Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Estimation of Dissipative Heating Using Low-Level In Situ Aircraft Observations in the Hurricane Boundary Layer

Jun A. Zhang NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory/Hurricane Research Division, and University of Miami, Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Miami, Florida

Search for other papers by Jun A. Zhang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Jun 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAS3397.1
Page(s):
1853ā€“1862
Restricted access

Abstract

Data collected in the low-level atmospheric boundary layer in five hurricanes by NOAA research aircraft are analyzed to measure turbulence with scales small enough to retrieve the rate of dissipation. A total of 49 flux runs suitable for analysis are identified in the atmospheric boundary layer within 200 m above the sea surface. Momentum fluxes are directly determined using the eddy correlation method, and drag coefficients are also calculated. The dissipative heating is estimated using two different methods: 1) integrating the rate of dissipation in the surface layer and 2) multiplying the drag coefficient by the cube of surface wind speed. While the latter method has been widely used in theoretical models as well as several numerical models simulating hurricanes, these analyses show that using this method would significantly overestimate the magnitude of dissipative heating. Although the dataset used in this study is limited by the surface wind speed range <30 m sāˆ’1, this work highlights that it is crucial to understand the physical processes related to dissipative heating in the hurricane boundary layer for implementing it into hurricane models.

Corresponding author address: Jun A. Zhang, NOAA/AOML/Hurricane Research Division, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149. Email: jun.zhang@noaa.gov

Abstract

Data collected in the low-level atmospheric boundary layer in five hurricanes by NOAA research aircraft are analyzed to measure turbulence with scales small enough to retrieve the rate of dissipation. A total of 49 flux runs suitable for analysis are identified in the atmospheric boundary layer within 200 m above the sea surface. Momentum fluxes are directly determined using the eddy correlation method, and drag coefficients are also calculated. The dissipative heating is estimated using two different methods: 1) integrating the rate of dissipation in the surface layer and 2) multiplying the drag coefficient by the cube of surface wind speed. While the latter method has been widely used in theoretical models as well as several numerical models simulating hurricanes, these analyses show that using this method would significantly overestimate the magnitude of dissipative heating. Although the dataset used in this study is limited by the surface wind speed range <30 m sāˆ’1, this work highlights that it is crucial to understand the physical processes related to dissipative heating in the hurricane boundary layer for implementing it into hurricane models.

Corresponding author address: Jun A. Zhang, NOAA/AOML/Hurricane Research Division, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149. Email: jun.zhang@noaa.gov

Save
Cover Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

  • Andreas, E. L., 2010: Spray-mediated enthalpy flux to the atmosphere and salt flux to the ocean in high winds. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 40 , 608ā€“619.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Andreas, E. L., and K. A. Emanuel, 2001: Effects of sea spray on tropical cyclone intensity. J. Atmos. Sci., 58 , 3741ā€“3751.

  • Anthes, R. A., and S. W. Chang, 1978: Response of the hurricane boundary layer to changes of sea surface temperature in a numerical model. J. Atmos. Sci., 35 , 1240ā€“1255.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bender, M. A., I. Ginis, R. Tuleya, B. Thomas, and T. Marchok, 2007: The operational GFDL Coupled Hurricaneā€“Ocean Prediction System and a summary of its performance. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135 , 3965ā€“3989.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bister, M., and K. A. Emanuel, 1998: Dissipative heating and hurricane intensity. Meteor. Atmos. Phys., 65 , 233ā€“240.

  • Black, P. G., and G. J. Holland, 1995: The boundary layer of Tropical Cyclone Kerry (1979). Mon. Wea. Rev., 123 , 2007ā€“2028.

  • Black, P. G., and Coauthors, 2007: Airā€“sea exchange in hurricanes: Synthesis of observations from the Coupled Boundary Layer Airā€“Sea Transfer experiment. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 88 , 357ā€“374.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Businger, S., and J. Businger, 2001: Viscous dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy in storms. J. Atmos. Sci., 58 , 3793ā€“3796.

