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8,500
Comment on Enhanced TKE Dissipation under Breaking Waves
physics.ao-ph
It is noted that the results of recent experiments on the enhancement of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation below surface waves can be stated as follows. TKE dissipation is enhanced by a factor $15 H_{ws}/z$ at depths $0.5 H_{ws} < z < 20 H_{ws}$ with respect to the wall-layer result $\epsilon = u_{*w}^3/\kappa...
physics
8,501
On the mechanism of decadal oscillations in a coarse resolution ocean model
physics.ao-ph
The mechanism that causes an interdecadal oscillation in a coarse resolution sector ocean model forced by mixed boundary conditions is studied. The oscillation is characterized by large fluctuations in convective activity and air/sea heat exchange on a decadal time scale. When the convective activity is large, a streng...
physics
8,502
A comparison of two operational wave assimilation methods
physics.ao-ph
A comparison is carried out between two operational wave forecasting/assimilation models for the North Sea, with the emphasis on the assimilation schemes. One model is the WAM model, in combination with an optimal interpolation method (OIP). The other model, DASWAM, consists of the third generation wave model PHIDIAS i...
physics
8,503
The El Nino Stochastic Oscillator
physics.ao-ph
Anomalies during an El Nino are dominated by a single, irregularly oscillating, mode. Equatorial dynamics has been linked to delayed-oscillator models of this mode. Usually, the El Nino mode is regarded as an unstable mode of the coupled atmosphere system and the irregularity is attributed to noise and possibly chaos. ...
physics
8,504
On the El-Nino Teleconnection to Spring Precipitation in Europe
physics.ao-ph
In a statistical analysis of more than a century of data we find a strong connection between strong warm El Nino winter events and high spring precipitation in a band from Southern England eastwards into Asia. This relationship is an extension of the connection mentioned by Kiladis and Diaz (1989), and much stronger th...
physics
8,505
11-Year Warm Cloud Modification Experiment in Maharashtra State, India
physics.ao-ph
A warm cloud modification experiment was carried out in an area of 4800 Sq.Km in the Pune region,India, during the 11-summer monsoon (June-September) seasons (1973-74, 1976, 1979-86). A double-area cross-over design with area randomization was adopted and an instrumented aircraft was used for seeding and cloud physical...
physics
8,506
A possible explanation for Earth's climatic changes in the past few million years
physics.ao-ph
The astronomical theory of Milankovitch relates the changes of Earth' past climate to variations in insolation caused by oscillations of the orbital parameters. However, this theory has problems to account for some major observed phenomena of the past few million years. Here, we present an alternative explanation for t...
physics
8,507
Using Rigorous Ray Tracing to Incorporate Reflection into the Parabolic Approximation
physics.ao-ph
We present a parabolic approximation that incorporates reflection. With this approximation, there is no need to solve the parabolic equation for a coupled pair of solutions consisting of the incident and reflected waves. Rather, this approximation uses a synthetic wave whose spectral components manifest the incident an...
physics
8,508
Radiation of mixed layer near-inertial oscillations into the ocean interior
physics.ao-ph
The radiation from the mixed layer into the interior of the ocean of near-inertial oscillations excited by a passing storm in the presence of the beta effect is reconsidered as an initial-value problem. Making use of the fact that the mixed layer depth is much smaller than the total depth of the ocean, the solution is ...
physics
8,509
Monodisperse approximation in the metastable phase decay
physics.ao-ph
A new simple method for the first order phase transition kinetics is suggested. The metastable phase consumption can be imagined in frames of the modisperse approximation for the distribution of the droplets sizes. In all situations of the metastable phase decay this approximation leads to negligible errors in the tota...
physics
8,510
On the effect of small-scale oceanic variability on topography-generated currents
physics.ao-ph
Small-scale oceanic motions, in combination with bottom topography, induce mean large-scale along-isobaths flows. The direction of these mean flows is usually found to be anticyclonic (cyclonic) over bumps (depressions). Here we employ a quasigeostrophic model to show that the current direction of these topographically...
physics
8,511
A non-linear optimal estimation inverse method for radio occultation measurements of temperature, humidity and surface pressure
physics.ao-ph
An optimal estimation inverse method is presented which can be used to retrieve simultaneously vertical profiles of temperature and specific humidity, in addition to surface pressure, from satellite-to-satellite radio occultation observations of the Earth's atmosphere. The method is a non-linear, maximum {\it a posteri...
