understand how environmental moisture plays a role in influencing the growth and propagation of a case of an AEW‐convection system, that became a TC and how that role relates to the West African Monsoon System. Moisture sensitivity experiments were performed in a regional and convection‐permitting novel configuration. It is found that in a moister environment, diabatic heating associated with convection coupled to the wave is shallower, ultimately, weakening the wave amplitude. Energetics are reduced in a moister environment as the African easterly jet strengthens, yet narrows, and shifts northward limiting interaction with the monsoon and the wave‐convection system. The more intense monsoonal flow in a moister environment can instigate the decoupling between convection and AEW as deep convection is more likely in the ridge rather than in the trough region. Over western Africa, more continuous rainfall over the Guinea Highlands can inhibit phase locking with the AEW. In a moister environment, the mean zonal flow is weaker and as a result, the westward translation speed of the wave due to mean flow advection is slower than in the other experiments. While the mean flow advection dominates the translation, further differences in phase speed arise from differences in convection within the wave.

One‐Minute Resolution GOES‐R Observations of Lamb and Gravity Waves Triggered by the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Eruptions on 15 January 2022

AbstractWe use high temporal‐resolution mesoscale imagery from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite‐R (GOES‐R) series to track the Lamb and gravity waves generated by the 15 January 2022 Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai eruption. The 1‐min cadence of these limited area (∼1,000×1,000 km2) brightness temperatures ensures an order of magnitude better temporal sampling than full‐disk imagery available at 10‐min or 15‐min cadence. The wave patterns are visualized in brightness temperature image differences, which represent the time derivative of the full waveform with the level of temporal aliasing being determined by the imaging cadence. Consequently, the mesoscale data highlight short‐period variations, while the full‐disk data capture the long‐period wave packet envelope. The full temperature anomaly waveform, however, can be reconstructed reasonably well from the mesoscale waveform derivatives. The reconstructed temperature anomaly waveform essentially traces the surface pressure anomaly waveform. The 1‐min imagery reveals waves with ∼40–80 km wavelengths, which trail the primary Lamb pulse emitted at ∼04:29 UTC. Their estimated propagation speed is ∼315 ± 15 m s−1, resulting in typical periods of 2.1–4.2 min. Weaker Lamb waves were also generated by the last major eruption at ∼08:40–08:45 UTC, which were, however, only identified in the near field but not in the far field. We also noted wind effects such as mean flow advection in the propagation of concentric gravity wave rings and observed gravity waves traveling near their theoretical maximum speed.

Dynamical processes controlling the evolution of early-summer cut-off lows in Northeast Asia

Cut-off lows are crucial extratropical circulation systems that can bring weather extremes over large areas, but the mechanism responsible for the life cycle of cut-off lows remains elusive. From a perspective of regional eddy-mean flow interaction, this study investigates the dynamical processes controlling the evolution of early-summer cut-off lows over Northeast Asia using the 6-hourly reanalysis data. Through the diagnostic of local wave activity (LWA) budget, we show that the cut-off low is initialized by a Rossby wave train originated from the subpolar North Atlantic, and then reinforced rapidly by zonal LWA flux convergence and local baroclinic eddy generation, and eventually decayed through energy dispersion by zonal wave activity advection. Furthermore, we show that the evolutions of the above dynamical processes are strongly modulated by the changes of background flow. In early summer, Northeast Asia is located at the eastern exit of the midlatitude jet to the north of the subtropical jet and exhibits a weak meridional gradient of potential vorticity, which favors frequent formation of cyclonic anomaly and energy accumulation. Prior to the onset of cut-off lows by several days, a Rossby wave train propagates along the Eurasian midlatitude jet, which initializes a cyclonic anomaly over Northeast Asia. With the aid of mean flow advection of anomalous zonal momentum, the zonal winds are then decelerated at the midlatitude jet exit and accelerated at the subtropical jet center. The former obstructs the wave packet proceeding downstream and the latter favors stronger baroclinic eddy generation below the subtropical jet. The two processes together maintain and strengthen the cyclonic anomaly in Northeast Asia rapidly.

