An Air-Sea Feedback Mechanism for Quasi-Geostrophic Water Movement Near a Fast Shelf-Ice Edge with a Small Curvature
Abstract
An air-sea coupled model developed in this paper is intended to depict the generation of unstable coastal water waves near a fast shelf-ice edge with small curvature. Without any external forcing of the system, the unstable modes are excited by the air-sea feedback mechanism. Thermally forced surface winds, generated by a surface temperature gradient that is re lated to the vertical displacement of the pycnocline, in turn produce a surface water current that further changes the vertical displacement of the pycnocline. The model consists of two elements: thermally forced surface air flow and mechanically driven coastal water waves (Clarke) . The two components are linked through the surface temperature gradient and surface wind stress. The coupled air sea model is solved as an eigenvalue problem. It is found that the iceward convex ice edge, relatively thin ice, and small upper-layer water depth favor the generation of very unstable modes. The influence of the coupling on the wave velocity is also discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA575162
Entities
People
- Peter Cheng Chu
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School