On the unsteady response of an oceanic front to local atmospheric forcing
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Authors
Hall, Christopher James
Subjects
Oceanic front
Density front
Density front
Advisors
Garwood, Roland W., Jr.
Date of Issue
1983-06
Date
June 1983
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
The unsteady response of two oceanic density fronts to local atmospheric forcing, using combinations of wind stress and surface heat flux, is investigated with an embedded mixed layer-general circulation model. The adjustment of the frontal structure is dependent upon the wind stress direction and whether there is surface heating or cooling. In cases of an applied wind stress alone where denser water is transported toward less dense water, the mixed layer depth deepens, and frontal mixing occurs . In cases where less dense water is
transported toward denser water, the frontal structure is preserved, mixed layer depth is preserved and cross-frontal mixing is minimized. The addition of surface heating shallows the mixed layer and inhibits vertical mixing. Inertial oscillations are observed in the across-front velocity field.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.