physics
8,512
A New Hypothesis for Layers of High Reflectivity Seen in MST Radar Observations
physics.ao-ph
Analysis of MST radar observations at Gadanki (near Tirupati, India), for a period of 14 months from 1995 September to 1996 November, shows that "Clear air Turbulence" is not the primary source of high MST radar reflectivity; this conventional idea needs to be modified. An alternative hypothesis based on the microphysi...
physics
8,513
Remote sensing of bubble clouds in seawater
physics.ao-ph
We report on the influence of submerged bubble clouds on the remote sensing properties of water. We show that the optical effect of bubbles on radiative transfer and on the estimate of the ocean color is significant. We present a global map of the volume fraction of air in water derived from daily wind speed data. This...
physics
8,514
Monte Carlo study of the scattering error of a quartz reflective absorption tube
physics.ao-ph
A Monte Carlo model was used to study the scattering error of an absorption meter with a divergent light beam and a limited acceptance angle of the receiver. Reflections at both ends of the tube were taken into account. Calculations of the effect of varying optical properties of water, as well as the receiver geometry,...
physics
8,515
Asymptotic light field in the presence of a bubble-layer
physics.ao-ph
We report that the submerged microbubbles are an efficient source of diffuse radiance and may contribute to a rapid transition to the diffuse asymptotic regime. In this asymptotic regime an average cosine is easily predictable and measurable.
physics
8,516
Improvements of the Discrete Dipole Approximation method
physics.ao-ph
The discrete-dipole approximation (DDA) is a flexible technique for computing scattering and absorption by targets of arbitrary geometry. In this paper we perform systematic study of various non-stationary iterative (conjugate gradient) methods in search for the most efficient one in order to solve the system of equati...
physics
8,517
PARIS Interferometric Processor Analysis and Experimental Results: Theoretical Feasibility Analysis
physics.ao-ph
Several experimental results show that it is possible to extract useful phase information from reflected GPS signals over the oceans. In this work we begin the development of the theoretical background to account for these results and fully understand the phenomena involved. This information will then be used to define...
physics
8,518
Modelling horizontal and vertical concentration profiles of ozone and oxides of nitrogen within high-latitude urban area
physics.ao-ph
A Lagrangian column model has been developed to simulate the mean (monthly and annual) three-dimensional structure in ozone and nitrogen oxides concentrations in the boundary layer within and immediately around an urban area. Short time-scale photochemical processes of ozone, as well as emissions and deposition to the ...
physics
8,519
The Day-night Variation of Cosmic Rays Instensity at Sea Level Under the Influence of Meteorological Fronts and Troughs
physics.ao-ph
The day-night variation of cosmic rays intensity at sea level has been observed by a simple G-M counter telescope. We preform two 5 hours counting during the day and night and find that the pattern of variation is closely related to the atmospheric disturbance, especially when the observation station is being affected ...
physics
8,520
Evaluating the quality of ground-based microwave radiometer measurements and retrievals using detrended fluctuation and spectral analysis methods
physics.ao-ph
Time series both of microwave radiometer brightness temperature measurements at 23.8 and 31.4 GHz and of retrievals of water vapor and liquid water path from these brightness temperatures are evaluated using the detrended fluctuation analysis method. As quantified by the parameter $\alpha$, this method (i) enables iden...
physics
8,521
Relationship between sunspot number and total annual precipitation at Izana (Tenerife): Maximum precipitation prediction with three year lagged sunspots?
physics.ao-ph
A possible relationship between sunspot number and total annual precipitation from the Izana Observatory has been found. The annual precipitation period ranges from 1916 to 1998, thus including nearly eight 11-year solar cycles. When points of total precipitation for a given year at Izana are plotted on the ordinate ...
physics
8,522
Universality and Scale Invariance in Hourly Rainfall
physics.ao-ph
We show that the hourly rainfall rate distribution can be described by a simple power law to a good approximation. We show that the exponent of the distribution in tropics is universal and is equal to $1.13\pm 0.11$. At higher latitudes the exponent increases and is found to lie in the range 1.3-1.6.
physics
8,523
Stability of Rossby waves in the beta-plane approximation
physics.ao-ph
Floquet theory is used to describe the unstable spectrum at large scales of the beta-plane equation linearized about Rossby waves. Base flows consisting of one to three Rossby wave are considered analytically using continued fractions and the method of multiple scales, while base flow with more than three Rossby waves ...
