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Description
Earth-system models describe the interacting components of the climate system and

technological systems that affect society, such as communication infrastructures. Data

assimilation addresses the challenge of state specification by incorporating system

observations into the model estimates. In this research, a particular data

assimilation technique called the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) is

applied

Earth-system models describe the interacting components of the climate system and

technological systems that affect society, such as communication infrastructures. Data

assimilation addresses the challenge of state specification by incorporating system

observations into the model estimates. In this research, a particular data

assimilation technique called the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) is

applied to the ionosphere, which is a domain of practical interest due to its effects

on infrastructures that depend on satellite communication and remote sensing. This

dissertation consists of three main studies that propose strategies to improve space-

weather specification during ionospheric extreme events, but are generally applicable

to Earth-system models:

Topic I applies the LETKF to estimate ion density with an idealized model of

the ionosphere, given noisy synthetic observations of varying sparsity. Results show

that the LETKF yields accurate estimates of the ion density field and unobserved

components of neutral winds even when the observation density is spatially sparse

(2% of grid points) and there is large levels (40%) of Gaussian observation noise.

Topic II proposes a targeted observing strategy for data assimilation, which uses

the influence matrix diagnostic to target errors in chosen state variables. This

strategy is applied in observing system experiments, in which synthetic electron density

observations are assimilated with the LETKF into the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-

Electrodynamics Global Circulation Model (TIEGCM) during a geomagnetic storm.

Results show that assimilating targeted electron density observations yields on

average about 60%–80% reduction in electron density error within a 600 km radius of

the observed location, compared to 15% reduction obtained with randomly placed

vertical profiles.

Topic III proposes a methodology to account for systematic model bias arising

ifrom errors in parametrized solar and magnetospheric inputs. This strategy is ap-

plied with the TIEGCM during a geomagnetic storm, and is used to estimate the

spatiotemporal variations of bias in electron density predictions during the

transitionary phases of the geomagnetic storm. Results show that this strategy reduces

error in 1-hour predictions of electron density by about 35% and 30% in polar regions

during the main and relaxation phases of the geomagnetic storm, respectively.
ContributorsDurazo, Juan, Ph.D (Author) / Kostelich, Eric J. (Thesis advisor) / Mahalov, Alex (Thesis advisor) / Tang, Wenbo (Committee member) / Moustaoui, Mohamed (Committee member) / Platte, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
The dynamics of a fluid flow inside 2D square and 3D cubic cavities

under various configurations were simulated and analyzed using a

spectral code I developed.

This code was validated against known studies in the 3D lid-driven

cavity. It was then used to explore the various dynamical behaviors

close to the onset

The dynamics of a fluid flow inside 2D square and 3D cubic cavities

under various configurations were simulated and analyzed using a

spectral code I developed.

This code was validated against known studies in the 3D lid-driven

cavity. It was then used to explore the various dynamical behaviors

close to the onset of instability of the steady-state flow, and explain

in the process the mechanism underlying an intermittent bursting

previously observed. A fairly complete bifurcation picture emerged,

using a combination of computational tools such as selective

frequency damping, edge-state tracking and subspace restriction.

The code was then used to investigate the flow in a 2D square cavity

under stable temperature stratification, an idealized version of a lake

with warmer water at the surface compared to the bottom. The governing

equations are the Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation.

Simulations were done over a wide range of parameters of the problem quantifying

the driving velocity at the top (e.g. wind) and the strength of the stratification.

Particular attention was paid to the mechanisms associated with the onset of

instability of the base steady state, and the complex nontrivial dynamics

occurring beyond onset, where the presence of multiple states leads to a

rich spectrum of states, including homoclinic and heteroclinic chaos.

A third configuration investigates the flow dynamics of a fluid in a rapidly

rotating cube subjected to small amplitude modulations. The responses were

quantified by the global helicity and energy measures, and various peak

responses associated to resonances with intrinsic eigenmodes of the cavity

and/or internal retracing beams were clearly identified for the first time.

A novel approach to compute the eigenmodes is also described, making accessible

a whole catalog of these with various properties and dynamics. When the small

amplitude modulation does not align with the rotation axis (precession) we show

that a new set of eigenmodes are primarily excited as the angular velocity

increases, while triadic resonances may occur once the nonlinear regime kicks in.
ContributorsWu, Ke (Author) / Lopez, Juan (Thesis advisor) / Welfert, Bruno (Thesis advisor) / Tang, Wenbo (Committee member) / Platte, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Herrmann, Marcus (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
The three-dimensional flow contained in a rapidly rotating circular

split cylinder is studied numerically solving the Navier--Stokes

equations. The cylinder is completely filled with fluid

and is split at the midplane. Three different types of boundary

conditions were imposed, leading to a variety of instabilities and

complex flow dynamics.

The first configuration has a strong

The three-dimensional flow contained in a rapidly rotating circular

split cylinder is studied numerically solving the Navier--Stokes

equations. The cylinder is completely filled with fluid

and is split at the midplane. Three different types of boundary

conditions were imposed, leading to a variety of instabilities and

complex flow dynamics.

The first configuration has a strong background rotation and a small

differential rotation between the two halves. The axisymmetric flow

was first studied identifying boundary layer instabilities which

produce inertial waves under some conditions. Limit cycle states and

quasiperiodic states were found, including some period doubling

bifurcations. Then, a three-dimensional study was conducted

identifying low and high azimuthal wavenumber rotating waves due to

G’ortler and Tollmien–-Schlichting type instabilities. Over most of

the parameter space considered, quasiperiodic states were found where

both types of instabilities were present.

In the second configuration, both cylinder halves are in exact

counter-rotation, producing an O(2) symmetry in the system. The basic state flow dynamic

is dominated by the shear layer created

in the midplane. By changing the speed rotation and the aspect ratio

of the cylinder, the flow loses symmetries in a variety of ways

creating static waves, rotating waves, direction reversing waves and

slow-fast pulsing waves. The bifurcations, including infinite-period

bifurcations, were characterized and the flow dynamics was elucidated.

Additionally, preliminary experimental results for this case are

presented.

In the third set up, with oscillatory boundary conditions, inertial

wave beams were forced imposing a range of frequencies. These beams

emanate from the corner of the cylinder and from the split at the

midplane, leading to destructive/constructive interactions which

produce peaks in vorticity for some specific frequencies. These

frequencies are shown to be associated with the resonant Kelvin

modes. Furthermore, a study of the influence of imposing a phase

difference between the oscillations of the two halves of the cylinder

led to the interesting result that different Kelvin

modes can be excited depending on the phase difference.
ContributorsGutierrez Castillo, Paloma (Author) / Lopez, Juan M. (Thesis advisor) / Herrmann, Marcus (Committee member) / Platte, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Welfert, Bruno (Committee member) / Tang, Wenbo (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017