On the Large-Scale Dynamics of f-Plane Zonally Symmetric Circulations
Abstract
In this study, an f-plane dynamical model for incompressible flows is presented to examine the mechanisms underlying thestructure and stability of large-scale zonally symmetric circulations. Analyses based on the Principle of Exchange of Stabilitiesreveal that this zonally symmetric model possesses a single-cell structure in the absence of the Coriolis force, similar to thesingle-cell general atmospheric circulation in the absence of the Earths rotation as previously hypothesized. The circulation,however, bifurcates into a triple-cell structure in the presence of the Coriolis force if the vertical temperature gradient, therotational rate, and the momentum eddy coefficients satisfy a certain constraint. Further analyses of this triple-cell structure asa result of the Coriolis force show that this structure is topologically stable, thus offering new insight into the highly resilientstructure of the Earths atmospheric global circulations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 02, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1107680
Entities
People
- Chanh Kieu
- Quan Wang
Organizations
- Indiana University Bloomington