Generation of zonal flows in convective systems by travelling thermal waves

Abstract

Spiral defect chaos in Rayleigh-Bénard convection: Asymptotic and numerical studies of azimuthal flows induced by rotating spirals

Spiral defect chaos appears near the onset of Rayleigh-B\'enard convection for a low Prandtl number fluid. In this state, rotating spirals are continuously nucleated and eliminated, yielding a persistent dynamics. Here we derive an equation for the azimuthal flow induced by an effective body force originating from rotating spirals. This result is verified numerically using a two-dimensional generalized Swift-Hohenberg model and the three-dimensional Boussinesq equations. We identify a correlation between the appearance of spiral defect chaos and the balance between mean-flow advection and diffusive dynamics related to roll unwinding.

Decomposing Barotropic Transport Variability in a High‐Resolution Model of the North Atlantic Ocean

AbstractA method using a linear shallow water model is presented for decomposing the temporal variability of the barotropic stream function in a high‐resolution ocean model. The method is based on the vertically averaged momentum equations and is applied to the time series of annual mean stream function from the model configuration VIKING20 for the northern North Atlantic. An important result is the role played by the nonlinear advection terms in VIKING20 for driving transport. The method is illustrated by examining how the Gulf Stream transport in the recirculation region responds to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). While no statistically significant response is found in the year overlapping with the winter NAO index, there is a tendency for the Gulf Stream transport to increase as the NAO becomes more positive. This becomes significant in lead years 1 and 2 when the mean flow advection and eddy momentum flux contributions, associated with nonlinear momentum advection, dominate. Only after 2 years, does the potential energy term, associated with the density field, start to play a role and it is only after 5 years that the transport dependence on the NAO ceases to be significant. It is also shown that the potential energy contribution to the transport stream function has significant memory of up to 5 years in the Labrador and Irminger Seas. However, it is only around the northern rim of these seas that VIKING20 and the transport reconstruction exhibit similar memory. This is due to masking by the mean flow advection and eddy momentum flux contributions.

Modelling and prediction of the peak-radiated sound in subsonic axisymmetric air jets using acoustic analogy-based asymptotic analysis.

This paper uses asymptotic analysis within the generalized acoustic analogy formulation (Goldstein 2003 JFM 488, 315-333. (doi:10.1017/S0022112003004890)) to develop a noise prediction model for the peak sound of axisymmetric round jets at subsonic acoustic Mach numbers (Ma). The analogy shows that the exact formula for the acoustic pressure is given by a convolution product of a propagator tensor (determined by the vector Green's function of the adjoint linearized Euler equations for a given jet mean flow) and a generalized source term representing the jet turbulence field. Using a low-frequency/small spread rate asymptotic expansion of the propagator, mean flow non-parallelism enters the lowest order Green's function solution via the streamwise component of the mean flow advection vector in a hyperbolic partial differential equation. We then address the predictive capability of the solution to this partial differential equation when used in the analogy through first-of-its-kind numerical calculations when an experimentally verified model of the turbulence source structure is used together with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solutions for the jet mean flow. Our noise predictions show a reasonable level of accuracy in the peak noise direction at Ma = 0.9, for Strouhal numbers up to about 0.6, and at Ma = 0.5 using modified source coefficients. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Moreover, the prediction range can be extended beyond unity Strouhal number by using an approximate composite asymptotic formula for the vector Green's function that reduces to the locally parallel flow limit at high frequencies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Frontiers of aeroacoustics research: theory, computation and experiment'.

