Rotating Stratified Flow over Finite Isolated Topography

Abstract

Inviscid, steady, stratified rotating flow over a finite, isolated topographic feature is critically analyzed. The formulation is based on approximating the horizontal momentum by the geostrophic momentum. A boundary value problem govern the perturbation pressure field. The solution is an anticyclonic, topographically-bound vortex whose characteristics are independent of the upstream velocity but do depend on stratification, rotation, and the nature of the topography. The vortex is baroclinic in the vicinity of the mountain but barotropic in the far field. The velocity field is a combination of the bound vortex and an up-stream velocity interacting with the perturbation pressure field. The effects of stratification, upstream velocity and the nature of the topography are investigated, and fluid trajectories are plotted.