TRR 181 Seminar "Investigating Kinetic energy spectrum and Spectral Fluxes in ICON-IAP"

The TRR 181 seminar is held byKesava Ramachandran(IAP, PhD in T1) on January 16, 2 pm at IAP Kühlungsborn.

Abstract

The horizontal kinetic energy spectrum and the contribution of different fluxes to the energy cycle are analysed on the basis of a general circulation model (ICON-IAP). The different dynamical regimes of the energy spectra are well established but the driving mechanisms behind the observed spectra in such regimes cannot be explained by classical turbulence theories. The theory of quasi-geostrophic turbulence which is analogous to the classical 2D turbulence can explain the large scale regime (Synoptic scales) but the question is still open on the small scale part of the spectrum( (Mesoscales).

The present study reviews the dynamics for high wavenumber regime by analysing the contribution of different fluxes and their interaction. This is done by transforming the governing equations such that the processes that do not contribute are made invisible. Comparison of spectral budgets of kinetic energy and the spectral fluxes is done for the transformed and untransformed equations.