Eddy‐Induced Transport of Saline Kuroshio Water Into the Northern South China Sea

AbstractTo better understand eddy‐induced heat and salt transport, a targeted joint hydrographic investigation focusing on an anticyclonic eddy was carried out in July 2017 in the northern South China Sea. In situ and satellite observations together with Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) output show the transport of subsurface saline Kuroshio water into the northern South China Sea by an anticyclonic eddy. Subsurface high‐salinity cores are consistent with the anticyclonic eddy centers. The transport of saline Kuroshio water occurs in two stages accompanied by eddy shedding. First, saline Kuroshio water is trapped within the anticyclonic eddy at its generation location. Then, although the salinity within the eddy gradually weakens as the eddy carries the saline water westward, the quantity of saline water (>34.70 psu) shows a sharp increase, dominated by eddy‐induced salinity advection. A diagnosis of the salinity budget further confirms that the contribution of eddy flow advection is greater than that of mean flow advection. The saline Kuroshio water is trapped and conveyed in this anticyclonic eddy, providing vital evidence and important implications for eddy‐induced salt transport and water exchange.

A simple predictive model for the eddy propagation trajectory in the northern South China Sea

Abstract. A novel predictive model was built for eddy propagation trajectory using the multiple linear regression method. This simple model relates various oceanic parameters to eddy propagation position changes in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). These oceanic parameters mainly represent the effects of β and mean flow advection on the eddy propagation. The performance of the proposed model has been examined in the NSCS based on five years of satellite altimeter data and demonstrates its significant forecasting skills over a 4-week forecast window compared to the traditional persistence method. It was also found that the model forecasting accuracy is sensitive to eddy polarity and the forecast season.

Challenges in Modeling of Turbulence in the Tip Region of Axial Turbomachines

The flow and turbulence in turbomachines are characterized by spatially and temporally nonuniform strain rate fields and tendency to develop partially understood large-scale instabilities. Consequently, the applicability of popular Reynolds stress models in Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations of turbomachinery flows is questionable and requires validation under relevant conditions. Experimental studies performed in the Johns Hopkins University optical refractive index-matched facility have investigated the complex flow and turbulence in the blade tip region of several axial turbomachines, including two waterjet pumps and an aviation compressor. The comprehensive databases obtained for different flow conditions and tip geometry using high-resolution particle image velocimetry are used in this article to examine the characteristics of turbulence in the vicinity of the tip leakage vortex (TLV). The results reveal several common features in the spatial distribution of the extremely anisotropic Reynolds stress tensor, suggesting that there are similarities in the mechanisms involved among the different machines. Of the quantities that could be measured accurately, both the local production and mean-flow advection rates appear to govern the evolution of turbulence in the passage. The dissipation rate also appears to be a major factor, but it cannot be measured accurately because of its dependence on motions at small scales that are not resolved by the measurements. The turbulent transport terms are important only in limited cases and locations. The strain rate tensor components, which appear to play primary roles in the production of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), display common features in the spatial distributions of regions with high contraction, extension, and shear under different conditions. Some but not all of the inhomogeneity and anisotropy in the distributions of Reynolds stresses can be related to the corresponding local production rates. There is disagreement near the TLV core, where the persistent presence of multiple interacting vortices contributes significantly to the elevated TKE there. Lack of a clear functional correlation between the Reynolds stresses and mean strain rates is ubiquitous in all cases, resulting in widely spatially varying positive and negative values for the eddy viscosity. However, surprisingly, results from different machines and conditions have similar spatial distributions of individual stress and strain rate components and, accordingly, the eddy viscosity.

Lagrangian network analysis of turbulent mixing

A temporal complex network-based approach is proposed as a novel formulation to investigate turbulent mixing from a Lagrangian viewpoint. By exploiting a spatial proximity criterion, the dynamics of a set of fluid particles is geometrized into a time-varying weighted network. Specifically, a numerically solved turbulent channel flow is employed as an exemplifying case. We show that the time-varying network is able to clearly describe the particle swarm dynamics, in a parametrically robust and computationally inexpensive way. The network formalism enables us to straightforwardly identify transient and long-term flow regimes, the interplay between turbulent mixing and mean flow advection and the occurrence of proximity events among particles. Thanks to their versatility and ability to highlight significant flow features, complex networks represent a suitable tool for Lagrangian investigations of turbulent mixing. The present application of complex networks offers a powerful resource for Lagrangian analysis of turbulent flows, thus providing a further step in building bridges between turbulence research and network science.

