Unified Model Documentation Paper 082

Transformed Eulerian Mean and Wave Drag Diagnostics

on Pressure Levels

UM Version : 10.1
Last Updated : 2014-12-05 (for vn10.0)
Owner : Ian Edmond

Contributors:
I. Edmond, N. Butchart, A. Scaife and S. Hardiman

Met Office
FitzRoy Road
Exeter
Devon EX1 3PB
United Kingdom

c Crown Copyright 2015

This document has not been published; Permission to quote from it must be obtained from the Unified Model
system manager at the above address
 UMDP: 082
Transformed Eulerian Mean and Wave Drag Diagnostics

Contents
1 Introduction 1

2 Theory 2

3 Implementation Notes 4
3.1 Diagnostic Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.3 Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.4 Notes on the Vertical Coordinate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4 Example Output 6

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1 Introduction

The motivation behind the Transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) quantities is to simplify the eddy forcing of the
mean state into a single diagnostic term; the Eliassen-Palm (EP) flux divergence. Properties of the EP flux
which make it a useful diagnostic are (1) it is conserved for steady, dissipationless eddies, (2) it is parallel to
their group velocity and (3) it is the flux of eddy activity. The EP flux divergence contains all the information on
how eddies (zonal asymmetries) in the atmosphere are driving zonal flow changes.
For the analysis of wave driving and circulation in the atmosphere the TEM diagnostics are now the accepted
tool. They are especially useful in regions where eddies interact with the zonal mean flow such as the tropo-
spheric storm tracks, the polar night jet and the quasibiennial oscillation.
Including the calculation of the TEM diagnostics within STASH enables them to be obtained from instantaneous
data values which are needed at high frequency to calculate accurate eddy correlations.

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2 Theory

We start with the hydrostatic version of the primitive equations in log-pressure coordinates. Separating each
variable into zonal mean and zonal deviation allows the equations to be viewed as the interaction of a mean
flow with eddies (or waves) that are superimposed upon it.
These mean flow equations can be transformed to an alternative form by defining a residual circulation.

 
ρ0 v ′ θ ′
v∗ =v− ρ−1
0 (1)
θz z

 
−1 v ′ θ′
w∗ = w + (a cos φ) cos φ (2)
θz φ

The residual mean circulation
is a good approximation to the transporting circulation and it obeys the continuity
−1

relation: (a cos φ) v ∗ cos φ φ + ρ−1
0 ρ0 w∗ z = 0.

Substituting for (v, w) in the primitive equations produces the transformed mean zonal momentum and thermo-
dynamic equations.
h i
−1 −1
ut + v ∗ (a cos φ) (ucosφ)φ − f + w∗ uz − X = (ρ0 a cos φ) ▽ · F (3)



θt + a−1 v ∗ θφ + w∗ θz − Q = −ρ−1
0 ρ0 v ′ θ′ θφ /aθz + w′ θ′ z (4)

the term on the right hand side of the thermodynamic equation is small, meaning that the main contributor to
the eddy forcing terms is the term on the RHS of the transformed mean zonal momentum equation.

∂ F (φ) cos φ


−1 ∂F (z)
▽ · F = (a cos φ) + (5)
∂φ ∂z
 
uz v ′ θ ′
F (φ) = ρ0 a cos φ − u′ v ′ (6)
θz
  v ′ θ′ 
F (z) = ρ0 a cos φ
−1
f − (a cos φ) (u cos φ)φ − w ′ u′ (7)
θz

F is the Eliassen-Palm flux in spherical log-pressure coordinates and its divergence represents the wave forcing
of the mean state. It can be shown that its divergence vanishes for linear steady conservative waves on a purely
zonal basic flow.

The above equations have made an assumption that the atmosphere is in hydrostatic balance. The UM is
not hydrostatic, but the equations are similar and extra terms are small.
The exact equations used in the model code have been expanded out into their computationally simplest form
and are described by equations 8-13.

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v ′ θ′ v ′ θ′
ResidualCirculation v∗ = v + − (8)
Hθz θz z
 ′ ′ !
−1 v ′ θ′ vθ
ResidualCirculation w∗= w + (a cos φ) − sin φ + cos φ (9)
θz θz φ
  (φ)  
∂F (φ)
∂φ − F tan φ ∂F (z) 
EP f luxdivergence ▽·F =  + (10)
a ∂z

ScaledEP f luxdivergence SDIV F = (ρ0 a cos φ)−1 ▽ · F (11)

 
uz v ′ θ ′
EP f luxφtendency F (φ) = ρ0 a cos φ − u′ v ′ (12)
θz
  
(z) uφ − utanφ v ′ θ′
EP f luxztendency F = ρ0 a cos φ f− −w u
′ ′ (13)
a θz

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3 Implementation Notes

3.1 Diagnostic Details

Quantities 8-13 are calculated in the UM (eot diag) from section 30 pressure level diagnostics. Stash and field
codes for these quantities are listed below.
Quantity Stash code Field code
Residual mean circulation v ∗ 30310 1075
Residual mean circulation w∗ 30311 1076
Eliassen-Palm flux φ component F (φ) 30312 1077
Eliassen-Palm flux z component F (z) 30313 1078
Scaled Divergence Eliassen-Palm flux SDIV F 30314 1079
Meridional heat flux v’T’ 30315 1080
Meridional momentum u’v’ 30316 1081

3.2 Units

Quantities 8-13 calculated in the UM have the following units.

