Generation of internal- and external-mode motions from internal heating: effects of vertical shear and damping.

Abstract

A simple two-level model is used to investigate the effects of vertical shear, differential damping and the planetary boundary layer on the characteristics of the atmospheric response to internal heating. All three effects are found to enable a transfer of energy from the internal-mode motions, which are directly forced by the internal heating, to external-mode motions. The solution of an initial-value problem shows that in tropical regions, the process of energy transfer from internal to external-mode motions takes about two weeks to complete. - from Authors