Near-equatorial tropical cyclone formation in western North Pacific: peak season and controlling parameter

The near-equatorial (0°–5°N) tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) exhibit distinctive seasonal variability, with a peak in the boreal winter, as opposite to that in the main TC development region over the WNP. The mechanism behind such a distinctive annual evolution is investigated through the diagnosis of the genesis potential index (GPI). By isolating the effect of various environmental parameters, we found that the increase of the near-equatorial GPI in the boreal winter is primarily attributed by the low-level absolute vorticity. As the season progresses from the boreal summer to winter, the northeasterly trade wind turns anticlockwise near the equator, leading to maximum low-level cyclonic vorticity near 5°N. In addition, the mean flow advection also plays a role in “allowing” more time for perturbations to grow in the near-equatorial zone in DJFMAM than in JASO. The seasonal changes of other environmental conditions, such as relative humidity and sea surface temperature, are not as critical. While the effect of area-averaged vertical wind shear is small due to the opposite signs between western and eastern sectors of the WNP in the boreal winter, a moderate vertical shear over 140–160°E, 2–5°N may favor the development of TC-like disturbances in the region. Our analysis results suggest that dynamic parameters are more important for the formation of near-equatorial TCs.

Generation of Inflow Turbulence in Large-Eddy Simulations of Nonneutral Atmospheric Boundary Layers with the Cell Perturbation Method

Realistic multiscale simulations involve coupling of mesoscale and large-eddy simulation (LES) models, thus requiring efficient generation of turbulence in nested LES domains. Herein, we extend our previous work on the cell perturbation (CP) method to nonneutral atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). A modified Richardson number scaling is proposed to determine the amplitude of the potential temperature perturbations in stable ABLs, with [Formula: see text] −1.0 overall providing optimum turbulence transition to a fully developed state (fetch reduced by a factor of 4–5, compared to the unperturbed cases). In the absence of perturbations, turbulence onset is triggered by a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, typically occurring in the vicinity of the low-level jet maximum. It is found that a turbulent length scale [Formula: see text] can be used to more accurately estimate the optimum [Formula: see text], where q is the turbulence kinetic energy, and N is the Brunt–Väisälä frequency. In convective ABLs, a perturbation amplitude based on mixed layer temperature variance scaling is proposed: [Formula: see text]. For that criterion to be optimum, the ratio [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the wind speed at the top of the capping inversion, and [Formula: see text] is the convective velocity scale, needs to be incorporated: [Formula: see text]. This allows us to account for the competing roles of the surface thermal instability and the mean flow advection. For [Formula: see text] 10, the development fetch is reduced by a factor of [Formula: see text]6, while when [Formula: see text] 3, the use of the CP method does not provide a significant advantage in the ability to generate turbulence, provided a smooth mesoscale inflow.

Turbulence Statistics in a Two-Dimensional Vortex Condensate.

Disentangling the evolution of a coherent mean-flow and turbulent fluctuations, interacting through the nonlinearity of the Navier-Stokes equations, is a central issue in fluid mechanics. It affects a wide range of flows, such as planetary atmospheres, plasmas, or wall-bounded flows, and hampers turbulence models. We consider the special case of a two-dimensional flow in a periodic box, for which the mean flow, a pair of box-size vortices called "condensate," emerges from turbulence. As was recently shown, a perturbative closure describes correctly the condensate when turbulence is excited at small scales. In this context, we obtain explicit results for the statistics of turbulence, encoded in the Reynolds stress tensor. We demonstrate that the two components of the Reynolds stress, the momentum flux and the turbulent energy, are determined by different mechanisms. It was suggested previously that the momentum flux is fixed by a balance between forcing and mean-flow advection: using unprecedently long numerical simulations, we provide the first direct evidence supporting this prediction. By contrast, combining analytical computations with numerical simulations, we show that the turbulent energy is determined only by mean-flow advection and obtain for the first time a formula describing its profile in the vortex.

