Energy cascades in rotating and stratified turbulence in anisotropic domains

TL;DR

This paper investigates how inverse energy cascades occur in rotating, stratified turbulence within anisotropic domains, revealing conditions where they can emerge and influence planetary atmospheric dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of inverse energy cascades in three-dimensional rotating stratified flows under specific planetary-like parameters, expanding turbulence theory.

Findings

Inverse cascades can occur in 3D rotating stratified flows.

Conditions similar to planetary atmospheres promote inverse cascades.

Inverse cascades influence atmospheric self-organization.

Abstract

The concept of inverse energy cascades has played a central role in the development of turbulence theory, with applications in two-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional flows. We examine the presence or absence of inverse energy cascades in rotating stably stratified flows constrained to anisotropic yet fully three-dimensional domains, in a range of parameters that are relevant for planetary atmospheres. In particular, we focus on regimes with aspect ratios, Rossby, and Froude numbers similar to those found in the Earth's and other planets atmospheres. Our results show that, under certain conditions, inverse energy cascades can indeed emerge from the dry fluid dynamics solely, suggesting that this process can play a role in intermediate-scale atmospheric self-organization processes.