Is the subdominant part of the energy spectrum due to downscale energy cascade hidden in quasi-geo strophic turbulence?

    Authors

    E. Gkioulekas;K. K. Tung

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst.-Ser. B

    Keywords

    2d turbulence; QG turbulence; 2-LEVEL MODEL SIMULATION; 2-DIMENSIONAL TURBULENCE; ATMOSPHERIC-TURBULENCE; INERTIAL-RANGE; GEOSTROPHIC TURBULENCE; STATISTICAL DYNAMICS; COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT; ENSTROPHY; 2D; WAVES; Mathematics, Applied

    Abstract

    In systems governing two-dimensional turbulence, surface quasi-geostrophic turbulence, (more generally alpha-turbulence), two-layer quasi-geostrophic turbulence, etc., there often exist two conservative quadratic quantities, one "energy"-like and one "enstrophy"-like. In a finite inertial range there are in general two spectral fluxes, one associated with each conserved quantity. We derive here an inequality comparing the relative magnitudes of the "energy" and "enstrophy" fluxes for finite or infinitesimal dissipations, and for hyper or hypo viscosities. When this inequality is satisfied, as is the case of 2D turbulence,where the energy flux contribution to the energy spectrum is small, the subdominant part will be effectively hidden. In sQG turbulence, it is shown that the opposite is true: the downscale energy flux becomes the dominant contribution to the energy spectrum. A combination of these two behaviors appears to be the case in 2-layer QG turbulence, depending on the baroclinicity of the system.

    Journal Title

    Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems-Series B

    Volume

    7

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2007

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    293

    Last Page

    314

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000244968400006

    ISSN

    1531-3492

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