Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T00:22:43.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The flow of a stratified fluid in a rotating annulus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2006

P. F. Linden
P. F. Linden
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The motion of a continuously stratified fluid in a rotating annulus is investigated experimentally. The flow is driven by the differential rotation of a lid on the annulus in contact with the fluid. For small enough Rossby numbers the basic flow is found to be axisymmetric, but in contrast to the unstratified case the zonal flow is not independent of the depth, and there is significant vertical shear in the interior. As the Rossby number of the flow is increased the axisymmetric flow becomes unstable to non-axisymmetric baroclinic disturbances. Some features of these disturbances as well as the time response to the motion of the lid are examined.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 79 , Issue 3 , 9 March 1977 , pp. 435 - 447
Copyright
© 1977 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, J. S. 1972 Upwelling of a stratified fluid in a rotating annulus: steady state. Part 1. Linear theory. J. Fluid Mech. 56, 429–445.Google Scholar
Allen, J. S. 1973 Upwelling of a stratified fluid in a rotating annulus: steady state. Part 2. Numerical solutions. J. Fluid Mech. 59, 337–368.Google Scholar
Baker, D. J. 1966 A technique for the precise measurement of small fluid velocities. J. Fluid Mech. 26, 573–575.Google Scholar
Barcilon, A., Lau, J., Piacsek, S. & Warn-Varnas, A. 1975 Numerical experiments on stratified spin-up. Geophys. Fluid Dyn. 7, 29–42.Google Scholar
Barcilon, V. & Pedlosky, J. 1967 Linear theory of rotating stratified fluid motions. J. Fluid Mech. 29, 1–16.Google Scholar
Buzyna, G. & Veronis, G. 1971 Spin-up of a stratified fluid: theory and experiment. J. Fluid Mech. 50, 579–608.Google Scholar
Greenspan, H. P. 1968 The Theory of Rotating Fluids. Cambridge University Press.
Oster, G. 1965 Density gradients. Sci. Am. 213, 70–76.Google Scholar
Pedlosky, J. 1970 Flow in rotating stratified systems. Notes on 1970 Summer Prog. Geophys. Fluid Dyn., Woods Hole Ocean. Inst., no. 70–50, vol. 1, pp. 1–67.
Saunders, K. D. & Beardsley, R. C. 1975 An experimental study of the spin up of a thermally stratified rotating fluid. Geophys. Fluid Dyn. 7, 1–28.Google Scholar
Taylor, G. I. 1917 Motion of solids in fluids when the flow is irrotational. Proc. Roy. Soc. A 93, 99–113.Google Scholar
Walin, G. 1969 Some aspects of time-dependent motion of a stratified rotating fluid. J. Fluid Mech. 36, 289–307.Google Scholar