Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 April 2006
A linear analysis of rotating stratified flow past a circular cylinder on an f-plane is made for moderate and strong stratification, i.e. for σS = O(E½) and σS = O(1) respectively. E is the Ekman number and σS is the product of the Prandtl number and the inverse rotational Froude number. The most striking result is that, for oncoming flows that are of one sign and possess vertical shear, reversed-flow regions can exist next to the cylinder. Depending on the degree of stratification, these backflow regions can occupy the inner part of the vertical boundary layer or can extend horizontally across distances comparable to the horizontal scale of the cylinder.