Comparing Convective Self‐Aggregation in Idealized Models to Observed Moist Static Energy Variability near the Equator
Name
1908.03764.pdf
Description
Submitted version
Size
1.34 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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Author(s)
Beucler, Tom
Abbott, Tristan Hayward
Cronin, Timothy Wallace
Pritchard, Michael S.
Date Issued
August 2019
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Citation
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.
Version
Original manuscript
Abstract
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.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084130
