Paper detail

The available-enthalpy (flow-exergy) cycle. Part-II: applications to idealized baroclinic waves

The local available-enthalpy cycle proposed in Part I of this paper is applied to document energetics of three numerical simulations, representing life cycles of idealized baroclinic waves. An improved temporal numerical scheme defined in Part I is used in this study, together with the Arpege-IFS model using a T42 triangular truncation. A 45°N and 200 hPa dry unstable jet is constructed with the most unstable mode at zonal wave number 8. Energetic impacts of both horizontal and vertical diffusion schemes are determined separately. The role of ageostrophic winds within the Ekman layer is investigated, leading to an explanation for large observed values for the dissipation terms and to a new formulation of the potential-energy conversions. The magnitudes of these new conversion terms are compared with those of the usual barotropic and baroclinic conversions. A new version for the available-enthalpy cycle is proposed. It is suitable for open systems and it includes explicitly the potential-energy component as a transitional reservoir. Finally, some results from Intensive Observing Period 15 of the Fronts and Atlantic Storm-Track EXperiment (FASTEX) are compared with those from the idealized diabatic experiment.