Instability of Two-Dimensional Themohaline CirculationSource: Journal of Physical Oceanography:;1996:;Volume( 026 ):;issue: 003::page 305Author:Vellinga, Michael
DOI: 10.1175/1520-0485(1996)026<0305:IOTDTC>2.0.CO;2Publisher: American Meteorological Society
Abstract: Two different two-dimensional models of the thermohaline circulation of the ocean have been used to study the loss of stability of a thermally dominated symmetrical two-cell circulation. Although the models differ in their momentum budget, their behavior was qualitatively similar: the symmetrical solution was found to lose its stability at a critical strength of the salinity forcing with respect to two asymmetrical solutions that are mirror images of each other. The supercritical pitchfork bifurcation that describes this process was calculated with a numerical continuation technique. An analysis of the linear stability of the system yields an eigenfunction structure that allows the identification of the processes causing the instability. For the current surface forcing and parameter values that put the system in a thermal regime, this physical mechanism can be understood from meridional advection of salt and beat anomalies alone. Ibis explains why the phenomenon of symmetry breaking is observed in such a wide range of studies and that model properties such as the choice of the convection scheme are only of quantitative importance.
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contributor author | Vellinga, Michael | |
date accessioned | 2017-06-09T14:51:57Z | |
date available | 2017-06-09T14:51:57Z | |
date copyright | 1996/03/01 | |
date issued | 1996 | |
identifier issn | 0022-3670 | |
identifier other | ams-28485.pdf | |
identifier uri | http://onlinelibrary.yabesh.ir/handle/yetl/4165606 | |
description abstract | Two different two-dimensional models of the thermohaline circulation of the ocean have been used to study the loss of stability of a thermally dominated symmetrical two-cell circulation. Although the models differ in their momentum budget, their behavior was qualitatively similar: the symmetrical solution was found to lose its stability at a critical strength of the salinity forcing with respect to two asymmetrical solutions that are mirror images of each other. The supercritical pitchfork bifurcation that describes this process was calculated with a numerical continuation technique. An analysis of the linear stability of the system yields an eigenfunction structure that allows the identification of the processes causing the instability. For the current surface forcing and parameter values that put the system in a thermal regime, this physical mechanism can be understood from meridional advection of salt and beat anomalies alone. Ibis explains why the phenomenon of symmetry breaking is observed in such a wide range of studies and that model properties such as the choice of the convection scheme are only of quantitative importance. | |
publisher | American Meteorological Society | |
title | Instability of Two-Dimensional Themohaline Circulation | |
type | Journal Paper | |
journal volume | 26 | |
journal issue | 3 | |
journal title | Journal of Physical Oceanography | |
identifier doi | 10.1175/1520-0485(1996)026<0305:IOTDTC>2.0.CO;2 | |
journal fristpage | 305 | |
journal lastpage | 319 | |
tree | Journal of Physical Oceanography:;1996:;Volume( 026 ):;issue: 003 | |
contenttype | Fulltext |