Quantity Stash code Units
Residual mean circulation v ∗ 30310 ms−1
Residual mean circulation w∗ 30311 ms−1
Eliassen-Palm flux φ component F (φ) 30312 kgs−2
Eliassen-Palm flux z component F (z) 30313 kgs−2
Scaled Divergence Eliassen-Palm flux SDIV F 30314 ms−2
Meridional heat flux v’T’ 30315 ms−1 K
Meridional momentum u’v’ 30316 m2 s−2

3.3 Grid

The diagnostics in 3.1 are calculated on pressure surfaces on the uv position of the ’B’ grid.
The values of velocity and temperature used in the calculations are taken from the values of u ,v, T and w held
in D1 at the end of a timestep in ATM STEP. These fields are then passed into EOT DIAG and interpolated onto
the required grid/level by UM subroutines vert interp2, T vert interp to p, pC to pB, vC to vB and uC to uB.
Subterrainean pressure level data is calculated by applying extrapolation consistent with the interpolation carried
out above ground level to provide a field with credible values at all points.
The TEM diagnostics need to be calculated on the same domain and time profile as each other. In the
STASH panel of the gui you must also select stashcodes 30201, 30202, 30203 and 30204 (u, v, w, T) with
the same domain and time profiles as the TEM diagnostics.
Eliassen-Palm flux is a zonal field. Zonal quanties are found using the parallel programming message passing
routine gcg rvecsumr.
Latitude values are obtained from sin−1 of the variable sin v latitude available via the include file argcona.h in
ST DIAG3.

3.4 Notes on the Vertical Coordinate

1. The formulae used in section 2 for expressing the residual circulation and Eliassen-Palm flux are valid
for a log-pressure coordinate system. The vertical velocity used in the calculation (stash code 30203) is
consistent with the log pressure coordinate system.
2. The log pressure coordinate uses a scale height H set to 6.8E+03m. The value of H affects only the
vertical components of the residual circulation and Eliassen-Palm flux.

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3. The TEM diagnostics are written to pp file with each header/data element containing a single zonal field
for a particular pressure level. LBROW is set to the number of latitude points and LBNPT is set to one.
LBVC is set to 8 (pressure) and BLEV set to the value of the pressure in hPa.

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4 Example Output

v* (m/s) (Summer) v* (m/s) (Winter)

10-2 10-2
3.18181818 3.18181818

10-1 10-1
1.90909091 1.90909091
Pressure (hPa)

Pressure (hPa)
100 0.63636364 100 0.63636364

101 -0.63636364 101 -0.63636364

-1.90909091 -1.90909091
102 102

-3.18181818 -3.18181818
103 103
-100 -50 0 50 100 -100 -50 0 50 100
latitude (degrees) latitude (degrees)

v (m/s) (Summer) v (m/s) (Winter)

10-2 10-2
3.18181818 3.18181818

10-1 10-1
1.90909091 1.90909091
Pressure (hPa)

Pressure (hPa)

100 0.63636364 100 0.63636364

101 -0.63636364 101 -0.63636364

-1.90909091 -1.90909091
102 102

-3.18181818 -3.18181818
103 103
-100 -50 0 50 100 -100 -50 0 50 100
latitude (degrees) latitude (degrees)

Figure 1: Seasonally averaged Eulerian Northward Wind v and Residual Mean Vertical Wind v ∗ . Note the
large differences in the winter Northern hemisphere where eddies are active. v ∗ approximates the transporting
circulation.

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w* (m/s) (Summer) w* (m/s) (Winter)

10-2 10-2
0.01181818 0.01181818

10-1 10-1
0.00709091 0.00709091
Pressure (hPa)

Pressure (hPa)
100 0.00236364 100 0.00236364

101 -0.00236364 101 -0.00236364

-0.00709091 -0.00709091
102 102

-0.01181818 -0.01181818
103 103
-100 -50 0 50 100 -100 -50 0 50 100
latitude (degrees) latitude (degrees)

w (m/s) (Summer) w (m/s) (Winter)

10-2 10-2
0.01181818 0.01181818

10-1 10-1
0.00709091 0.00709091
Pressure (hPa)

Pressure (hPa)

100 0.00236364 100 0.00236364

101 -0.00236364 101 -0.00236364

-0.00709091 -0.00709091
102 102

-0.01181818 -0.01181818
103 103
-100 -50 0 50 100 -100 -50 0 50 100
latitude (degrees) latitude (degrees)

Figure 2: Seasonally averaged Eulerian Vertical Wind w and Residual Mean Vertical Wind w∗ . w differs
from w∗ in the winter stratosphere; w suggests upwelling at high latitudes, whereas w∗ suggests downwelling.
w∗ approximates the transporting circulation.

Scaled Divergence F (m/s^2) Scaled Divergence F (m/s^2)

10-2 10-2
0.00012727 0.000

10-1 10-1
0.00007636 0.000
Pressure (hPa)

Pressure (hPa)

100 0.00002545 100 0.000

101 -0.00002545 101 -0.00

-0.00007636 -0.00
102 102

-0.00012727 -0.00
103 103
-100 -50 0 50 100 -100 -50 0 50 100
latitude (degrees) latitude (degrees)

Figure 3: Seasonally averaged (EP Flux Divergence)/(ρ0 a cos φ) (Summer and Winter) The Eliassen-Palm flux
divergence shows a large convergence and therefore a westward eddy forcing of the mean winds in the winter
hemisphere. Baroclinic eddies represent the main feature of the divergence in the troposphere.

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Wstarbar (68hPa)
0.0020
Sampling every 24 hrs
Sampling every 6 hrs
0.0015
Sampling every timestep

0.0010

0.0005

0.0000

-0.0005

-0.0010

-0.0015
-100 -50 0 50 100

Figure 4: A single monthly mean (September) w∗ at 68hPa sampled at three different frequencies. It is
recommended that the sampling frequency used should be at least every 6hrs.

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