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Research Article

Effect of quadric shear basic zonal flows and topography on baroclinic instability

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Pages 1-9 | Received 16 Mar 2020, Accepted 22 Oct 2020, Published online: 09 Nov 2020
 

Abstract

On the β plane approximation, the two-layer quasigeostrophic mode is used to study the baroclinic instability of the quadric shear basic zonal flows on a uniform bottom topography. The phase speed and growth rate of instability waves are functions of the shear zonal basic flows and bottom topographic slope. The study focus is on the effects of topography and the quadric shear basic zonal flows (the second derivative of basic zonal flows is not zero). The meridional slope destabilise (stabilise) zonal flows, it plays an unstable role in disturbance, moreover the effect of the second derivative of basic zonal flows is to accelerate the instability of disturbance. The zonal slope always destabilises the zonal basic flows through zonal and meridional wavenumber. Moreover, the effect of the second derivative of basic zonal flows is to accelerate the instability of disturbance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Projects 11362012, 11562014 and 41465002 of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Project of 2018LH04005 the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia.