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A method for the study of the zonal kinetic energy balance in the atmosphere

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Summary

The atmospheric balance of the kinetic energy of the zonally averaged zonal motion is investigated from five years of daily data at 800 stations for the northern hemisphere. The basic equation for such energy is used, together with the simplifying assumption that the frictional destruction is due in the main to stresses acting across horizontal surfaces, being thus presumably related to the vertical shear of the mean zonal wind, although no further details are needed in the analysis. The five-year averages of various terms as well as their seasonal means appear to give reasonable results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 39, Massachusetts

    Victor P. Starr, Jose P. Peixoto & Joseph E. Sims (Captain)

  2. University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Jose P. Peixoto

  3. United States Air Force, USA

    Joseph E. Sims (Captain)

Authors
  1. Victor P. Starr
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  2. Jose P. Peixoto
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  3. Joseph E. Sims
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Additional information

The research reported in this paper was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. GA-1310X.

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Starr, V.P., Peixoto, J.P. & Sims, J.E. A method for the study of the zonal kinetic energy balance in the atmosphere. PAGEOPH 80, 346–358 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00880219

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00880219

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