Local mesoscale kinetic energy flux in the atmosphere - Preprint

Below is a link to a preprint of my paper. This will be replaced by the DOI when accepted.

Abstract

The mesoscale atmospheric energy spectrum has puzzled scientists for decades, sitting between classical turbulence and wave theories. Using year-long ECMWF operational analyses of high resolution and a spherical coarse-graining framework (Flowsieve), we present the first consistent global maps of local mesoscale kinetic energy fluxes. At 200 hPa, we identify a striking band of upscale transfer aligned with the ITCZ, while storm tracks and orography leave distinct dynamical imprints at both 200 and 600 hPa. By decomposing divergent and rotational components, we show that divergent energy dominates in the tropics and stratosphere, while rotational energy dominates in the extratropical troposphere. Conditioning spectra on this balance reveals contrasting regimes: a Nastrom–Gage-like spectrum under divergent dominance, and a spectrum reminiscent of the classical dual cascade of textbook two-dimensional turbulence under rotational dominance at 600 hPa. These results demonstrate that mesoscale energy transfer is shaped by a patchwork of mechanisms, reconciling long-standing debates and providing new inspiration for parametrisations and predictability in weather and climate models.