Kl. Swanson et Rt. Pierrehumbert, LOWER-TROPOSPHERIC HEAT-TRANSPORT IN THE PACIFIC STORM TRACK, Journal of the atmospheric sciences, 54(11), 1997, pp. 1533-1543
The relative effects of dynamics and surface thermal interactions in d
etermining the heat flux and temperature fluctuations within the lower
-tropospheric portion of the Pacific storm track are quantified using
the probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the temperature fluct
uations and heat flux, Lagrangian passive tracer calculations, and a s
imple stochastic model. It is found that temperature fluctuations damp
to the underlying oceanic temperature with a timescale of approximate
ly 1 day but that dynamics still play the predominant role in determin
ing atmospheric heat flux, due to eddy mixing lengths within the storm
track of less than or equal to 5 degrees latitude. These results are
confirmed by the favorable comparison of the PDFs of the model-generat
ed and observed temperature fluctuations and heat flux. The implicatio
ns of strong thermal damping in the lower troposphere are discussed an
d speculations are made regarding the effect of such damping upon baro
clinic eddy life cycles and the general circulation.