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2008

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June

  

Reviews of topical problems


Generation of large-scale eddies and zonal winds in planetary atmospheres

 a,  a,  b
a Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshaya Gruzinskaya ul. 10, Moscow, 123995, Russian Federation
b Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya str. 84/32, Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation

The review deals with a theoretical description of the generation of zonal winds and vortices in a turbulent barotropic atmosphere. These large-scale structures largely determine the dynamics and transport processes in planetary atmospheres. The role of nonlinear effects on the formation of mesoscale vortical structures (cyclones and anticyclones) is examined. A new mechanism for zonal wind generation in planetary atmospheres is discussed. It is based on the parametric generation of convective cells by finite-amplitude Rossby waves. Weakly turbulent spectra of Rossby waves are considered. The theoretical results are compared to the results of satellite microwave monitoring of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Fulltext pdf (426 KB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU2008v051n06ABEH006588
PACS: 47.27.−i, 92.10.hf, 92.60.−e (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU2008v051n06ABEH006588
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2008/6/c/
000260064600003
2-s2.0-53849112634
2008PhyU...51..577O
Citation: Onishchenko O G, Pokhotelov O A, Astaf’eva N M "Generation of large-scale eddies and zonal winds in planetary atmospheres" Phys. Usp. 51 577–589 (2008)
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Оригинал: Онищенко О Г, Похотелов О А, Астафьева Н М «Генерация крупномасштабных вихрей и зональных ветров в атмосферах планет» УФН 178 605–618 (2008); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0178.200806c.0605

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