Kung, E. C., 1966: Kinetic energy generation and dissipation in the large-scale atmospheric
circulation. Monthly Weather Review, 94 (2), 67-82.
Abstract: The kinetic energy budget and dissipation are studied in their various
partitionings, using daily aerological (wind and geopotential) data from
the network over North America for six months.
The total kinetic energy dissipation is partitioned into vertical mean flow
and shear flow and also into planetary boundary layer and free atmosphere.
Furthermore, the dissipations in the vertical mean flow and shear flow are
partitioned separately into components contributed by the boundary layer
and free atmosphere. Two important terms in the total kinetic energy equation
in determining the mean flow dissipation are the conversion important terms
in the mean flow kinetic energy equation in determining the mean flow dissipation
are the conversion between the vertical shear and mean flows and the outflow.
The mean flow and shear flow dissipations seem to have numerical values
of the same order of magnitude. The evaluated boundary layer dissipation
and free atmosphere dissipation indicate that the latter is at least as
important as the former. It is also shown that the mean flow dissipation
is mainly contributed from the free atmosphere while the shear flow dissipation
is contributed from the boundary layer and free atmosphere in the same order
of magnitude. The evaluated dissipation values and related kinetic energy
parameters are presented and examined in detail.
Of special interest in this study is the direct evaluation of the kinetic
energy generation due to the work done by the horizontal pressure force.
Daily variation of the generation at different pressure levels seems to
suggest three different modes of the generation cycle in the upper, mid,
and lower troposphere. Clear vertical profiles of the generation from the
surface to the 100-mb level are obtained; it is shown that strong generation
takes place in the upper and lower troposphere while the generation in the
mid troposphere is very weak. It is also suggested that there may be an
approximate balance of the kinetic energy generation and dissipation in
the boundary layer.