physics
8,524
Global warming: What does the data tell us?
physics.ao-ph
We analyze global surface temperature data obtained at 13472 weather stations from the year 1702 to 1990. The mean annual temperature of a station fluctuates from year to year by typically +-0.6oC (one standard deviation). Superimposed on this fluctuation is a linear increase of the temperature by typically 0.40oC per ...
physics
8,525
GPM Draft Science Implementation Plan Ground Validation Chapter
physics.ao-ph
The validation of NASA Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) satellite precipitation products is important for their credibility and utility within the larger community. This document defines GPM ground validation scientific objectives and several programmatic components for meeting those objectives. Multi-year, multi-sen...
physics
8,526
Stability of Semi-Implicit and Iterative Centred-Implicit Time Discretizations for Various Equation Systems Used in NWP
physics.ao-ph
The stability of classical semi-implicit scheme, and some more advanced iterative schemes recently proposed for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) purpose is examined. In all these schemes, the solution of the centred-implicit non-linear equation is approached by an iterative fixed-point algorithm, preconditioned by a ...
physics
8,527
Characteristics of Aerosol Spectral Optical Depths over Manora Peak, Nainital $-$ A High Altitude Station in the Central Himalayas
physics.ao-ph
We present, for the first time, spectral behaviour of aerosol optical depths (AODs) over Manora Peak, Nainital located at an altitude of $\sim$ 2 km in the Shivalik ranges of central Himalayas. The observations were carried out using a Multi-Wavelength solar Radiometer during January to December 2002. The main results ...
physics
8,528
Cloud boundary height measurements using lidar and radar
physics.ao-ph
Using only lidar or radar an accurate cloud boundary height estimate is often not possible. The combination of lidar and radar can give a reliable cloud boundary estimate in a much broader range of cases. However, also this combination with standard methods still can not measure the cloud boundaries in all cases. This ...
physics
8,529
Constrained-Hamiltonian Shallow-Water Dynamics on the Sphere
physics.ao-ph
Salmon's nearly geostrophic model for rotating shallow-water flow is derived in full spherical geometry. The model, which results upon constraining the velocity field to the height field in Hamilton's principle for rotating shallow-water dynamics, constitutes an important prototype of Hamiltonian balanced models. Inste...
physics
8,530
Deep ocean influence on upper ocean baroclinic instability saturation
physics.ao-ph
In this paper we extend earlier results regarding the effects of the lower layer of the ocean (below the thermocline) on the baroclinic instability within the upper layer (above the thermocline). We confront quasigeostrophic baroclinic instability properties of a 2.5-layer model with those of a 3-layer model with a ver...
physics
8,531
Use of the likelihood for measuring the skill of probabilistic forecasts
physics.ao-ph
We define the likelihood and give a number of justifications for its use as a skill measure for probabilistic forecasts. We describe a number of different scores based on the likelihood, and briefly investigate the relationships between the likelihood, the mean square error and the ignorance.
physics
8,532
A New Framework for the Assessment and Calibration of Medium Range Ensemble Temperature Forecasts
physics.ao-ph
We present a new framework for the assessment and calibration of medium range ensemble temperature forecasts. The method is based on maximising the likelihood of a simple parametric model for the temperature distribution, and leads to some new insights into the predictability of uncertainty.
physics
8,533
Development of an elementary climate model: two-layer cellular case
physics.ao-ph
A qualitative understanding of the greenhouse effect has long been available through models based on globally- and time-averaged quantities. We examine here a simple 864-cell climatological model that emphasizes vertical radiative energy transport within each cell. It reproduces yearly average temperatures obtained ear...
physics
8,534
The Assessment and Calibration of Ensemble Seasonal Forecasts of Equatorial Pacific Ocean Temperature and the Predictability of Uncertainty
physics.ao-ph
We evaluate the performance of two 44 year ensemble seasonal hindcast time series for the Nino3 index produced as part of the DEMETER project. We show that the ensemble mean carries useful information out to six months. The ensemble spread, however, only carries useful information out to four months in one of the model...
physics
8,535
Moment based methods for ensemble assessment and calibration
physics.ao-ph
We describe various moment-based ensemble interpretation models for the construction of probabilistic temperature forecasts from ensembles. We apply the methods to one year of medium range ensemble forecasts and perform in and out of sample testing. Our main conclusion is that probabilistic forecasts derived from the e...
