On the Separation of a Barotropic Western Boundary Current from a Cape

Author:

Munday David R.1,Marshall David P.1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom

Abstract

Abstract The problem of western boundary current separation is investigated using a barotropic vorticity model. Specifically, a boundary current flowing poleward along a boundary containing a cape is considered. The meridional gradient of the Coriolis parameter (the β effect), the strength of dissipation, and the geometry of the cape are varied. It is found that 1) all instances of flow separation are coincident with the presence of a flow deceleration, 2) an increase in the strength of the β effect is able to suppress flow separation, and 3) increasing coastline curvature can overcome the suppressive β effect and induce separation. These results are supported by integrated vorticity budgets, which attribute the acceleration of the boundary current to the β effect and changes in flow curvature. The transition to unsteady final model states is found to have no effect upon the qualitative nature of these conclusions.

Publisher

American Meteorological Society

Subject

Oceanography

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