Potential vorticity "crises", adverse pressure gradients, and western boundary current separation

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ID: 303188
2002
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Abstract
The vorticity dynamics involved in western boundary current separation are investigated in a depth-averaged barotropic single-gyre circulation forced by a spatially uniform wind stress curl in a circular basin on a beta-plane. The mechanism of separation is of interest in this simple model because it lacks most of the features (such as a change in sign of the wind stress curl, collision with another western boundary current, outcropping of isopycnals or an abrupt change in bottom topography or boundary shape) often associated with boundary current separation. It has been suggested that a crisis due to insufficient recovery of potential vorticity Q in the outer boundary current outflow can result in separation. However, the numerical results and analysis presented here demonstrate that under no-slip boundary conditions the opposite crisis occurs in the viscous sublayer of the western boundary current, where fluid columns acquire more Q than they lost in the interior. The outflow must, therefore, adopt a configuration which dissipates this excess Q before fluid elements return to the interior flow. It is shown that under strongly nonlinear conditions sufficient viscous dissipation of Q can only be obtained when the outflow separates from the boundary; this flow structure is also associated with an adverse ageostrophic pressure gradient along the boundary. Under the free-slip boundary condition the cyclonic sublayer is absent, so there is no crisis of excess Q and the separation behavior is markedly different.
Reference Key
openalex_W2050930335 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Andrew E. Kiss
Journal journal of marine research
Year 2002
DOI
10.1357/002224002321505138
URL
https://doi.org/10.1357/002224002321505138
Keywords Keywords not found

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