Non-normality and classification of amplification mechanisms in stability and resolvent analysis

We seek to quantify non-normality of the most amplified resolvent modes and predict their features based on the characteristics of the base or mean velocity profile. A 2-by-2 model linear Navier-Stokes (LNS) operator illustrates how non-normality from mean shear distributes perturbation energy in different velocity components of the forcing and response modes. The inverse of their inner product, which is unity for a purely normal mechanism, is proposed as a measure to quantify non-normality. In flows where there is downstream spatial dependence of the base/mean, mean flow advection separates the spatial support of forcing and response modes which impacts the inner product. Success of mean stability analysis depends on the normality of amplification. If the amplification is normal, the resolvent operator written in its dyadic representation reveals that the adjoint and forward stability modes are proportional to the forcing and response resolvent modes. If the amplification is non-normal, then resolvent analysis is required to understand the origin of observed flow structures. Eigenspectra and pseudospectra are used to characterize these phenomena. Two test cases are studied: low Reynolds number cylinder flow and turbulent channel flow. The first deals mainly with normal mechanisms and quantification of non-normality using the inverse inner product of the leading forcing and response modes agrees well with the product of the resolvent norm and distance between the imaginary axis and least stable eigenvalue. In turbulent channel flow, structures result from both normal and non-normal mechanisms. Mean shear is exploited most efficiently by stationary disturbances while bounds on the pseudospectra illustrate how non-normality is responsible for the most amplified disturbances at spatial wavenumbers and temporal frequencies corresponding to well-known turbulent structures.

Decomposition of the Mean Barotropic Transport in a High‐Resolution Model of the North Atlantic Ocean

AbstractWe show how a barotropic shallow water model can be used to decompose the mean barotropic transport from a high‐resolution ocean model based on the vertically averaged momentum equations. We apply the method to a high‐resolution model of the North Atlantic for which the local vorticity budget is both noisy and dominated by small spatial scales. The shallow water model acts as an effective filter and clearly reveals the transport driven by each term. The potential energy (joint effect of baroclinicity and bottom relief) term is the most important for driving transport, including in the northwest corner, while mean flow advection is important for driving transport along f/H contours around the Labrador Sea continental slope. Both the eddy momentum flux and the mean flow advection terms drive significant transport along the pathway of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current.

Experimental investigation of the effects of mean shear and scalar initial length scale on three-scalar mixing in turbulent coaxial jets

In a previous study we investigated three-scalar mixing in a turbulent coaxial jet (Caiet al.J. Fluid Mech., vol. 685, 2011, pp. 495–531). In this flow a centre jet and a co-flow are separated by an annular flow; therefore, the resulting mixing process approximates that in a turbulent non-premixed flame. In the present study, we investigate the effects of the velocity and length scale ratios of the annular flow to the centre jet, which determine the relative mean shear rates between the streams and the degree of separation between the centre jet and the co-flow, respectively. Simultaneous planar laser-induced fluorescence and Rayleigh scattering are employed to obtain the mass fractions of the centre jet scalar (acetone-doped air) and the annular flow scalar (ethylene). The results show that varying the velocity ratio and the annulus width modifies the scalar fields through mean-flow advection, turbulent transport and small-scale mixing. While the evolution of the mean scalar profiles is dominated by the mean-flow advection, the shape of the joint probability density function (JPDF) was found to be largely determined by the turbulent transport and molecular diffusion. Increasing the velocity ratio results in stronger turbulent transport, making the initial scalar evolution faster. However, further downstream the evolution is delayed due to slower small-scale mixing. The JPDF for the higher velocity ratio cases is bimodal at some locations while it is always unimodal for the lower velocity ratio cases. Increasing the annulus width delays the progression of mixing, and makes the effects of the velocity ratio more pronounced. For all cases the diffusion velocity streamlines in the scalar space representing the effects of molecular diffusion generally converge quickly to a curved manifold, whose curvature is reduced as mixing progresses. The curvature of the manifold increases significantly with the velocity and length scale ratios. Predicting the observed mixing path along the manifold as well as its dependence on the velocity and length scale ratios presents a challenge for mixing models. The results in the present study have implications for understanding and modelling multiscalar mixing in turbulent reactive flows.

