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The effect of spherical geometry on momentum transports in simple baroclinic flows
Author(s) -
Hollingsworth A.,
Simmons A. J.,
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.49710243417
Subject(s) - baroclinity , momentum (technical analysis) , thermal wind , physics , rossby number , rossby wave , vortex , mechanics , simple (philosophy) , classical mechanics , angular momentum , geology , rossby radius of deformation , geometry , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , mathematics , wind speed , wind shear , turbulence , philosophy , finance , epistemology , economics
Abstract We consider the baroclinic instability of flows on the sphere. An approximate expression is derived for the momentum fluxes associated with exponentially growing modes. It is shown that the occurrence of these momentum fluxes depends on the Rossby beta‐effect in conjunction with the variation with latitude of the Coriolis parameter in the thermal wind relation and in the vortex stretching term. A physical interpretation of the results is presented.