  • Donelan, M. A., B. K. Haus, N. Reul, W. J. Plant, M. Stianssnie, H. C. Graber, O. B. Brown, and E. S. Saltzman, 2004: On the limiting aerodynamic roughness of the ocean in very strong winds. Geophys. Res. Lett., 31 , L18306. doi:10.1029/2004GL019460.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Drennan, W. M., J. A. Zhang, J. R. French, C. McCormick, and P. G. Black, 2007: Turbulent fluxes in the hurricane boundary layer. Part II: Latent heat fluxes. J. Atmos. Sci., 64 , 1103ā€“1115.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • French, J. R., W. M. Drennan, J. A. Zhang, and P. G. Black, 2007: Turbulent fluxes in the hurricane boundary layer. Part I: Momentum flux. J. Atmos. Sci., 64 , 1089ā€“1102.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Jin, Y., W. T. Thompson, S. Wang, and C-S. Liou, 2007: A numerical study of the effect of dissipative heating on tropical cyclone intensity. Wea. Forecasting, 22 , 950ā€“966.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kepert, J., 2001: The dynamics of boundary layer jets within the tropical cyclone core. Part I: Linear theory. J. Atmos. Sci., 58 , 2469ā€“2484.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Khelif, D., S. P. Burns, and C. A. Friehe, 1999: Improved wind measurements on research aircraft. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 16 , 860ā€“875.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lenschow, D. H., 1970: Airplane measurements of planetary boundary layer structure. J. Appl. Meteor., 9 , 874ā€“884.

  • Monin, A. S., and A. M. Obukhov, 1954: Basic laws of turbulent mixing in the ground layer of the atmosphere. Akad. Nauk. SSSR Geofiz. Inst., 151 , 163ā€“187.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Montgomery, M. T., H. D. Snell, and Z. Yang, 2001: Axisymmetric spindown dynamics of hurricane-like vortices. J. Atmos. Sci., 58 , 421ā€“435.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Moss, M. S., 1978: Low-level turbulence structure in the vicinity of a hurricane. Mon. Wea. Rev., 106 , 841ā€“849.

  • Nolan, D. S., J. A. Zhang, and D. P. Stern, 2009a: Evaluation of planetary boundary layer parameterizations in tropical cyclones by comparison of in situ observations and high-resolution simulations of Hurricane Isabel (2003). Part I: Initialization, maximum winds, and the outer-core boundary layer structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 137 , 3651ā€“3674.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Nolan, D. S., D. P. Stern, and J. A. Zhang, 2009b: Evaluation of planetary boundary layer parameterizations in tropical cyclones by comparison of in-situ observations and high-resolution simulations of Hurricane Isabel (2003). Part II: Inner-core boundary layer and eyewall structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 137 , 3675ā€“3698.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Powell, M. D., 1990a: Boundary layer structure and dynamics in outer hurricane rainbands. Part I: Mesoscale rainfall and kinematic structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118 , 891ā€“917.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Powell, M. D., 1990b: Boundary layer structure and dynamics in outer hurricane rainbands. Part II: Downdraft modification and mixed layer recovery. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118 , 918ā€“938.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Powell, M. D., P. J. Vickery, and T. A. Reinhold, 2003: Reduced drag coefficient for high wind speeds in tropical cyclones. Nature, 422 , 279ā€“283.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Smith, R. K., M. T. Montgomery, and N. Van Sang, 2009: Tropical cyclone spin-up revisited. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 135 , 1321ā€“1335.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Sreenivasan, K. R., 1995: On the universality of the Kolmogorov constant. Phys. Fluids, 7 , 2778ā€“2784.

  • Uhlhorn, E. W., P. G. Black, J. L. Franklin, M. Goodberlet, J. Carswell, and A. S. Goldstein, 2007: Hurricane surface wind measurements from an operational stepped frequency microwave radiometer. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135 , 3070ā€“3085.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wang, Y., 2001: An explicit simulation of tropical cyclones with a triply nested movable mesh primitive equation modelā€”TCM3. Part I: Description of the model and control experiment. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129 , 1370ā€“1394.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wroe, D. R., and G. M. Barnes, 2003: Inflow layer energetics of Hurricane Bonnie (1998) near landfall. Mon. Wea. Rev., 131 , 1600ā€“1612.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wyngaard, J. C., and O. R. CotĆ©, 1971: The budgets of turbulent kinetic energy and temperature variance in the atmospheric surface layer. J. Atmos. Sci., 28 , 190ā€“201.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zhang, D-L., and E. Altshuler, 1999: The effects of dissipative heating on hurricane intensity. Mon. Wea. Rev., 127 , 3032ā€“3038.

  • Zhang, J. A., P. G. Black, J. R. French, and W. M. Drennan, 2008: First direct measurements of enthalpy flux in the hurricane boundary layer: The CBLAST results. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35 , L14813. doi:10.1029/2008GL034374.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zhang, J. A., W. M. Drennan, P. G. Black, and J. R. French, 2009: Turbulence structure of the hurricane boundary layer between the outer rainbands. J. Atmos. Sci., 66 , 2455ā€“2467.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 241 108 7
PDF Downloads 155 56 2