Boundary-Layer Structure Near an Ice Edge as a Function of Wind Direction

Abstract

This paper examines the Sensitivity of boundary-layer (BL) frontal' features, created by differences across an ice edge and characterized by positive vertical velocity (w), to variations in geostrophic wind direction (a), particularly for flow approximately parallel to the ice edge. Notable is the asymmetry introduced by Coriolis/frictional forces. Thermal and mechanical differences between ice and water surfaces at an ice edge create an adjustment region. This adjustment region will be most 'frontal' in character when the resulting gradients are largest, which is most probable when advection perpendicular to the ice edge is small. Thus a geostrophic wind nearly parallel to the ice edge gives much stronger surface temperature gradients (Kantha and Mellor, 1989) and stronger jet maxima (Langland et al., 1989) than when the geostrophic wind is perpendicular ice edge.... Arctic leads, Boundary layer, Mesoscale.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA268437

Entities

People

  • John W. Glendening

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Advection
  • Asymmetry
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Boundary Layer Transition
  • Diffusion
  • Geostrophic Wind
  • Layers
  • Meteorology
  • Sea Breeze
  • Simulations
  • Stratified Fluids
  • Surface Temperature
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Turbulence
  • Wind
  • Wind Direction

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Polar and Arctic Studies