Engineering topics

Charney, J. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Charney, J. G..

3 records

NASA NTRS1988

A study of the dynamics of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in a symmetric atmosphere-ocean model

A numerical model of the circulation of a coupled axisymmetric atmosphere-ocean system was constructed to investigate the physical factors governing the location and intensity of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over oceans and over land. The results of several numerical integrations are presented to illustrate the interaction of the individual atmospheric and oceanic circulations. It is shown that the ITCA cannot be located at the equator because the atmosphere-ocean system is unstable for lateral displacements of the ITCA from an equilibrium position at the equator.

Charney, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Comparison of a barotropic blocking theory with observation

Hart (1979) showed that the truncated spectral equations obtained by Charney and Devore (1979) could be derived merely by assuming that the cross-stream scale of the topography was large compared to the downstream scale. Since actual topography does not have the large y scales postulated by Hart, his model was modified in the current investigation to obtain equations with arbitrary zonal variations of topography by projecting all variable functions onto the first topographic cross-stream mode. The topographic heights and streamfunctions are expanded as Fourier series in the cross-stream coordinate and the series are truncated after the first term. This accomplishes Hart's results but permits more realistic y variations in the topography. The present investigation is the first in a two-part series. The second part will deal with a two-layer baroclinic channel flow, again with arbitrary zonal variations of topography.

Charney, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Form-drag instability, multiple equilibria and propagating planetary waves in baroclinic, orographically forced, planetary wave systems

A two-layer baroclinic model is used to study the planetary-scale motions of a thermally driven atmosphere in the presence of topography, and in doing so to extend previous results obtained with a barotropic model. Highly truncated spectral equations are used to obtain multiple wavelike stationary equilibrium states, to examine the instabilities that produce them, and to study the instabilities that feed on them and give rise to traveling planetary waves. Although the equilibria cannot exist without orography, their energy comes from the potential energy of the mean flow, not from kinetic energy transfer via the mountain torque. Low-index (blocking) equilibria as well as high-index equilibria require a large thermal driving and are associated with both orographic and baroclinic instability of the Hadley circulation. It is suggested that blocking in nature is a quasi-stable circulation arising from orographic instability with strong thermal driving; and that observed low-frequency, propagating planetary waves are due to instabilities of the quasi-stationary, topographically forced equilibria.

Charney, J. G.↗