Preliminary Estimates of Surface Vorticity and Divergence in Gulf Stream Western Boundary Perturbations Using Satellite and Buoy Data,
Abstract
Estimates of surface divergence, surface vorticity, and terms in the equation for the time rate of change of vorticity at the surface in a Gulf Stream western boundary perturbation were derived using data from satellite track free-drifting buoy and surface temperature patterns from satellite infrared data. In the perturbation study, the curvature acceleration and divergence terms acted to produce cyclonic curvature vorticity at the expense of shear vorticity. It was hypothesized that the banking term, on the other hand, acted in opposition to the curvature acceleration and divergence terms. The growth or dissipation in the wave amplitude of the perturbation, which were judged by the growth or dissipation of the cyclonic curvature vorticity, appeared to depend on the relative magnitude of the curvature acceleration term, the divergence term, and the banking term. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADP001060
Entities
People
- Fred M. Vukovich
- George A. Maul
Organizations
- RTI International