Energy partition in a barotropic atmosphere

Abstract

The response of an unbounded rotating barotropic atmosphere to a randomly distributed initial energy input is investigated. The initial condition is specified in terms of an energy density function and the solutions (kinetic and potential energies) of a one-dimensional and time-dependent linearized system are determined. The results show that the approach to a predominantly steady-state geostrophic energy distribution is rapid if the initial energy density spectrum is broad and/or the wave number of maximum initial energy density occurs at a relatively large wave-number, k ? 4. If the initial energy density is concentrated in a narrow band in the low wave-number part of the spectrum a significant amount of energy goes into ageostrophic inertia-motion and the approach to the steady-state occurs slowly.