Linear amplification of marginally neutral baroclinic waves

de Vries, H. and Ehrendorfer, M. (2008) Linear amplification of marginally neutral baroclinic waves. Tellus Series A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography, 60 (5). pp. 1079-1088. ISSN 0280-6495 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.2008.00355.x

Abstract/Summary

Baroclinic wave development is investigated for unstable parallel shear flows in the limit of vanishing normal-mode growth rate. This development is described in terms of the propagation and interaction mechanisms of two coherent structures, called counter-propagating Rossby waves (CRWs). It is shown that, in this limit of vanishing normal-mode growth rate, arbitrary initial conditions produce sustained linear amplification of the marginally neutral normal mode (mNM). This linear excitation of the mNM is subsequently interpreted in terms of a resonance phenomenon. Moreover, while the mathematical character of the normal-mode problem changes abruptly as the bifurcation point in the dispersion diagram is encountered and crossed, it is shown that from an initial-value viewpoint, this transition is smooth. Consequently, the resonance interpretation remains relevant (albeit for a finite time) for wavenumbers slightly different from the ones defining cut-off points. The results are further applied to a two-layer version of the classic Eady model in which the upper rigid lid has been replaced by a simple stratosphere.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/1233
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell
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