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DYNAMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Summary
In a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model, only the barotropic and first
(n =1) baroclinic Rossby waves are represented.
At a western boundary, long wavelength Rossby waves reflect into
short wavelength Rossby waves.
The response of an ocean basin to a step function in wind stress consists of an inertial response, a long wave response and a short wave
response. The constant density and baroclinic spin-up time scale to
the Sverdrup solution is determined by the propagation time scale
(L/(β 0 R 2
D ) and L/(β 0 L 2
D ), respectively) of the longest Rossby wave
in the basin. The western boundary layer flow is build up by the short
Rossby waves.
The adjustment time is proportional to f 0 and the adjustment is thus
much faster in lower latitudes than at higher latitudes.
DYNAMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Summary
In a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model, only the barotropic and first
(n =1) baroclinic Rossby waves are represented.
At a western boundary, long wavelength Rossby waves reflect into
short wavelength Rossby waves.
The response of an ocean basin to a step function in wind stress consists of an inertial response, a long wave response and a short wave
response. The constant density and baroclinic spin-up time scale to
the Sverdrup solution is determined by the propagation time scale
(L/(β 0 R 2
D ) and L/(β 0 L 2
D ), respectively) of the longest Rossby wave
in the basin. The western boundary layer flow is build up by the short
Rossby waves.
The adjustment time is proportional to f 0 and the adjustment is thus
much faster in lower latitudes than at higher latitudes.