Revisiting the Loreanz Energy Cycle: Impacts of Global Warming on Atmospheric Energy Cycle

Observations reveal an increasing frequency and intensity of climate extremes during summer under global warming. Pronounced warming in the tropical upper troposphere and Arctic amplification play as key contributors to these changes. Such warming patterns affect the thermal gradients between the tropics and high latitudes, leading to changes in midlatitude baroclinicity, a key factor for synoptic dynamics. Investigating a comprehensive understanding of the links between global warming and atmospheric energy cycle is crucial for identifying the mechanisms responsible for extreme events.

The Lorenz energy cycle provides a robust framework for examining the generation, conversion, and distribution of atmospheric energy. It effectively explains the formation of available potential energy resulting from differential heating in the atmosphere and its subsequent conversion into kinetic energy through large-scale dynamical processes. Analyzing the Lorenz energy cycle offers crucial insights into the ways global warming impacts large-scale circulation.

This study revisits and evaluates the Lorenz energy cycle to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how global warming influences the global energy cycle and general circulation. Furthermore, it explores the potential implications of these changes for the development and intensification of extreme weather phenomena.