Singular Phenomenon Analysis of Wind-Driven Circulation System Based on Galerkin Low-Order Model

Abstract

Ocean circulation plays an important role in the formation and occurrence of extreme climate events. The study shows that the periodic variation of ocean circulation under strong wind stress is closely related to climate oscillation. Ocean circulation is a nonlinear dynamic system, which shows complex nonlinear characteristics, so the essence behind ocean circulation has not been clearly explained. Therefore, the response and evolution of the circulation system to wind stress are studied based on the bifurcation and catastrophe theories in nonlinear dynamics. First, the quasi-geostrophic gyre equation and the normalized gravity model are introduced and developed to study ocean circulation driven by wind stress, and solved using the Galerkin method. Then, the bifurcation and catastrophe behaviors of the system governed by the low-order ocean circulation model during the change in wind stress intensity and the coexistence of multiple equilibria in the circulation system are studied in detail. The results show that saddle and unstable nodes appear in the system after a cusp catastrophe. With the change in model parameters, the unstable node becomes the unstable focus, and then the subcritical Hopf bifurcation occurs. The system forms a bistable interval when the system undergoes a catastrophe twice, and the system shows hysteresis. In addition, multiple equilibrium states are coexisting in the circulating system, and the unstable equilibrium state always changes into a stable equilibrium state through vortex movement. Therefore, there is a route for the system to induce short-term climate oscillation, that is, in the multi-stable equilibrium state of the system, the vortex oscillates after being subject to small disturbances, and then triggers climate oscillation.