How to strong winds cause baroclinic intensification in the upper ocean?

Asked by: Mark Odom

What is a baroclinic process?

Introduction. Baroclinic instability refers to a process by which perturbations draw energy from the mean flow potential energy. The conversions of energy are proportional to perturbation heat fluxes in both horizontal and vertical directions.

What is Baroclinic atmosphere?

An atmospheric state in which density depends upon both temperature and pressure and in which the geostrophic wind varies with height and is related to the horizontal temperature gradient via the thermal wind equation.

What is a baroclinic wave?

Baroclinic waves are one of a number of types of weather systems that develop spontaneously in response to instabilities in the large-scale flow pattern in which they are embedded. The low level flow in baroclinic waves is dominated by extratropical cyclones, an example of which is shown in Fig. 1.12.

What is barotropic and baroclinic?

Barotropic instabilities grow by extracting kinetic energy from the basic mean flow. Baroclinic instabilities grow by converting available potential energy to kinetic energy; the horizontal temperature gradient associated with vertical shear of the mean flow is the source of this available potential energy.

What is meant by Barotropic flow?

A barotropic flow is a generalization of a barotropic atmosphere. It is a flow in which the pressure is a function of the density only and vice versa. In other words, it is a flow in which isobaric surfaces are isopycnic surfaces and vice versa.

Where does the baroclinic leaf structure tend to form?

Baroclinic leaves are cloud or moisture patterns that can be found on the front sides of high level troughs, most often located downstream of PV anomalies. They are associated with surface baroclinic zones or cold fronts.

What is barotropic velocity?

Barotropic. The barotropic pressure gradient and barotropic velocity are that part of the pressure gradient and velocity fields that are due to slopes in the sea surface.

What is potential vorticity meteorology?

The potential vorticity (PV) is the absolute circulation of an air parcel that is enclosed between two isentropic surfaces. If PV is displayed on a surface of constant potential temperature, then it is officially called IPV (isentropic potential vorticity).

What are baroclinic eddies?

A baroclinic instability is a fluid dynamical instability of fundamental importance in the atmosphere and ocean. It can lead to the formation of transient mesoscale eddies, with a horizontal scale of 10-100 km.

How do Rossby waves form?

According to the National Weather Service, atmospheric Rossby waves form primarily as a result of the Earth’s geography. Rossby waves help transfer heat from the tropics toward the poles and cold air toward the tropics in an attempt to return atmosphere to balance.