Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2006
The phenomenon of steady cellular convection in a rotating fluid in which the stratification is statically unstable is well known. If the temperature field also varies in the horizontal direction a thermal wind is generated which can diminish the amplitude of the cells, or if inertial effects are strong enough, confine them to a narrow vertical band. On the other hand, in an enclosed container resonance can occur which increases the amplitude of the cells beyond the scope of a linear theory.