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Baroclinic and barotropic instabilities of coastal currents

Journal Article · · J. Phys. Oceanogr.; (United States)
The two-layer baroclinic instability model of the California Undercurrent from Mysak (1977) is modified to investigate the effects of the lateral boundary conditions on the stability properties of the system. As is common in baroclinic instability calculations, Mysak (1977) assumes the mean flow along the continental rise to be bounded laterally by vertical rigid walls, thus allowing the cross-stream structure of the perturbation flow to be decomposed into simple normal modes. Instability then occurs when waves of the same cross-stream structure interact. The dominant instability is that associated with the gravest mode.
Research Organization:
Department of Oceanography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1W5
OSTI ID:
6441111
Journal Information:
J. Phys. Oceanogr.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phys. Oceanogr.; (United States) Vol. 11:2; ISSN JPYOB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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