Nonlinear meridional scale interaction in baroclinic instability |
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| Authors: | Charles A Lin |
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| Institution: | Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7 Canada |
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| Abstract: | Baroclinic instability of a zonal flow with latitudinal structure is examined using a nonlinear quasi-geostrophic, two-level β-plane model. An initially small perturbation with the structure of the linearly most unstable mode is allowed to grow to finite amplitude through nonlinear interaction. Because of latitudinal asymmetries of the basic zonal flow, a spectrum of meridional modes is generated in the perturbation. The time evolution of zonal wind and perturbation meridional structures, and their Fourier meridional mode spectra are examined. The radius of deformation is an important meridional scale in both the zonal flow and perturbation. This is especially true during the barotropic decay phase of the baroclinic wave. Time series of energy conversion terms show there is no energy accumulation. |
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