Coherent baroclinic eddies on a sloping bottom
- 1 October 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Vol. 183, 45-62
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022112087002519
Abstract
A coherent and stable baroclinic eddy in a rotating fluid was produced on a sloping bottom by releasing a dome of salt water into the ambient fresh water. A strong cyclonic vortex is produced above the heavy dome. The entire eddy system moves ‘north-westward’ (with the up-slope direction designated ‘north’) as a ‘Taylor column’. The eddy system displays long lifetimes, but it is shown that a theory of isolated systems cannot account for the experimental observations. Instead, it is demonstrated that the vortex flow above the lens is along the lines of constant depth, producing a net pressure force on the lens, which approximately balances the buoyancy force. When Ekman friction is also included, it accounts for the northward motion of the dome.Keywords
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