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On the origin of jets in the ocean |
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| Authors: | Y D Afanasyev S O’leary P B Rhines E Lindahl |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography , Memorial University of Newfoundland , St. John's, NL , Canada afanai@mun.ca;3. Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography , Memorial University of Newfoundland , St. John's, NL , Canada;4. School of Oceanography, University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98125 , USA |
| Abstract: | We show a mechanism whereby the jets result during the development of β-plumes (i.e., low-frequency Rossby waves that establish gyre circulations) in a model of ocean-basin circulation. The energy originates in baroclinic meanders of circulation at the eastern boundary of the ocean. Eddies are intimately related and occur as a result of the instability of this process. This mechanism does not rely on the existence of the small-scale turbulence to establish zonal flows. Zonal jets can then be amplified by eddies arranged in certain order in the flow. The underlying dynamics include the propagation of linear and nonlinear basin scale Rossby waves. The related barotropic theory for these waves is developed here. We demonstrate the radiative development of jets and β-plumes in a laboratory experiment using a rotating fluid with a paraboloidal free surface. The dynamical fields are measured by the laboratory analog of the satellite altimetry. |
| Keywords: | Alternating zonal jets Ocean circulation Laboratory experiments Optical altimetry |