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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, in press, 2009.
Atmospheric complexity or scale by scale simplicity?
S. Lovejoy, D. Schertzer, V. Allaire, T. Bourgeois, S. King, J. Pinel, J. Stolle
Abstract
Is the numerical integration of nonlinear partial
differential equations the only way to tackle atmospheric
complexity? Or do cascade dynamics repeating scale after
scale lead to simplicity? Using 1000 orbits of TRMM
satellite radiances from 11 bands in the short wave (visible,
infra red) long wave (passive microwave) and radar regions
and 8.8 to 20,000 km in scale, we find that the radiance
gradients follow the predictions of cascade theories to
within about ±0.5%, ±1.25%, ±5.9% for the short waves,
long waves and reflectivities respectively and with outer
scales varying between !5,000 to !32,000 km. Since the
radiances and dynamics are strongly coupled, we conclude
that weather can be accurately modeled as a cascade
process.
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