physics
8,536
Lagrangian turbulence in the Adriatic Sea as computed from drifter data: effects of inhomogeneity and nonstationarity
physics.ao-ph
The properties of mesoscale Lagrangian turbulence in the Adriatic Sea are studied from a drifter data set spanning 1990-1999, focusing on the role of inhomogeneity and nonstationarity. A preliminary study is performed on the dependence of the turbulent velocity statistics on bin averaging, and a preferential bin scale ...
physics
8,537
A note on the use of the word 'likelihood' in statistics and meteorology
physics.ao-ph
We highlight the different uses of the word 'likelihood' that have arisen in statistics and meteorology, and make the recommendation that one of these uses should be dropped to prevent confusion and misunderstanding.
physics
8,538
Five guidelines for the evaluation of site-specific medium range probabilistic temperature forecasts
physics.ao-ph
Probabilistic temperature forecasts are potentially useful to the energy and weather derivatives industries. However, at present, they are little used. There are a number of reasons for this, but we believe this is in part due to inadequacies in the methodologies that have been used to evaluate such forecasts, leading ...
physics
8,539
Comparing the ensemble mean and the ensemble standard deviation as inputs for probabilistic medium-range temperature forecasts
physics.ao-ph
We ask the following question: what are the relative contributions of the ensemble mean and the ensemble standard deviation to the skill of a site-specific probabilistic temperature forecast? Is it the case that most of the benefit of using an ensemble forecast to predict temperatures comes from the ensemble mean, or f...
physics
8,540
Do probabilistic medium-range temperature forecasts need to allow for non-normality?
physics.ao-ph
The gaussian spread regression model for the calibration of site specific ensemble temperature forecasts depends on the apparently restrictive assumption that the uncertainty around temperature forecasts is normally distributed. We generalise the model using the kernel density to allow for much more flexible distributi...
physics
8,541
Do medium range ensemble forecasts give useful predictions of temporal correlations?
physics.ao-ph
Medium range ensemble forecasts are typically used to derive predictions of the conditional marginal distributions of future events on individual days. We assess whether they can also be used to predict the conditional correlations between different days.
physics
8,542
The dependence of relative dispersion on turbulence scales in Lagrangian Stochastic Models
physics.ao-ph
The aim of the article is to investigate the relative dispersion properties of the Well Mixed class of Lagrangian Stochastic Models. Dimensional analysis shows that given a model in the class, its properties depend solely on a non-dimensional parameter, which measures the relative weight of Lagrangian-to-Eulerian scale...
physics
8,543
Universality in snowflake aggregation
physics.ao-ph
Aggregation of ice crystals is a key process governing precipitation. Individual ice crystals exhibit considerable diversity of shape, and a wide range of physical processes could influence their aggregation; despite this we show that a simple computer model captures key features of aggregate shape and size distributio...
physics
8,544
Stability of leap-frog constant-coefficients semi-implicit schemes for the fully elastic system of Euler equations. Flat-terrain case
physics.ao-ph
The aim of this paper is to investigate the response of this system/scheme in terms of stability in presence of explicitly treated residual terms, as it inevitably occurs in the reality of NWP. This sudy is restricted to the impact of thermal and baric residual terms (metric residual terms linked to the orography are n...
physics
8,545
On the Use of a Wider Class of Linear Systems for the Design of Constant-Coefficients Semi-Implicit Time-Schemes in NWP
physics.ao-ph
The linearization of the meteorological equations around a specified reference state, usually applied in NWP to define the linear system of constant-coefficients semi-implicit schemes, is outlined as an unnecessarily restrictive approach which may be detrimental in terms of stability. It is shown theoretically that an ...
physics
8,546
A theory of growth by differential sedimentation with application to snowflake formation
physics.ao-ph
A simple model of irreversible aggregation under differential sedimentation of particles in a fluid is presented. The structure of the aggregates produced by this process is found to feed back on the dynamics in such a way as to stabilise both the exponents controlling the growth rate, and the fractal dimension of the ...
physics
8,547
Multilayer shallow-water model with stratification and shear
physics.ao-ph
The purpose of this paper is to present a shallow-water-type model with multiple inhomogeneous layers featuring variable linear velocity vertical shear and startificaion in horizontal space and time. This is achieved by writing the layer velocity and buoyancy fields as linear functions of depth, with coefficients that ...
