Numerical Simulations of Interactions between Gravity Waves and Deep Moist Convection

Abstract

This study uses a numerical model to simulate deep convection both in the Tropics over the ocean and the midlatitudes over land. The vertical grid that was used extends into the stratosphere, allowing for the simultaneous examination of the convection and the vertically propagating gravity waves that it generates. A large number of trajectories are used to evaluate the behavior of tracers in the troposphere, and it is found that the tracers can be segregated into different types based upon their position in a diagram of normalized vertical velocity versus displacement. Conditional sampling is also used to identify updrafts in the troposphere and calculate their contribution to the kinetic energy budget of the troposphere. In addition, Fourier analysis is used to characterize the waves in the stratosphere; it was found that the waves simulated in this study have similarities to those observed and simulated by other researchers. Finally, this study examines the wave energy flux as a means to provide a link between the tropospheric behavior of the convection and the strength of the waves in the stratosphere.