AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FREE OSCILLATIONS OF A SIMPLE CURRENT SYSTEM

Abstract

Any sudden local addition of momentum to a rotating fluid body will generally result in some type of oscillation of that body. In the case of the ocean, this oscillation will include the form of ?long? or ?tidal? waves. A previous investigation by Rossby indicated that the period of such waves would be twelve pendulum hours. However, on the basis of earlier research by Lord Kelvin the period would be shorter. In the present paper the author removes the seeming inconsistency between the results of these two investigations. He shows that such inertial type waves are quickly damped out by means of rapid spreading out of the energy involved. This factor may be of importance in explaining why inertial oscillations are observed with such difficulty in the atmosphere.