physics
8,548
Weather forecasts, Weather derivatives, Black-Scholes, Feynmann-Kac and Fokker-Planck
physics.ao-ph
We investigate the relationships between weather forecasting, weather derivatives, the Black-Scholes equation, Feynmann-Kac theory and the Fokker-Planck equation. There is one useful result, but on the whole the relations we present seem to be more interesting than practically useful.
physics
8,549
The problem with the Brier score
physics.ao-ph
The Brier score is frequently used by meteorologists to measure the skill of binary probabilistic forecasts. We show, however, that in simple idealised cases it gives counterintuitive results. We advocate the use of an alternative measure that has a more compelling intuitive justification.
physics
8,550
Linear waves and baroclinic instability in an inhomogeneous-density layered primitive-equation ocean model
physics.ao-ph
We consider a multilayer generalization of Ripa's inhomogeneous-density single-layer primitive-equation model. In addition to vary arbitrarily in horizontal position and time, the horizontal velocity and buoyancy fields are allowed to vary linearly with depth within each layer of the model. Preliminary results on linea...
physics
8,551
GPM Ground Validation Basic Radar Products and Implications for Observation Strategies
physics.ao-ph
Recommendations are made for NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite Ground Validation (GV) program. This report details recommended GV site local radar products based on data from surface-based scanning radars including S-band, C-band, and X-band polarimetric and non-polarimetric radars. Three gener...
physics
8,552
On the sensitivity of coastal quasigeostrophic edge wave interaction to bottom boundary characteristics: possible implications for eddy parameterizations
physics.ao-ph
The Eady problem of baroclinic instability as applicable to quasi-geostrophic oceanic flows with zero internal PV gradients is revisited by introducing a mild slope and Ekman pumping on the lower boundary. The solution behaviour is determined by the isopycnal slope relative to either the bottom slope or the ratio of Ek...
physics
8,553
Improving probabilistic weather forecasts using seasonally varying calibration parameters
physics.ao-ph
We show that probabilistic weather forecasts of site specific temperatures can be dramatically improved by using seasonally varying rather than constant calibration parameters.
physics
8,554
Singular vector ensemble forecasting systems and the prediction of flow dependent uncertainty
physics.ao-ph
The ECMWF ensemble weather forecasts are generated by perturbing the initial conditions of the forecast using a subset of the singular vectors of the linearised propagator. Previous results show that when creating probabilistic forecasts from this ensemble better forecasts are obtained if the mean of the spread and the...
physics
8,555
On the Formulation of Lagrangian Stochastic Models for Geophysical Turbulent Flows
physics.ao-ph
This paper has been withdrawn by the author(s), due to a crucial error in eq. 6.
physics
8,556
Generalized Paraxial Ray Trace Procedure Derived from Geodesic Deviation
physics.ao-ph
Paraxial ray tracing procedures have become widely accepted techniques for acoustic models in seismology and underwater acoustics. To date a generic form of these procedures including fluid motion and time dependence has not appeared in the literature. A detailed investigation of the characteristic curves of the equati...
physics
8,557
Estimate of drainage water behaviour in shallow lakes
physics.ao-ph
A theoretical estimate of the explicit time dependence of a drainage water of shallow lakes is presented as an important contribution for understanding the lake dynamics. This information can be obtained from a sum of functions, largely used in fitting of experimental data. These functions were chosen because their cen...
physics
8,558
An Analytical Theory for the Early Stage of the Development of Hurricanes: Part I
physics.ao-ph
A theoretical formulation for the early stage (Tropical Storm stage) of hurricane development is proposed. These solutions are not only consistent with observations but also offer some new insights into hurricane properties. This is the first time a theoretical model for the early growing of hurricanes is proposed for ...
physics
8,559
A link between an ice age era and a rapid polar shift
physics.ao-ph
The striking asymmetry of the ice cover during the Last Global Maximum suggests that the North Pole was in Greenland and then rapidly shifted to its present position in the Arctic See. A scenario which causes such a rapid geographic polar shift is physically possible. It involves an additional planet, which disappeared...
physics
8,560
Cosmic Rays and Solar Insolation as the Main Control Parameters of the Catastrophe Theory of Climatic Response to Orbital Variations
physics.ao-ph
The energy-balance model of global climate, which is taking into account a nontrivial role of solar and galactic protons, is presented. The model is described by the equation of fold catastrophe relative to increment of temperature, where the variation of a solar insolation and cosmic rays are control parameters. It is...
