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Free keywords:
GEOSTROPHIC BAROCLINIC STABILITY; MESOSCALE EDDY FLUXES; SOUTHERN-OCEAN;
BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY; ELIASSEN-PALM; MEAN FLOW; PART I; EDDIES;
INSTABILITY; EQUATIONMeso-cale eddies; Parameterization; Isopycnal thickness mixing;
Potential vorticity mixing; Linear stability analysis;
Abstract:
Linear stability analysis is used to predict the vertical and lateral structure for the diffusivity related to meso-scale eddy buoyancy and potential vorticity fluxes in three-dimensional primitive equation models, following a suggestion by Peter D. Killworth. Using two idealized numerical models as example, it is shown that the linear stability analysis yields a consistent lateral and vertical structure for both lateral diffusivities. Parameterizations based on isopycnal thickness or potential vorticity diffusion are shown to be equivalent for constant diffusivities in quasi-geostrophic approximation. For spatially varying diffusivities they yield similar results in the model experiments, although the corresponding diffusivities show different vertical structure. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
