Stationary Rossby-waves in a two-layer model produced by a submarine ridge

Characteristics of stationary Rossby-waves are investigated by use of equations expressing conservation of potential vorticity for a quasi-geostrophic two-layer flow of an incompressible inviscid fluid on a beta-plane. A two-dimensional problem is discussed; the basic flow is directing eastward without horizontal shear, and the stationary Rossby-waves are produced by a two-dimensional bump extending in the north-south direction which is located on a sloping bottom with a constant north-south gradient.When the slope is steep, stream-lines are scarcely displaced being influenced by the bump. When the bottom has no north-south inclination, however, there is a case where group velocity of Rossby-waves produced by the bump directs westward and the stream-lines meander sinusoidally at the west of the bump. This phenomenon is called upstream influence. These two special cases have a possibility to explain two different mean paths for the Kuroshio namely, the path along the continental slope and the path with a stationary meander at the west of the Izu-Ogasawara Ridge.