Symmetric baroclinic instability for small ekman numbers

Abstract

The stability of a zonal shear flow to symmetric baroclinic perturbations is examined when the Ekman number, E, is asymptotically small. It is assumed, following Antar and Fowlis (1982), that the zonal Row is generated by imposing a constant horizontal temperature gradient γ* at the horizontal boundaries, and by maintaining a constant temperature difference δT* between them. The boundaries are at rest relative to a rotating frame.

Features of the neutral stability curve are determined for several ranges of values of δT/E ^1/3, where δT = δT*/Hγ* and H is the depth of the fluid layer, and all values of the Prandtl number, sgrave]. In some cases it is possible to determine the whole curve analytically. The most important feature of the results is that the neutral stability curve is closed.

The results are compared to the numerical integrations of Antar and Fowlis (1982). The qualitative features of the solutions are in accord and the quantitative results are, in most cases, as good as can be expected for E only as small as ～ 10^?4. The implications of the results for experimental observations of symmetric baroclinic instability are explored.