physics
8,561
Probabilistic temperature forecasting: a summary of our recent research results
physics.ao-ph
We summarise the main results from a number of our recent articles on the subject of probabilistic temperature forecasting.
physics
8,562
Making use of the information in ensemble weather forecasts: comparing the end to end and full statistical modelling approaches
physics.ao-ph
We discuss how ensemble weather forecasts can be used, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of two particular methods.
physics
8,563
Probabilistic forecasting of temperature: comments on the Bayesian Model Averaging approach
physics.ao-ph
A specific implementation of Bayesian model averaging has recently been suggested as a method for the calibration of ensemble temperature forecasts. We point out the similarities between this new approach and an earlier method known as kernel regression. We also argue that the Bayesian model averaging method (as applie...
physics
8,564
Probabilistic forecasts of temperature: measuring the utility of the ensemble spread
physics.ao-ph
The spread of ensemble weather forecasts contains information about the spread of possible future weather scenarios. But how much information does it contain, and how useful is that information in predicting the probabilities of future temperatures? One traditional answer to this question is to calculate the spread-ski...
physics
8,565
Probabilistic temperature forecasting: a comparison of four spread-regression models
physics.ao-ph
Spread regression is an extension of linear regression that allows for the inclusion of a predictor that contains information about the variance. It can be used to take the information from a weather forecast ensemble and produce a probabilistic prediction of future temperatures. There are a number of ways that spread ...
physics
8,566
Observations and simulations of receiver-induced refractivity biases in GPS radio occultation
physics.ao-ph
This paper has been withdrawn.
physics
8,567
Global monitoring of tropospheric water vapor with GPS radio occultation aboard CHAMP
physics.ao-ph
The paper deals with application of GPS radio occultation (RO) measurements aboard CHAMP for the retrieval of tropospheric water vapor profiles. The GPS RO technique provides a powerful tool for atmospheric sounding which requires no calibration, is not affected by clouds, aerosols or precipitation, and provides an alm...
physics
8,568
Global Warming: some back-of-the-envelope calculations
physics.ao-ph
We do several simple calculations and measurements in an effort to gain understanding of global warming and the carbon cycle. Some conclusions are interesting: (i) There has been global warming since the end of the "little ice age" around 1700. There is no statistically significant evidence of acceleration of global wa...
physics
8,569
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone tracks: a semi-parametric model for the mean trajectory
physics.ao-ph
We present a statistical model for the unconditional mean tracks of hurricanes. Our model is a semi-parametric scheme that averages together observed hurricane displacements. It has a single parameter that defines the averaging length scale, and we derive the optimum value for this parameter using a jackknife. The main...
physics
8,570
Influence of Coriolis force on propagation and reflection of long waves
physics.ao-ph
Influence of Coriolis force on propagation and reflection of the stimulated long waves generated pulsing and harmonic concentrated sources is studied. Geostrophic stream are found, is received asymptotics for transition mode. It is established that in case of presence of rectilinear boundary as a result of reflection K...
physics
8,571
Topographical scattering of waves: a spectral approach
physics.ao-ph
The topographical scattering of gravity waves is investigated using a spectral energy balance equation that accounts for first order wave-bottom Bragg scattering. This model represents the bottom topography and surface waves with spectra, and evaluates a Bragg scattering source term that is theoretically valid for smal...
physics
8,572
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone tracks: a comparison of models for the variance of trajectories
physics.ao-ph
We describe results from the second stage of a project to build a statistical model for hurricane tracks. In the first stage we modelled the unconditional mean track. We now attempt to model the unconditional variance of fluctuations around the mean. The variance models we describe use a semi-parametric nearest neighbo...
physics
8,573
Improving on the empirical covariance matrix using truncated PCA with white noise residuals
physics.ao-ph
The empirical covariance matrix is not necessarily the best estimator for the population covariance matrix: we describe a simple method which gives better estimates in two examples. The method models the covariance matrix using truncated PCA with white noise residuals. Jack-knife cross-validation is used to find the tr...
physics
8,574
Year-ahead prediction of US landfalling hurricane numbers
physics.ao-ph
We present a simple method for the year-ahead prediction of the number of hurricanes making landfall in the US. The method is based on averages of historical annual hurricane numbers, and we perform a backtesting study to find the length of averaging window that would have given the best predictions in the past.
physics
8,575
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone tracks: modelling the autocorrelation in track shape
physics.ao-ph
We describe results from the third stage of a project to build a statistical model for hurricane tracks. In the first stage we modelled the unconditional mean track. In the second stage we modelled the unconditional variance of fluctuations around the mean. Now we address the question of how to model the autocorrelatio...
