Internal Gravity Waves Generated by Penetrative Convection

Abstract

Penetrative convection is modeled by a series of idealized disturbances at the base of an atmospheric temperature inversion. Internal gravity waves excited in the inversion by the disturbances are theoretically found to drain away a fraction of the initial energy of the disturbances. The portion of energy lost upward is significant when the temperature inversion is weak. Vertical energy fluxes due to internal gravity waves are mathematically described using wave group approaches.