Computer Science – Performance
Scientific paper
Jan 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995phdt........86w&link_type=abstract
Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ, 1995.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section
Computer Science
Performance
Fofonoff Solution
Scientific paper
This thesis addresses two basic physical problems in ocean circulation, namely inertial flows and balanced dynamics, using simple numerical models. We first discuss the emergence of the Fofonoff solution in an inviscid closed barotropic domain, and explore its significance to the weakly dissipative system. The Fofonoff solution is generally realized as the time mean state of inviscid simulations over a fairly broad parameter range of varying (beta-plane) Rossby number and resolution, in different geometrical domains, and with and without topography. The relevance of the Fofonoff solution to the decaying system is examined by numerical experiments with two different forms of viscosity and with various boundary conditions. It is found that the boundary condition is generally more important in determining the time mean fields. No complete realization of the Fofonoff state is observed in our experiments. The super-slip condition is most conducive to realizing a Fofonoff state especially in the cases with high Reynolds and Rossby numbers. For lower Rossby numbers, potential vorticity tends to become homogenized. In the case of a free slip condition, boundary layer effect further exacerbates the departure from the Fofonoff solution. In the no slip case, no equilibrium state can be reached. Finally the relevance of the Fofonoff solution to the wind driven circulation is discussed. In the second part of the thesis, various balanced models based on potential vorticity inversion are tested using results of large-scale wind-driven shallow water experiments. Among the four inversions tested, quasi-geostrophic approximation is found to be unsuitable for our experiments, because it linearizes the height field. The planetary geostrophic approximation is a good zero order description for the large scale, but is incapable of capturing the small scale features. Both planetary slave inversion and the truncated model capture the small scale motion, but planetary slave inversion does not give good performance because it overshoots and exaggerates the small scale motion. The truncated model, by far, is the best model for PV inversion, giving the consistently good performance for different Rossby numbers, Reynolds numbers, and for wind stress of different orientation.
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