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Dynamics of zonally elongated transient flows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2021

M.V. Rudko Open the ORCID record for M.V. Rudko [Opens in a new window]  and
I.V. Kamenkovich
M.V. Rudko*
Affiliation:
Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA Atlantic Oceanic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL 33149, USA
I.V. Kamenkovich
Affiliation:
Department of Ocean Sciences, RSMAS/University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: mrudko@miami.edu
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Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of zonally elongated transient flows (ZELTs) in the context of quasi-geostrophic turbulence. Unlike stationary zonal jets considered in previous studies, these flow features do not span the entire oceanic basin and propagate in the zonal direction at a speed slower than baroclinic Rossby waves. The analysis of potential vorticity balance in a statistically steady state shows that ZELTs are maintained by the vorticity flux divergences associated with the eddy–eddy interactions whereas the eddy–mean flow interactions play a secondary role. The divergences of the eddy fluxes of barotropic relative vorticity and buoyancy are shown to be the dominant contributors. The importance of specific eddy–eddy interactions are further studied using a dynamical model with the removed eddy–eddy vorticity flux divergences, which is equivalent to the fluid system with an absent cascade of eddy energy. Simulations with this reduced-dynamics model exhibit a complete disappearance of ZELTs, confirming the expectations from the analysis of the vorticity balance. Additional reduced-dynamics simulations demonstrate that the eddy kinetic energy transport leads to the emergence of ZELTs, with the transport in the baroclinic mode playing the leading role, while the potential energy transport acts to damp them.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Baroclinic flows Geophysical and Geological Flows: Geostrophic turbulence Geophysical and Geological Flows: Quasi-geostrophic flows
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 911 , 25 March 2021 , A61
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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