The kinetic and available potential energy budget of a winter extratropical cyclone system

Phillip J. Smith; Patricia M. Dare

doi:10.3402/tellusa.v38i1.11697

The kinetic and available potential energy budget of a winter extratropical cyclone system

Tellus

Volume 38 (1986): Issue 1

By: Phillip J. Smith and Patricia M. Dare

Open Access

|Jan 1986

Abstract

The energy budget of an extratropical cyclone system which traversed North America and intensified through the period 9–11 January 1975 is presented. The objectives of the study are (1) to document the complete energy budget of a significant winter cyclone event, and (2) to comment on the significance of latent heat release (LHR) in the cyclone’s evolution. Results reveal an overall increase in both kinetic (K) and available potential energy (A). K increases are accounted for by boundary flux convergence of K, while A increases are due to generation by LHR and K to A conversion. In addition, the general A increase is accompanied by a 24 h oscillation that is explained largely by the flux quantity in the A budget equation and is correlated with a similar fluctuation in the K to A conversion.

LHR does not appear to be critical in the development of this cyclone system. Rather, LHR acts to increase the intensity of the event. It is hypothesized that the direct influence that LHR had on the deepening cyclone’s reduced mass was augmented by an indirect influence, in which pre-existing dry dynamical forcing was enhanced by diabatic heating, thus leading to accelerated cyclone development at a later time.

References

Anthes , R. A. 1977a . A cumulus parameterization scheme utilizing a one-dimensional cloud model . Mon. Wea. Reu . 105 , 270 – 286 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Anthes , R. A. 1977b . Hurricane model experiments with a new cumulus parameterization scheme . Mon. Wea. Rev . 105 , 287 – 300 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Barnes , S. L. 1973 . Mesoscale objective map analysis using weighted time series observations . NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL NSSL-62 , 60 pp . ( NTIS COM 73-10781 ).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chen , T. and Bosart , L. F. 1977 . Quasi-Lagrangian kinetic energy budgets of composite cyclone-anti-cyclone couplets . J. Atmos. Sci . 34 , 452 – 464 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chien , H. and Smith , P. J. 1973 . On the estimation of kinematic parameters in the atmosphere from radio-sonde wind data . Mon. Wea. Rev . 101 , 252 – 261 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dare , P. M. and Smith , P. J. 1984 . A comparison of observed and model energy balance for an extra-tropical cyclone system . Mon. Wea. Rev . 112 , 1289 – 1308 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dutton , J. A. and Johnson , D. R. 1967 . The theory of available potential energy and a variational approach to atmospheric energetics . Adv. Geophys . 12 , 333 – 436 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Edmon , H. J. , Jr. and Vincent , D. G. 1976 . An application of two tropical parameterization schemes of convective latent heat release in middle latitudes . Mon. Wea. Rev . 104 , 1141 – 1153 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kenney , S. E. and Smith , P. J. 1983 . On the release of eddy available potential energy in an extratropical cyclone system . Mon. Wea. Rev . 111 , 745 – 755 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kornegay , F. C. and Vincent , D. G. 1976 . Kinetic energy budget analysis during interaction of Tropical Storm Candy (1968) with an extratropical frontal system . Mon. Wea. Rev . 104 , 849 – 859 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Krishnamurti , T. N. and Moxim. W. J. 1971 . On parameterization of convective and non-convective latent heat release . J. Appl. Meteorol . 10 , 3 – 13 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kung , E. C. and Baker , W. E. 1975 . Energy transformations in the middle-latitude disturbances . Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc . 101 , 793 – 815 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuo , H. L. 1965 . On formation and intensification of tropical cyclones through latent heat release by cumulus convection . J. Atmos. Sci . 22 , 40 – 63 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuo , H. L. 1974 . Further studies of the parameterization of the influences of cumulus convection on large-scale flow . J. Atmos. Sci . 31 , 1232 – 1240 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lin , S. C. and Smith , P. J. 1979 . Diabatic heating and generation of available potential energy in a tornado producing extratropical cyclone . Mon. Wea. Rev . 107 , 1169 – 1183 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lin , S. C. and Smith , P. J. 1982 . The available potential energy budget of a severe storm-producing extra-tropical cyclone . Mon. Wea. Rev . 110 , 521 – 533 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Maddox , R. A. 1980 . An objective technique for separating macroscale and mesoscale features in meteorological data . Mon. Wea. Rev . 108 , 1108 – 1121 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
O’Brien , J. J. 1970 . Alternative solutions to the classical vertical velocity problem . J. Appl. Meteorol . 9 , 197 – 203 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Robertson , F. R. 1985 . Reference pressure changes and available potential energy in isobaric coordinates . Tellus 37A , 24 – 29 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Robertson , F. R. and Smith , P. J. 1980 . The kinetic energy budgets of two severe storm producing extratropical cyclones . Mon. Wea. Rev . 108 , 127 – 143 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Robertson , F. R. and Smith P. J. 1983 . The impact of model moist processes on the energetics of extra-tropical cyclones . Mon. Wea. Rev . 111 , 723 – 744 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Smith , P. J. 1970 . A note on energy conversions in open atmospheric systems . J. Atmos. Sci . 27 , 518 – 521 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Smith , P. J. 1980 . The energetics of extratropical cyclones . Rev. Geophys. Space Phys . 18 , 378 – 386 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Smith , P. J. , Dare , P. M. and Lin , S.-J. 1984 . The impact of latent heat release on synoptic-scale vertical motions and the development of an extratropical cyclone system . Mon. Wea. Rev . 112 , 2421 – 2430 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Smith , P. J. Vincent , D. G. and Edmon , H. J. , Jr . 1977 . The time dependence of reference pressure in limited region available potential energy budget equations . Tellus 29 , 476 – 480 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vincent , D. G. and Chang , L. N. 1975 . Kinetic energy budgets of moving systems: Case studies for an extratropical cyclone and Hurricane Celia, 1970 . Tellus 27 , 215 – 233 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vincent , D. G. , Pant , G. B. and Edmon , H. J. Jr . 1977a . Generation of available potential energy of an extra-tropical cyclone system . Mon. Wea. Rev . 105 , 1252 – 1265 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vincent , D. G. , Schlatter , T. W. , Kornegay , F. C. and Edmon. H. J. , Jr . 1977b . Comparison between the NACR multivariate statistical objective analysis scheme and subjective analysis in a limited region . Beit. Phys. Atmos . 50 , 272 – 283 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ward , J. H. and Smith , P. J. 1976 . A kinetic energy budget over North America during a period of short synoptic wave development . Mon. Wea. Rev . 104 , 836 – 848 .
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v38i1.11697 | Journal eISSN: 3035-9554

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English

Page range: 49 - 59

Submitted on: Dec 11, 1984

Accepted on: Apr 17, 1985

Published on: Jan 1, 1986

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 1986 Phillip J. Smith, Patricia M. Dare, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 38 (1986): Issue 1