Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator
Idealized convection-permitting simulations of radiative-convective equilibrium have become a popular tool for understanding the physical processes leading to horizontal variability of tropical water vapor and rainfall. However, the applicability of idealized simulations to nature is still unclear g...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2020
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/124901 |
| _version_ | 1826208578841608192 |
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| author | Beucler, Tom Abbott, Tristan Hayward Cronin, Timothy Wallace Pritchard, Michael S. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Beucler, Tom Abbott, Tristan Hayward Cronin, Timothy Wallace Pritchard, Michael S. |
| author_sort | Beucler, Tom |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Idealized convection-permitting simulations of radiative-convective equilibrium have become a popular tool for understanding the physical processes leading to horizontal variability of tropical water vapor and rainfall. However, the applicability of idealized simulations to nature is still unclear given that important processes are typically neglected, such as lateral water vapor advection by extratropical intrusions, or interactive ocean coupling. Here, we exploit spectral analysis to compactly summarize the multiscale processes supporting convective aggregation. By applying this framework to high-resolution reanalysis data and satellite observations in addition to idealized simulations, we compare convective-aggregation processes across horizontal scales and data sets. The results affirm the validity of the radiative-convective equilibrium simulations as an analogy to the real world. Column moist static energy tendencies share similar signs and scale selectivity in convection-permitting models and observations: Radiation increases variance at wavelengths above 1,000 km, while advection damps variance across wavelengths, and surface fluxes mostly reduce variance between 1,000 and 10,000 km. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:07:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/124901 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:07:51Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1249012022-10-01T19:23:21Z Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator Beucler, Tom Abbott, Tristan Hayward Cronin, Timothy Wallace Pritchard, Michael S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Idealized convection-permitting simulations of radiative-convective equilibrium have become a popular tool for understanding the physical processes leading to horizontal variability of tropical water vapor and rainfall. However, the applicability of idealized simulations to nature is still unclear given that important processes are typically neglected, such as lateral water vapor advection by extratropical intrusions, or interactive ocean coupling. Here, we exploit spectral analysis to compactly summarize the multiscale processes supporting convective aggregation. By applying this framework to high-resolution reanalysis data and satellite observations in addition to idealized simulations, we compare convective-aggregation processes across horizontal scales and data sets. The results affirm the validity of the radiative-convective equilibrium simulations as an analogy to the real world. Column moist static energy tendencies share similar signs and scale selectivity in convection-permitting models and observations: Radiation increases variance at wavelengths above 1,000 km, while advection damps variance across wavelengths, and surface fluxes mostly reduce variance between 1,000 and 10,000 km. National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant AGS-1740533) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant AGS1623218) 2020-04-28T18:13:58Z 2020-04-28T18:13:58Z 2019-08 2019-08 2020-04-15T18:05:46Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0094-8276 1944-8007 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/124901 Beucler, Tom, et al. “Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability Near the Equator.” Geophysical Research Letters 46, 17–18 (September 2019): 10589–98. © 2019 American Geophysical Union. en http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084130 Geophysical Research Letters Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf American Geophysical Union (AGU) arXiv |
| spellingShingle | Beucler, Tom Abbott, Tristan Hayward Cronin, Timothy Wallace Pritchard, Michael S. Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title | Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title_full | Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title_fullStr | Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title_short | Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator |
| title_sort | comparing convective self aggregation in idealized models to observed moist static energy variability near the equator |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/124901 |
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