Modeling mesoscale turbulence in the Barotropic Double-Gyre circulation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Holm,D.D.
Nadiga,B.T.
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This paper presents analytical and numerical results for a class of turbulence closure models called “alpha models,” in which Lagrangian averaging and turbulence closure assumptions modify the Eulerian nonlinearity. The alpha models are investigated in the setting of the barotropic, double-gyre circulation in an ocean basin. Two variants of the alpha models for the barotropic vorticity (BV) equation are found to produce the correct four-gyre configuration for the mean barotropic circulation in numerical simulations performed at a resolution 4 times as coarse as that required in a resolved BV model. These are the BV-α model and the BV-Leray-α model. However, at a resolution 8 times as coarse, only the BV-α model produces the proper four-gyre configuration. Thus, the combination of modified nonlinearity and viscous dissipation (the viscosity is the same in all of the runs) in the BV-α model is found to provide a promising approach to modeling the mean effects of unresolved mesoscale (subgrid scale) activity in this problem.
Date Issued
2003-11
Date Acceptance
2003-04-04
Citation
Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2003, 11, 33, pp.2355-2365
ISSN
0022-3670
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Start Page
2355
End Page
2365
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Volume
33
Copyright Statement
© 2003 American Meteorological Society (AMS). Permission to use figures, tables, and brief excerpts from this work in scientific and educational works is hereby granted provided that the source is acknowledged. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 USC §108) does not require the AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, requires written permission or a license from the AMS. All AMS journals and monograph publications are registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (http://www.copyright.com). Questions about permission to use materials for which AMS holds the copyright can also be directed to permissions@ametsoc.org. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement, available on the AMS website (http://www.ametsoc.org/CopyrightInformation).
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Oceanography
STOKES-ALPHA MODEL
EQUATIONS
EDDIES
PARAMETERIZATION
MOTION
FLOW
0405 Oceanography
Edition
11
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2003-11-01