The kinetic to potential energy ratio and spectral separability from high-resolution balloon soundings neat the Andes mountains

The ratio R between the spectral kinetic and potential energies as a functi on of vertical wavenumber has been calculated from high-resolution data obt ained with open stratospheric balloons near the Andes Mountains. Two segmen ts of altitude in the troposphere and stratosphere respectively were analyz ed. The ratio values are larger in both the troposphere and stratosphere th an those predicted from the separability of wavenumber and frequency spectr a. A comparison was made with previous statistical results from soundings o ver flat terrain extending up to log m (cy/m) = -2.0. Our calculations prol ong this interval to -2.0 less than or equal to log m less than or equal to -0.7. In the stratosphere, a remarkable similarity between that earlier wo rk and ours is observed. This also happens in the troposphere, but only up to log m = -1.4. As suggested by the other authors, the enhanced R values m ight be explained by the propagation of inertial gravity waves generated in the mountain relief (this is supported by rotational spectra calculated he re). Previous evidence in favor of spectral separability obtained by other authors has been extended here for larger wavenumbers by the observed const ancy of the ratio between the temperature and vertical velocity spectra. In both the troposphere and the stratosphere, this ratio appears to be fairly uniform and similar to previous results obtained by other authors at lower resolution.