Studies of Baroclinic Flow
Abstract
Prof. R. Krishnamurti and Dr H. Yang have completed their investigation of finite amplitude Hele-Shaw convection with an imposed shear. Their interest was also to determine the effect of convective transport of momentum upon the mean flow. Analysis of approximate solutions of the barotropic vorticity equation subject to periodic boundary conditions continues. In another study, considerable progress has been made in solving the nonlinear steady state barotropic vorticity equation for parameters which correspond to a series of laboratory experiments involving forced flow of a rotating fluid over bottom topography. In these experiments, the fluid is contained in a rotating circular cylindrical annulus with a differentially rotating, rigid, radially sloping, lid in contact with the top surface of the fluid. The fluid is forced into motion by the rotation of the lid. In another effort, the dynamics of equilibrium states in a sheared barotropic channel flow is being investigated. This flow is relevant to meteorological flows and the object of this work is to understand the population of certain states, called free modes, and comprehend how the actual flow in phase space is attracted from one state to another. The present research effort has investigated new parallel computing techniques and fast algorithms for the efficient use of parallel computers in solving shallow water equations. Progress has been made toward understanding the development and nonlinear behavior of traveling baroclinic waves in the atmosphere and their interaction with topographically and thermally forced planetary waves.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA243050
Entities
People
- Richard L. Pfeffer
Organizations
- Florida State University