Instability and flow over topography
Abstract
The stability of quasi-geostrophic beta-plane flow over topography is considered. The stationary, asymmetric response to a uniform zonal current flowing over topography is calculated, and the stability properties of the total, zonally asymmetric field are determined. It is shown that the flow may become barotropically or baroclinically unstable under many circumstances. Exact, fully nonlinear solutions for one-layer and two-layer flow are obtained, and the results are discussed. Computer-generated maps of the one-layer and two-layer flow are provided.
- Publication:
-
Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
- Pub Date:
- 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1080/03091928508245436
- Bibcode:
- 1985GApFD..34....1V
- Keywords:
-
- Baroclinic Instability;
- Barotropic Flow;
- Flow Stability;
- Geostrophic Wind;
- Stratified Flow;
- Topography;
- Eigenvalues;
- Eigenvectors;
- Jacobi Matrix Method;
- Scaling Laws;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer