Rossby wave action, enstrophy and energy in forced mean flows
- 1 January 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
- Vol. 15 (1) , 39-52
- https://doi.org/10.1080/03091928008241169
Abstract
Assuming there is a separation in scale between the mean flow and fluctuations, the linearized potential vorticity equation is solved using the WKB method. Attention is focused on wave properties such as action and enstrophy which in some circumstances are conserved. In the most general case of Rossby waves supported by an arbitrary mean potential vorticity field, q = f/h, and propagating through a forced mean flow neither action nor enstrophy is conserved. It is shown that action is produced by the forcing which drives mean flow across q contours, while enstrophy is produced both by complicated q contours and by horizontal divergence of the mean flow.Keywords
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