Subsynoptic-Scale Energy Transformations in Various Severe Storm Situations

• Published in: Journal of the atmospheric sciences 1977-01, Vol.34 (1), p.98-110
• Main Authors: Tsui, Ted L., Kung, Ernest C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-4928; 1520-0469
• DOI: 10.1175/1520-0469(1977)034<0098:ssetiv>2.0.co;2

The energy transformations are studied with a subsynoptic-scale upper air network for three types of severe storm environments under convective, nonconvective, and frontal situations. The environment of the convective storms is most active energetically, with intense generation and dissipation of kinetic energy taking place in the upper layer of the atmosphere. In the case of the nonconvective environment, a strong adiabatic destruction of kinetic energy through the cross-isobaric flow takes place in the upper layer of the atmosphere. In the frontal cases, the upper layer of the atmosphere becomes energetically inactive for the observed scale in terms of the gross energy budget. Examination of the kinetic energy budget during the thunderstorm passage indicates the existence of subsynoptic-scale areas of adiabatic generation and destruction of kinetic energy, with the maximum destruction in the middle and upper layers in the area of the maximum storm intensity. The eddy energy transformations in the disturbances are intensive in the active convective environment, and a significant amount of eddy kinetic energy is derived through the local baroclinic conversion process.