Identification

Title

Space–time spectral analysis of the moist static energy budget equation

Abstract

The budget of column-integrated moist static energy (MSE) is examined in wavenumber-frequency transforms of longitude-time sections over the tropical belt. Cross-spectra with satellite-derived precipitation (TRMM-3B42) are used to emphasize precipitation-coherent signals in reanalysis [ERA-Interim (ERAI)] estimates of each term in the budget equation. Results reveal different budget balances in convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs) as well as in the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) and tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances. The real component (expressing amplification or damping of amplitude) for horizontal advection is modest for most wave types but substantially damps the MJO. Its imaginary component is hugely positive (it acts to advance phase) in TD-type disturbances and is positive for MJO and equatorial Rossby (ERn1) wave disturbances (almost negligible for the other CCEWs). The real component of vertical advection is negatively correlated (damping effect) with precipitation with a magnitude of approximately 10% of total latent heat release for all disturbances except for TD-type disturbance. This effect is overestimated by a factor of 2 or more if advection is computed using the time-zonal mean MSE, suggesting that nonlinear correlations between ascent and humidity would be positive (amplification effect). ERAI-estimated radiative heating has a positive real part, reinforcing precipitation-correlated MSE excursions. The magnitude is up to 14% of latent heating for the MJO and much less for other waves. ERAI-estimated surface flux has a small effect but acts to amplify MJO and ERn1 waves. The imaginary component of budget residuals is large and systematically positive, suggesting that the reanalysis model's physical MSE sources would not act to propagate the precipitation-associated MSE anomalies properly.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7542rkj

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2019-01-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact