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Baroclinic waves and frontogenesis Part I: Introduction and Eady waves
Author(s) -
Hoskins B. J.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49710243109
Subject(s) - baroclinity , geostrophic wind , frontogenesis , instability , momentum (technical analysis) , nonlinear system , zonal flow (plasma) , shear flow , physics , flow (mathematics) , primitive equations , classical mechanics , mechanics , geology , meteorology , geophysics , mathematics , mesoscale meteorology , economics , plasma , finance , quantum mechanics , numerical partial differential equations , tokamak
The semi‐geostrophic equations are derived from the primitive equations with the momentum approximated by its geostrophic value. Here these equations are used to study the stability of a zonal flow. The quasi‐geostrophic instability criterion is given a more accurate form. The semi‐geostrophic equations are also used for a numerical and analytical study of the development into the nonlinear regime of the Eady wave instability mode of a zonal flow with uniform shear in the vertical. The nonlinear tightening of the low pressure, the occlusion process and the formation of a warm frontal region are all evident in these solutions.