THE ROLE OF LARGE-SCALE ASYMMETRIES AND INTERNAL MIXING IN COMPUTING MERIDIONAL CIRCULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STEADY-STATE HURRICANE

Abstract

The role of asymmetries (large-scale horizontal eddies) in satisfying the mean angular momentum budget for the steady-state hurricane is studied by computing transverse circulations for a prescribed tangential vortex on the scale of 1000 km. For realistic diabatic heating rates at large distances from the hurricane center, the correlation between radial velocity and absolute vorticity must be negative in the upper troposphere and positive in the lower troposphere. The transverse circulations show small-scale oscillations that increase as internal mixing is increased. This paradox results from balancing ?noise? in the prescribed tangential wind profiles by oscillations in the radial and vertical advection terms.