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M. Béland
and
T. Warn

Abstract

By means of a straightforward application of the Laplace transform, a radiation condition for transient Rossby waves is obtained. The condition is exact for linear problems and permits the numerical simulation of laterally propagating waves in a semi-infinite channel using a finite computational mesh. Linear and non-linear simulations using this condition compare favorably with double-domain integrations for periods of up to 20–40 days. It is shown that the rate of degradation of these simulations depends on both the intensity of the nonlinearities and the scale of motion near the computational boundary. Some possible applications to other problems are also discussed.

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C. Basdevant
,
B. Legras
,
R. Sadourny
, and
M. Béland

Abstract

The régime flows corresponding to the barotropic nondivergent equation with forcing, drag and subgrid-scale dissipation are studied using spectral model on the plane and on the sphere. The flow régimes obtained exhibit clear evidence of the existence of an enstrophy-cascading inertial range, together with a reverse energy cascade toward small wavenumbers. It is shown, however, that the enstrophy cascade is not associated with the k −3 spectral slope expected from the Kolmogorov-Kraichnan theory of two-dimensional turbulence; the slopes obtained are significantly steeper. This apparent paradox is tentatively resolved by a phenomenological theory of space-time intermittency in two dimensions; it is further shown that such intermittency associated with steeper spectra also restores locality of the nonlinear transfers in wavenumber space. In contrast to the well-known nonlocality typical of two-dimensional non-intermittent turbulent flows. The effect of differential rotation in connection with Rossby wave propagation is also studied: the reverse energy cascade is actually inhibited, and zonal anisotropy prevails in the large scales as expected from Rhines’ theory. But it is shown that this anisotropy is in fact carried down by nonlinearity throughout the enstrophy inertial range. Finally, the predictability properties of our flows are investigated with reference to the Leith-Kraichnan theory. It is shown that the presence of Rossby waves actually increases predictability through several mechanisms: direct inhibition of the nonlinear transfers in the larger scales, concentration of energy in highly predictably large-scale zonal structures, and slowdown of error propagation in the enstrophy inertial range due to the presence of anisotropy at small and intermediate scales.

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D. B. Parsons
,
M. Beland
,
D. Burridge
,
P. Bougeault
,
G. Brunet
,
J. Caughey
,
S. M. Cavallo
,
M. Charron
,
H. C. Davies
,
A. Diongue Niang
,
V. Ducrocq
,
P. Gauthier
,
T. M. Hamill
,
P. A. Harr
,
S. C. Jones
,
R. H. Langland
,
S. J. Majumdar
,
B. N. Mills
,
M. Moncrieff
,
T. Nakazawa
,
T. Paccagnella
,
F. Rabier
,
J.-L. Redelsperger
,
C. Riedel
,
R. W. Saunders
,
M. A. Shapiro
,
R. Swinbank
,
I. Szunyogh
,
C. Thorncroft
,
A. J. Thorpe
,
X. Wang
,
D. Waliser
,
H. Wernli
, and
Z. Toth

Abstract

The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) was a 10-yr, international research program organized by the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Program. THORPEX was motivated by the need to accelerate the rate of improvement in the accuracy of 1-day to 2-week forecasts of high-impact weather for the benefit of society, the economy, and the environment. THORPEX, which took place from 2005 to 2014, was the first major international program focusing on the advancement of global numerical weather prediction systems since the Global Atmospheric Research Program, which took place almost 40 years earlier, from 1967 through 1982. The scientific achievements of THORPEX were accomplished through bringing together scientists from operational centers, research laboratories, and the academic community to collaborate on research that would ultimately advance operational predictive skill. THORPEX included an unprecedented effort to make operational products readily accessible to the broader academic research community, with community efforts focused on problems where challenging science intersected with the potential to accelerate improvements in predictive skill. THORPEX also collaborated with other major programs to identify research areas of mutual interest, such as topics at the intersection of weather and climate. THORPEX research has 1) increased our knowledge of the global-to-regional influences on the initiation, evolution, and predictability of high-impact weather; 2) provided insight into how predictive skill depends on observing strategies and observing systems; 3) improved data assimilation and ensemble forecast systems; 4) advanced knowledge of high-impact weather associated with tropical and polar circulations and their interactions with midlatitude flows; and 5) expanded society’s use of weather information through applied and social science research.

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Melvyn Shapiro
,
Jagadish Shukla
,
Gilbert Brunet
,
Carlos Nobre
,
Michel Béland
,
Randall Dole
,
Kevin Trenberth
,
Richard Anthes
,
Ghassem Asrar
,
Leonard Barrie
,
Philippe Bougeault
,
Guy Brasseur
,
David Burridge
,
Antonio Busalacchi
,
Jim Caughey
,
Deliang Chen
,
John Church
,
Takeshi Enomoto
,
Brian Hoskins
,
Øystein Hov
,
Arlene Laing
,
Hervé Le Treut
,
Jochem Marotzke
,
Gordon McBean
,
Gerald Meehl
,
Martin Miller
,
Brian Mills
,
John Mitchell
,
Mitchell Moncrieff
,
Tetsuo Nakazawa
,
Haraldur Olafsson
,
Tim Palmer
,
David Parsons
,
David Rogers
,
Adrian Simmons
,
Alberto Troccoli
,
Zoltan Toth
,
Louis Uccellini
,
Christopher Velden
, and
John M. Wallace

The necessity and benefits for establishing the international Earth-system Prediction Initiative (EPI) are discussed by scientists associated with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP), Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and natural-hazards and socioeconomic communities. The proposed initiative will provide research and services to accelerate advances in weather, climate, and Earth system prediction and the use of this information by global societies. It will build upon the WMO, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and the International Council for Science (ICSU) to coordinate the effort across the weather, climate, Earth system, natural-hazards, and socioeconomic disciplines. It will require (i) advanced high-performance computing facilities, supporting a worldwide network of research and operational modeling centers, and early warning systems; (ii) science, technology, and education projects to enhance knowledge, awareness, and utilization of weather, climate, environmental, and socioeconomic information; (iii) investments in maintaining existing and developing new observational capabilities; and (iv) infrastructure to transition achievements into operational products and services.

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