Quasigeostrophic turbulence in a three-layer model: effects of vertical structure in the mean shear

I. M. Held, E. O'Brien

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31 Scopus citations

Abstract

For equal values of the mean vertical shear, eddy fluxes and energies are greater when the shear is concentrated at lower levels (d2U/dz2<0) than when the shear is concentrated at higher levels (d2U/dz2>0). Eddy fluxes are more sensitive to lower- than to upper-level mean temperature gradients. This relative sensitivity is a function of γ = f2Λ/(βN2H), where Λ is the mean vertical shear and H is the depth of the fluid. It is enhanced as γ is reduced, as the unstable modes become shallower, until the eddies become almost completely insensitive to the strength of the upper-layer wind for γ <0.5. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1861-1870
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Volume49
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Atmospheric Science

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