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An idealized primitive equation model is used to determine the factors controlling the dynamics and maintenance of eddy activity in a storm track. The results show that localized regions of enhanced baroclinicity do not necessarily lead to localization of eddy activity. By studying the energetics of the storm track, it is shown that while baroclinic conversion does indeed correlate with the region of maximum baroclinicity, it is the downstream radiation of energy through the ageostrophic geopotential fluxes which acts as a trigger for the development and maintenance of eddy activity over less baroclinic regions, extending the region of eddy activity much further downstream from the region of high baroclinicity. Examples of eddy life cycles are given that show that convergence and divergence of ageostrophic fluxes can dominate baroclinic and barotropic conversion, especially in regions with weak baroclinicity. Factors that may limit the zonal extent of a storm track are discussed. Evidence of downstream development over the wintertime Pacific storm track based on analyses of ECMWF data is also shown.
Chang et al. (1993) studied this question.