Thermoacoustic internal gravity wave turbulence in the Earth's lower atmosphere

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Adhikary, S. Das, Misra, A. P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Adhikary, S. Das
Misra, A. P.
author_facet Adhikary, S. Das
Misra, A. P.
contents We propose, for the first time, a two-dimensional model for the nonlinear coupling of internal gravity and thermal waves in the presence of temperature-dependent density inhomogeneity due to thermal expansion and thermal feedback in stratified fluids of the Earth's lower atmosphere ($0-50$ km). Such a coupling gives rise to the evolution of thermoacoustic internal gravity waves (IGWs), which are distinctive from the known IGWs in the literature. We perform numerical simulations to study the nonlinear interactions of velocity and density perturbations associated with the IGWs and thermal fluctuations corresponding to the thermal mode. We show that solitary vortices of IGWs coupled to the thermal wave can lead to thermoacoustic turbulence. We observe the formation of large-scale velocity potential flows and small-scale structures in the density and temperature profiles. Interestingly, while the wave energy spectra exhibit power laws: $ k_x^{-1.67}$ and $ k_z^{-2.89}$, respectively, for horizontal and vertical wave numbers, in the troposphere ($0-15$ km) with negative temperature gradient, the same in the stratosphere ($15-50$ km) with positive temperature gradient tend to relax toward $k_x^{-1.83}$-horizontal and $k_z^{-1.03}$-vertical spectra. We find that while the energy spectra in the tropospheric turbulence are consistent with the observed phenomena without temperature gradients, those in the stratosphere differ.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_00594
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Thermoacoustic internal gravity wave turbulence in the Earth's lower atmosphere
Adhikary, S. Das
Misra, A. P.
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
Fluid Dynamics
We propose, for the first time, a two-dimensional model for the nonlinear coupling of internal gravity and thermal waves in the presence of temperature-dependent density inhomogeneity due to thermal expansion and thermal feedback in stratified fluids of the Earth's lower atmosphere ($0-50$ km). Such a coupling gives rise to the evolution of thermoacoustic internal gravity waves (IGWs), which are distinctive from the known IGWs in the literature. We perform numerical simulations to study the nonlinear interactions of velocity and density perturbations associated with the IGWs and thermal fluctuations corresponding to the thermal mode. We show that solitary vortices of IGWs coupled to the thermal wave can lead to thermoacoustic turbulence. We observe the formation of large-scale velocity potential flows and small-scale structures in the density and temperature profiles. Interestingly, while the wave energy spectra exhibit power laws: $ k_x^{-1.67}$ and $ k_z^{-2.89}$, respectively, for horizontal and vertical wave numbers, in the troposphere ($0-15$ km) with negative temperature gradient, the same in the stratosphere ($15-50$ km) with positive temperature gradient tend to relax toward $k_x^{-1.83}$-horizontal and $k_z^{-1.03}$-vertical spectra. We find that while the energy spectra in the tropospheric turbulence are consistent with the observed phenomena without temperature gradients, those in the stratosphere differ.
title Thermoacoustic internal gravity wave turbulence in the Earth's lower atmosphere
topic Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.00594