physics
8,576
Revisiting the Local Scaling Hypothesis in Stably Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence: an Integration of Field and Laboratory Measurements with Large-eddy Simulations
physics.ao-ph
The `local scaling' hypothesis, first introduced by Nieuwstadt two decades ago, describes the turbulence structure of stable boundary layers in a very succinct way and is an integral part of numerous local closure-based numerical weather prediction models. However, the validity of this hypothesis under very stable cond...
physics
8,577
Anomalous Gulf Heating and Hurricane Katrinas Rapid Intensification
physics.ao-ph
Global warming due to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases has become a great concern and has been linked to increased hurricane activity associated with higher sea surface temperatures with conflicting views. Our observational results based on long term trends of sea surface temperatures reveal that the an...
physics
8,578
Exciton matter sustained by colossal dispersive interactions due to enhanced polarizability: Possible clue to ball lightning
physics.ao-ph
Recently Gilman has pointed out that the material state of a ball lightning is both highly cohesive and flexible. He makes a specific proposal for a cohesive state arising from (colossal) Van-der-Waals attraction between highly polarizable Rydberg atoms produced under a linear lightning. We accept his general suggestio...
physics
8,579
Current effects on scattering of surface gravity waves by bottom topography
physics.ao-ph
Scattering of random surface gravity waves by small amplitude topography in the presence of a uniform current is investigated theoretically. This problem is relevant to ocean waves propagation on shallow continental shelves where tidal currents are often significant. A perturbation expansion of the wave action to secon...
physics
8,580
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone genesis: a non-parametric model for the annual distribution
physics.ao-ph
As part of a project to develop more accurate estimates of the risks due to tropical cyclones, we describe a non-parametric method for the statistical simulation of the location of tropical cyclone genesis. The method avoids the use of arbitrary grid boxes, and the spatial smoothing of the historical data is constructe...
physics
8,581
Seasonal Change of the Ozone Layer State over Yakutia
physics.ao-ph
The ozone layer state in the stratosphere over Yakutia depending on the year time is considered. It is shown that the layer thickness is maximum in February-March (450 Dobson's units) and it is minimum in July-September (300 - 350 DU). Measurements indicate that the ozone layer thickness was significantly decreased in ...
physics
8,582
Subgrid-scale modeling of reacting scalar fluxes in large-eddy simulations of atmospheric boundary layers
physics.ao-ph
In large-eddy simulations of atmospheric boundary layer turbulence, the lumped coefficient in the eddy-diffusion subgrid-scale (SGS) model is known to depend on scale for the case of inert scalars. This scale dependence is predominant near the surface. In this paper, a scale-dependent dynamic SGS model for the turbulen...
physics
8,583
Forecasting Convective Downburst Potential Over The United States Great Plains
physics.ao-ph
A favorable environment for downbursts associated with deep convective storm systems that occur over the central and eastern continental United States includes strong static instability with large amounts of convective available potential energy and the presence of a mid-tropospheric layer of dry air. However, previous...
physics
8,584
A Study of a Cold-Season Downburst Event over the Oklahoma Panhandle
physics.ao-ph
This paper has been withdrawn by the author due to obsolete content.
physics
8,585
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone tracks: modelling cyclone lysis
physics.ao-ph
We describe results from the fifth stage of a project to build a statistical model of tropical cyclone tracks. The previous stages considered genesis and the shape of tracks. We now consider in more detail how to represent the lysis (death) of tropical cyclones. Improving the lysis model turns out to bring a significan...
physics
8,586
Year-ahead prediction of US landfalling hurricane numbers: intense hurricanes
physics.ao-ph
We continue with our program to derive simple practical methods that can be used to predict the number of US landfalling hurricanes a year in advance. We repeat an earlier study, but for a slightly different definition landfalling hurricanes, and for intense hurricanes only. We find that the averaging lengths needed fo...
physics
8,587
Year ahead prediction of US landfalling hurricane numbers: the optimal combination of long and short baselines
physics.ao-ph
Annual levels of US landfalling hurricane activity averaged over the last 11 years (1995-2005) are higher than those averaged over the previous 95 years (1900-1994). How, then, should we best predict hurricane activity rates for next year? Based on the assumption that the higher rates will continue we use an optimal co...
