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Atmospheric Dynamics Triggered by an Oceanic SST Front in a Moist Quasigeostrophic Model
- Source :
- Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, American Meteorological Society, 2012, 69 (5), pp.1617-1632. ⟨10.1175/JAS-D-11-0288.1⟩, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 2012, 69 (5), pp.1617-1632. ⟨10.1175/JAS-D-11-0288.1⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2012
- Publisher :
- American Meteorological Society, 2012.
-
Abstract
- To understand the atmospheric response to a midlatitude oceanic front, this paper uses a quasigeostrophic (QG) model with moist processes. A well-known, three-level QG model on the sphere has been modified to include such processes in an aquaplanet setting. Its response is analyzed in terms of the upper-level atmospheric jet for sea surface temperature (SST) fronts of different profiles and located at different latitudes. When the SST front is sufficiently strong, it tends to anchor the mean atmospheric jet, suggesting that the jet’s spatial location and pattern are mainly affected by the latitude of the SST front. Changes in the jet’s pattern are studied, focusing on surface sensible heat flux and on moisture effects through latent heat release. It is found that latent heat release due to moist processes is modified when the SST front is changed, and this is responsible for the meridional displacement of the jet. Moreover, both latent heat release and surface sensible heat flux contribute to the jet’s strengthening. These results highlight the role of SST fronts and moist processes in affecting the characteristics of the midlatitude jet stream and of its associated storm track, particularly their positions.
- Subjects :
- [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean, Atmosphere
Atmospheric Science
Jet (fluid)
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Front (oceanography)
Jet stream
Sensible heat
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
Atmospheric sciences
01 natural sciences
Sea surface temperature
13. Climate action
Climatology
Middle latitudes
Latent heat
Environmental science
Storm track
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15200469 and 00224928
- Volume :
- 69
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0c1503532bc97896a8b92c83f0b49a81