AOSS 321, Winter 2009

Earth System Dynamics

Lecture 11
2/12/2009
Christiane Jablonowski
cjablono@umich.edu
734-763-6238

Eric Hetland
ehetland@umich.edu
734-615-3177

Todays lecture
Derivation of the potential temperature equation
(Poisson equation)
Dry adiabatic lapse rate
Static stability, buoyancy oscillations
Derivation of the Brunt-Visl frequency

Thermodynamic equation

(Divide by T)

DT
Dp
cp

=J
Dt
Dt
c p DT Dp J

=
T Dt T Dt T

Use equation of state

(idealgas
law)

Rd
=
T
p

Thermodynamic equation
For conservative motions
(no heating, dry adiabatic: J = 0):

c p DT Rd Dp

=0
T Dt
p Dt
D(lnT)
D(ln p)
cp
Rd
=0
Dt
Dt

Derivation of Poissons Equation (1)

(integrate
over Dt)

D(lnT)
D(ln p)
c p
= Rd
Dt
Dt
c p D(lnT) = Rd D(ln p)
p

c p
(integrate)

D(lnT) = R D(ln p)
d

T0

p0

T
p
c p ln = Rd ln
T
0
p0
p0
T
0
c p ln = Rd ln
T
p

Derivation of Poissons Equation (2)

p0
T
0
c p ln = Rd ln
T
p
Rd

p0
T
0
ln = ln
T
p
cp

Rd
cp

p0
T0 = T
p

Poissons Equation

is called potential temperature!

Definition of the
potential temperature
Rd
cp

p0
T
p

with p0 usually taken to be constant with

p0 = 1000 hPa
The potential temperature is the temperature a
parcel would have if it was moved from some
pressure level and temperature down to the surface.

Definition of potential temperature

Rd
cp

p0
T
p

Does it makes sense that the temperature T

would change in this problem? We did it
adiabatically. There was no source and sink
of energy.

Annual mean zonal mean temperature T

(hPa)

P 1
r
e
s
s 10
u
r
e
100

1000

Kelvin

260
230

220

260
North Pole

200

300
Equator

210

260
South Pole
Source: ECMWF, ERA40

Annual mean zonal mean

potential temperature

(hPa)

Kelvin

100

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

350
330
285

285
300

1000

North Pole

Equator

South Pole

How does the temperature field look?

Source: ECMWF, ERA40

Dry adiabatic lapse rate

For a dry adiabatic, hydrostatic atmosphere the
potential temperature does not vary in the
vertical direction:

=0
z
In a dry adiabatic, hydrostatic atmosphere the
temperature T must therefore decrease with
height.

Class exercise
500 hPa

T?, ?

850 hPa

T = 17 C, ?

An air parcel that has a temperature of 17 C at

the 850 hPa pressure level is lifted dry
adiabatically.
What is the temperature and density of the parcel
when it reaches the 500 hPa level?

Dry adiabatic lapse rate: Derivation

Start with Poisson equation:

Rd
cp

p0
T
p

Take the logarithm of :

Rd
ln = lnT +
( ln p0 ln p)
cp

Differentiate with respect

to height
ln lnT R d ln p0 ln p

=
+

z
z
c p z
z

1 1 T R d p

z T z c p p z

= 0 (p0 constant)

Dry adiabatic lapse rate

Use hydrostatic equation
1 1 T R d g
=
+
z T z
cp p
Plug in ideal gas law for p, then multiply by T:

T T g
=
+
z z c p

=0
For dry adiabatic, hydrostatic atmosphere with
z

T g

=
d
z c p

K/km)
d: dry adiabatic lapse rate (approx.9.8

Static stability
We will now assess the static stability characteristics
of the atmosphere.
Static stability of the environment can be measured
with the buoyancy frequency N.
N is also called Brunt-Visl frequency.
The square of this2 buoyancy
g frequency is defined as

N =

We will derive this equation momentarily, but first lets

discuss some static stability/instability conditions.

Static stability
We will now assess the static stability characteristics
of the atmosphere.

> 0staticallystable
z

= 0staticallyneutral
z

< 0staticallyunstable
z

Stable and unstable situations

Check out this marble in a bowl:
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/stablebowl.html

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Stable and unstable air masses

Stable air:
A rising parcel that is cooler than the surrounding
atmosphere will tend to sink back to its original
position (why?).
Unstable air:
A rising parcel that is warmer than the surrounding
atmosphere will continue to rise (why?).
Neutral air:
The parcel remains at the new location after being
displaced, its temperature varies exactly as the
temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.

Unstable air

Unstable air: makes thunderstorms possible.

Here: visible since clouds rise to high elevations!

Stable air

Stable air: makes oscillations (waves) in the

atmosphere possible, visible due to the clouds!

Stable air

Stable air: makes oscillations (waves) in the

atmosphere possible, what is the wave length?

Stable air

Stable air: temperature inversions suppress rising

motions. Here: stratiform clouds have formed.

Lets take a closer look:

Temperature as function of height
z
Cooler
z
- T/z is
defined as
lapse rate

T
Warmer

Lets take a closer look:

Temperature as function of height
z
Cooler
z
- T/z is
defined as
lapse rate

T
Warmer

Lets take a closer look:

Temperature as function of height
z
Cooler
z
- T/z is
defined as
lapse rate

T
Warmer

Lets take a closer look:

Temperature as function of height
z
Cooler
z
- T/z is
defined as
lapse rate

T
Warmer

The parcel method

We are going displace this parcel move it up
and down.
We are going to assume that the pressure
adjusts instantaneously; that is, the parcel
assumes the pressure of altitude to which it is
displaced.
As the parcel is moved its temperature will
change according to the adiabatic lapse rate.
That is, the motion is without the addition or
subtraction of energy. J is zero in the
thermodynamic equation.

