Benthuysen and Thomas 2012b.pdf (452.85 kB)
Asymmetries in vertical vorticity and vertical velocity arising during nonlinear homogeneous spindown
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 08:13 authored by Benthuysen, JA, Thomas, LNDuring the spindown of a unidirectional, geostrophic current in a homogeneous fluid, asymmetry arises in the vertical velocity and vertical relative vorticity fields. A closed-form, time-dependent solution valid to order Rossby number is derived to explore these asymmetries. Momentum advection in the interior and the Ekman layer leads to competing tendencies in the vertical vorticity's evolution. In the interior, momentum advection hastens spindown in cyclonic regions. In the Ekman layer, momentum advection weakens Ekman pumping over Ekman suction and thus tends to slow the spindown of cyclonic vorticity. It is shown that the former effect dominates, and hence cyclonic vorticity decays faster than anticyclonic vorticity.
History
Publication title
Physics of FluidsVolume
24Issue
7Article number
076601Number
076601Pagination
1-9ISSN
1070-6631Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Amer Inst PhysicsPlace of publication
Circulation & Fulfillment Div, 2 Huntington Quadrangle, Ste 1 N O 1, Melville, USA, Ny, 11747-4501Rights statement
Copyright 2012 American Institute of PhysicsRepository Status
- Open