Direct numerical simulation of low-Prandtl number turbulent convection above a wavy wall

Turbulent forced convection is investigated by Direct Numerical Simulation in a channel with one sinusoidal wavy wall and one flat wall. Fluid flow and heat transfer are periodically fully developed, the simulated Reynolds number of the bulk velocity and the hydraulic diameter is Re=18, 880 while three Prandtl numbers are considered, i.e. Pr=0.025, Pr=0.2, and Pr=0.71. The fluid flow is characterized by separation, reattachment and a shear layer downstream the wave peak, these are conditions relevant for turbulent heat transfer and passive scalar transport applications.In the range of Péclet numbers investigated, the most important heat transfer mechanism is by mean flow advection. Accordingly, the peak heat transfer region is in the upslope part of the domain. The separation bubble instead acts as a barrier to convection and the heat transfer rate is minimum close to separation. An a priori analysis is performed in order to assess the accuracy of turbulent heat transfer models based on the Generalized Gradient Diffusion Hypothesis.

Processes controlling atmospheric dispersion through city centres

AbstractWe develop a process-based model for the dispersion of a passive scalar in the turbulent flow around the buildings of a city centre. The street network model is based on dividing the airspace of the streets and intersections into boxes, within which the turbulence renders the air well mixed. Mean flow advection through the network of street and intersection boxes then mediates further lateral dispersion. At the same time turbulent mixing in the vertical detrains scalar from the streets and intersections into the turbulent boundary layer above the buildings. When the geometry is regular, the street network model has an analytical solution that describes the variation in concentration in a near-field downwind of a single source, where the majority of scalar lies below roof level. The power of the analytical solution is that it demonstrates how the concentration is determined by only three parameters. The plume direction parameter describes the branching of scalar at the street intersections and hence determines the direction of the plume centreline, which may be very different from the above-roof wind direction. The transmission parameter determines the distance travelled before the majority of scalar is detrained into the atmospheric boundary layer above roof level and conventional atmospheric turbulence takes over as the dominant mixing process. Finally, a normalised source strength multiplies this pattern of concentration. This analytical solution converges to a Gaussian plume after a large number of intersections have been traversed, providing theoretical justification for previous studies that have developed empirical fits to Gaussian plume models. The analytical solution is shown to compare well with very high-resolution simulations and with wind tunnel experiments, although re-entrainment of scalar previously detrained into the boundary layer above roofs, which is not accounted for in the analytical solution, is shown to become an important process further downwind from the source.

Causes of Increasing Aridification of the Mediterranean Region in Response to Rising Greenhouse Gases*

Abstract The hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean region, as well as its change over the coming decades, is investigated using the Interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) and phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) historical simulations and projections of the coming decades. The Mediterranean land regions have positive precipitation minus evaporation, P − E, in winter and negative P − E in summer. According to ERA-Interim, positive P − E over land in winter is sustained by transient eddy moisture convergence and opposed by mean flow moisture divergence. Dry mean flow advection is important for opposing the transient eddy moisture flux convergence in the winter half year and the mass divergent mean flow is a prime cause of negative P − E in the summer half year. These features are well reproduced in the CMIP5 ensemble. The models predict reduced P − E over the Mediterranean region in the future year-round. For both land and sea, a common cause of drying is increased mean flow moisture divergence. Changes in transient eddy moisture fluxes largely act diffusively and cause drying over the sea and moistening over many land areas to the north in winter and drying over western land areas and moistening over the eastern sea in summer. Increased mean flow moisture divergence is caused by both the increase in atmospheric humidity in a region of mean flow divergence and strengthening of the mass divergence. Increased mass divergence is related to increased high pressure over the central Mediterranean in winter and over the Atlantic and northern Europe in summer, which favors subsidence and low-level divergence over the Mediterranean region.