A Global and Hemispherical Analysis of the Lorenz Energetics Based on the Representative Concentration Pathways Used in CMIP5

Abstract EN

So far, only a few studies have evaluated the impact of greenhouse gases emissions on the global and limited area energetics.

Furthermore, all of them have concentrated on the increasing of CO2.

As new climate projections are now available from a number of climate models under the MPI-ESR-MR experiment, the present study analyses the global and hemispherical energetics under the increase of greenhouse gas forcings that follow Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP26, RCP45, and RCP85).

The results have shown a reduction in the LEC intensity as the concentration of greenhouse gases increases, with the RCP85 scenario generating the strongest decrease.

For both global and hemispherical domains, zonal kinetic energy is the only energy reservoir which increases in a warmer environment, whereas the conversion between eddy kinetic energy and zonal kinetic energy (CK) is the only energy flux also experiencing an increase.

A quantitative analysis of the inner processes involved in the conversion terms shows important changes in the horizontal and vertical eddy-transport of momentum and sensible heat.

In the case of CK both vertical and horizontal eddy-transports of momentum play an important role in the increase of zonal kinetic energy for the global domain.