Open AccessEffects of unsteady mountain‐gap winds on eddies in the Red Sea
Author(s) -
Farley Nicholls J.,
Toumi R.,
Stenchikov G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl2.554
Subject(s) - anticyclone , eddy , forcing (mathematics) , thermal wind , climatology , geology , asymmetry , magnitude (astronomy) , atmospheric sciences , intermittency , atmosphere (unit) , jet (fluid) , environmental science , wind speed , wind shear , meteorology , oceanography , turbulence , physics , mechanics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Atmosphere and ocean simulations capture the Tokar mountain‐gap wind jet and associated eddy dipole in the Red Sea. Results suggest that, once generated by a wind event, the anticyclonic eddy is further intensified through the summer by subsequent events. An asymmetry in magnitude of the two eddies is observed with the anticyclonic eddy attaining greater magnitude. A series of simulations with idealized wind forcing show that this asymmetry is not present under steady wind forcing. This effect depends on the intermittency of the wind forcing and the presence of a background northerly wind field.