physics
8,588
Statistical modelling of tropical cyclone tracks: non-normal innovations
physics.ao-ph
We present results from the sixth stage of a project to build a statistical hurricane model. Previous papers have described our modelling of the tracks, genesis, and lysis of hurricanes. In our track model we have so far employed a normal distribution for the residuals when computing innovations, even though we have de...
physics
8,589
On Possibility of Electromagnetic Nature of Atmospheric Intensive Vortices Generation
physics.ao-ph
Our goal is to find out possible appearance of rotational motion in the atmosphere, created by a lightning. A positive solution of this question, in the end, leads to a necessity of accepting that processes of birth and annihilation of electron-positron pairs take place in the leader head of lightning channel. Under th...
physics
8,590
Comments on "Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years" by Kerry Emanuel, Nature, 31 July 2005, Vol. 436, pp. 686-688
physics.ao-ph
The near universal references to the above paper by most of the major US media outlets and blogs since Katrina and Rita made US landfall requires a response from a few of us who study hurricanes. Having been involved with hurricane research and forecasting for nearly 50 years, I feel I have an obligation to offer comme...
physics
8,591
Comments by William M. Gray (Colorado State University) on the recently published paper in Science by Webster et al., titled "Changes in tropical cyclone number, duration, and intensity in a warming environment." (September 2005, Vol. 309, pp. 1844-1846, www.sciencemag.org)
physics.ao-ph
Recent US major landfalling hurricanes Katrina and Rita and last year's four U.S. landfalling major hurricanes have spawned an abundance of questions concerning the role that global warming might be playing in these events. This idea has been given added credence by the September 2005 Science paper of Webster, Holland,...
physics
8,592
A Study of a Dryline Convective Downburst
physics.ao-ph
During the afternoon of 15 June 2005, convective storms developed along and west of the dryline over eastern Colorado and New Mexico. One such storm tracked eastward into Cimarron County, Oklahoma and produced a strong downburst at Kenton. The dryline, as it tracked eastward over the western Oklahoma Panhandle, establi...
physics
8,593
Computationally-efficient Expressions for the Collision Efficiency Between Electrically Charged Aerosol Particles and Cloud Droplets
physics.ao-ph
A multifactor parameterization is described to permit the efficient calculation of collision efficiency (E) between electrically charged aerosol particles and neutral cloud droplets in numerical cloud and climate models. The four parameter representation summarizes the results obtained from a detailed microphysical mod...
physics
8,594
The Role of Downward Momentum Transport in the Generation of Convective Downbursts
physics.ao-ph
A downburst index has been developed to assess the magnitude of convective downbursts associated with heavy precipitation-producing (HP) convective systems. The index, designed for use during the warm season over the central and eastern continental United States, is composed of relevant parameters that represent the si...
physics
8,595
Aerosol Characteristics at a High Altitude Location in Central Himalayas: Optical Properties and Radiative Forcing
physics.ao-ph
Collocated measurements of the mass concentrations of aerosol black carbon (BC) and composite aerosols near the surface were carried out along with spectral aerosol optical depths (AODs) from a high altitude station, Manora Peak in Central Himalayas, during a comprehensive aerosol field campaign in December 2004. Despi...
physics
8,596
An explanation for the lack of trend in the hurricane frequency
physics.ao-ph
The proposition that the tropical cyclogenesis increases with the size of the warm pool, the area enclosed by the 26C SST isotherm, is tested by comparing the seasonal variation of the warm pool area with the seasonality of the number of tropical cyclones. A non-linear relationship of high statistical significance is f...
physics
8,597
Electrical Behavior of Downburst-Producing Convective Storms over the Western United States
physics.ao-ph
A great body of research literature pertaining to microburst generation in convective storms has focused on thermodynamic factors of the pre-convective environment as well as storm morphology as observed by radar imagery. Derived products based on GOES sounder data have been found to be especially useful in the study o...
physics
8,598
A Qualitative Description of Boundary Layer Wind Speed Records
physics.ao-ph
The complexity of the atmosphere endows it with the property of turbulence by virtue of which, wind speed variations in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) exhibit highly irregular fluctuations that persist over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Despite the large and significant body of work on microscale t...
physics
8,599
Tropical Cyclone Forecasting Applications of the GOES WMSI
physics.ao-ph
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) sounder-derived Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI) was originally developed and implemented to assess the potential magnitude of convective downbursts over the central and eastern continental United States. The WMSI algorithm incorporates convective availab...
physics