Parcel cooler than environment

z

Cooler
If the parcel moves
up and finds itself
cooler than the
environment then it
will sink. (What is
its density? larger
or smaller?)
Warmer

Parcel cooler than environment

z

Cooler
If the parcel moves
up and finds itself
cooler than the
environment then it
will sink. (What is
its density? larger
or smaller?)
Warmer

Parcel warmer than environment

Cooler
If the parcel moves
up and finds itself
warmer than the
environment then it
will go up some
more. (What is its
density? larger or
smaller?)
Warmer

Parcel warmer than environment

Cooler

If the parcel moves

up and finds itself
warmer than the
environment then it
will go up some
more. (What is its
density? larger or
smaller?)
Warmer

This is our first example of instability a perturbation that grows.

Lets quantify this:

Characteristics of the environment
We assume that the temperature Tenv of the
environment changes with a constant linear slope
(or lapse rate ) in the vertical direction.

? Tenv ?
Tenv = Tsfc zwithconstant = ?
?lapserate
? z ?
Soifwegofromztoz + z,
thenthechangeinTenv oftheenvironmentis
Tenv = Tsfc (z + z) (Tsfc z) = z
Tsfc: temperature at the surface

Lets quantify this:

Characteristics of the parcel
We assume that the temperature Tparcel of the parcel
changes with the dry adiabatic lapse rate d.

Soifwegofromztoz + z,
thenthetemperaturechangeToftheparcelis
Tparcel = Tparcel,z d z Tparcel,z = d z
g
d =
? dryadiabaticlapserate
cp

Stable:
Temperature of parcel cooler than
environment

Tparcel < Tenv

parcel

environment

< d

environment

parcel

compare the lapse rates

Unstable:
Temperature of parcel greater than
environment.

Tparcel > Tenv

parcel

environment

> d

environment

parcel

compare the lapse rates

Stability criteria from physical

argument

d unstable
= d neutral
< d stable
Lapse rate of
the environment

Dry adiabatic lapse rate

of the parcel

Hydrostatic balance

environmentinhydrostaticbalance
1 penv
0 =
g
env z

But our parcel experiences an

acceleration, small displacement z

Dw D z
1 penv
=
=
g
2
Dt
Dt
parcel z
2

Assumption of immediate adjustment of pressure.

p parcel
z

penv
=
z

Solve for pressure gradient

environmentinhydrostaticbalance
1 penv
0 =
g
env z
penv

= genv
z

But our parcel experiences an

acceleration
Dw D2z
1 penv
=
=

g
2
Dt
Dt
parcel z
D2z
1
genv
=
g
(genv ) g =
2
Dt
parcel
parcel

D z
env
use ideal gas law:
=
g
1

Dt
parcel
p R T
T
parcel
D2z
d parcel
env
= g
1
1= g

2
Dt

Rd Tenv p parcel Tenv

2

Recall: penv = p parcel

Rearrange:
T
parcel
D z
= g
1
2
Dt
Tenv

g
=
(Tparcel Tenv )
Tenv
parcel Tenv
g T
=

Tenv z
z
g Tenv Tparcel
=

z
Tenv z z
2

Back to our definitions of temperature

change
Tparcel
Tenv
Recall : =
andd =
z
z
D2z
g Tenv Tparcel

z
2
Dt
Tenv z z
D2z
g

=
( d )z
2
Dt
Tenv
Second-order, ordinary
differential equation:

D z
g
+
(d )z = 0
2
Dt
Tenv
2

Recall: Dry adiabatic lapse rate

Taking the logarithm of , differentiating with respect
to height, using the ideal gas law and hydrostatic
equation gives:

g Tenv Tenv
d = +
=
cp
z
z
Tparcel
g
d =
=
cp
z

dry adiabatic lapse rate

(approx. 9.8 K/km)

Rearrange:
D2z
g
+
(d )z = 0
2
Dt
Tenv
D2z
g Tenv
+

z = 0
2
Dt
Tenv z
D2z
g
+
z = 0
2
Dt
z
D2z
2
+
N
z = 0
2
Dt

1
2

With the Brunt-Visl frequency N =

z

Buoyancy oscillations
D z
2
+ N z = 0
2
Dt
2

1
2

1
2

g ln
withN =
= g

z z

1) > 0,N 2 > 0 : stable, the solution to this equation

z
describes a buoyancy oscillation with period 2/N

2) < 0,N 2 < 0 : unstable, corresponds to growing

z
perturbation, this is an instability

3) = 0,N 2 = 0 : neutral
z

Solution to the differential equation

D z
2
+ N z = 0
2
Dt
2

The general solution can be expressed via

the exponential function with a complex argument:

z = Aexp(iNt)

with A: amplitude, N: buoyancy frequency, i =

If N2 > 0 the parcel will oscillate about its initial
a period = 2/N.
level with
Average N in the troposphere N 0.01 s-1

Remember Eulers formula

exp(ix) = cos(x) + isin(x)
with x: real number
Physical solution:

z = Re(Aexp(iNt))
If N2 > 0 (real) the
solution is a wave with
period = 2/N (more on
waves in AOSS 401)

Stable solution:
Parcel cooler than environment
z

Cooler
If the parcel moves
up and finds itself
cooler than the
environment then it
will sink (and rise
again). This is a
buoyancy oscillation.
Warmer

Stable and unstable air masses

Picture an invisible box of air (an air parcel). If we
compare the temperature of this air parcel to the
temperature of air surrounding it, we can tell if it is
stable (likely to remain in place) or unstable (likely to
move).
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/stable.html

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Temperature soundings
z
Sounding of
the parcel
Sounding of
the
environment:
T inversion