Meridional Localization of Planetary Waves in Stochastic Zonal Flows

Abstract

The effect of stochastic fluctuations in the zonal-mean velocity field on the energy dispersion of planetary stationary waves is considered, using the nondivergent, barotropic vorticity equation. It is found that for small noise levels, the oscillatory structure of the solutions is not altered. However, for noise levels comparable to or larger than those observed in the circulation at 500 mb, the marginal density functions of the solution process in the subpolar region cluster near zero. This indicates that fluctuations in the velocity field inhibit the poleward dispersion of stationary wave energy. This localization phenomenon appears whether the ensemble average of the mean zonal flow is superrotation or has a simple two-jet structure.