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Atmospheric transfer of kinetic energy across planetary-scale circulation and weather

Pejman Hadi Sichani and Benjamin A. Storer2

Hussein Aluie*

  • *Contact author: hussein@rochester.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033239 – Published 27 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1jf1-rm75

Abstract

Earth’s atmospheric circulation spans more than 10 orders of magnitude in spatial scale, and nonlinear interactions across this vast range remain a major barrier to long-term forecasting. Cross-scale atmospheric coupling is often diagnosed using scale-analysis approaches that are inherently global and obscure geographic inhomogeneity. Here, we apply a recently developed spherical coarse-graining method to map the kinetic energy (KE) cascade across scales from the planetary circulation (>3000km) down to the synoptic (3000–1000km) and mesoscale (1000–100km) ranges that underpin most weather systems. While the cascade maps generally complement current understanding, including the energization of polar jet streams by sub-planetary-scale motions, they also reveal unexpected energy transfers. In the troposphere, we find direct KE exchanges between the planetary-scale circulation and smaller scales, including mesoscale motions. The exchanges occur in latitudinal bands of alternating upscale and downscale KE transfer driven by the Hadley, Ferrel, and polar cells, mirroring recent results in the ocean. The physics behind such transfer is not due to a classical turbulence cascade, but is due to the action of planetary-scale strain against anisotropic effective pressure arising from sub-planetary-scale motions. This anisotropic pressure-strain mechanism is analogous to a piston acting against the pressure of a gas, except that the effective pressure here is tensorial and highly anisotropic: It resists compression or rarefaction primarily along horizontal directions where synoptic and mesoscale motions are strongest. The mechanism remains significant after vertical integration because the sub-planetary-scale motions, and hence their effective stress, are vertically inhomogeneous. These findings offer a unique perspective for exploring the interplay between weather and climate.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033239– Published 27 August, 2026
  • Received 4 December 2025
  • Accepted 6 July 2026
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