کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
4548667 | 1327922 | 2009 | 9 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
![عکس صفحه اول مقاله: Quasi-two-dimensional flow on the polar β-plane: Laboratory experiments Quasi-two-dimensional flow on the polar β-plane: Laboratory experiments](/preview/png/4548667.png)
Geophysical turbulence is strongly affected by the variation of the Coriolis parameter with latitude. This variation results in the so-called β-effect, which forces energy from small-scales to be transferred preferentially into zonal motions. This effect results in the formation of narrow jet-like zonal flows that dominate the dynamics and act as transport barriers. Here, laboratory experiments are used to reproduce this effect in decaying turbulent flows. An electromagnetic cell is used to generate an initial field of vorticity in a rotating tank. Under conditions of quasi-geostrophic flow, the β-effect is produced by depth variation of the flow instead of variation of the Coriolis parameter. The effects of changing the container geometry and the overall fluid depth on the production of jets are investigated. The results suggest that this laboratory configuration can be used to model jet formation in the oceans and that increasing fluid depth is a practical way to decrease viscous effects.
Journal: Journal of Marine Systems - Volume 77, Issue 4, June 2009, Pages 502–510