A mechanism for layer formation in stratified geophysical flows | Zendy

Pelegrí J. L. | Zendy; Sangrà P. | Zendy

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A mechanism for layer formation in stratified geophysical flows

Author(s) -

Pelegrí J. L.,

Sangrà P.

Publication year - 1998

Publication title -

journal of geophysical research: oceans

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67

H-Index - 298

eISSN - 2156-2202

pISSN - 0148-0227

DOI - 10.1029/98jc01627

Subject(s) - stratified flow , richardson number , stratification (seeds) , frontogenesis , stratified flows , turbulence , geology , mechanics , shear (geology) , shear flow , instability , density gradient , computation , physics , geophysics , mesoscale meteorology , mathematics , climatology , petrology , dormancy , biology , seed dormancy , oceanography , germination , botany , algorithm

We discuss the possibility that steplike structures are formed in subcritical regions of vertically stratified shear flow. The mechanism we propose essentially consists of localized intense mixing in highly stratified and sheared flows, probably following frontogenesis. Its main assumption is that the vertical density flux increases monotonically with decreasing gradient Richardson numbers, which corresponds to enhanced stratification and/or diapycnal shear. This differs from Phillips ' [1972] mechanism, which we argue may not apply to vertically stratified shear flow. An essential condition for the formation of constant density steps is the incorporation of a Langevin type equation which takes into account that turbulence must last for some finite characteristic time. We present numerical computations for the case of approximately constant diapycnal shear which lead to the formation of a staircase depth‐density structure.

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