The baroclinic instability problem is considered in the framework of Laplacian tidal theory. The Hilbert space of the quasigeostrophic vorticity budget is spanned by spheroidal functions. The fluid is linearly stable against quasigeostrophic disturbances. As the essential source of irregular ocean-atmosphere motions, baroclinic instability is ruled out by tidal theory. The midlatitude β-plane b...

We use the non-oscillatory balanced numerical scheme developed in Part I to track the dynamics of a dry highly nonlinear barotropic/baroclinic coupled solitary wave, as introduced by Biello and Majda (2004), and of the moisture fronts of Frierson et al. (2004) in the presence of dry gravity waves, a barotropic trade wind, and the beta effect. It is demonstrated that, for the barotropic/baroclin...

The extratropical eddy momentum flux (EMF) is controlled by generation, propagation, and dissipation of large-scale eddies and is concentrated in Earth’s upper troposphere. An idealized GCM is used to investigate how this EMF structure arises. In simulations in which the poles are heated more strongly than the equator, EMF is concentrated near the surface, demonstrating that surface drag genera...

Insight into the global ocean energy cycle and its relationship to climate variability can be gained by examining the temporal variability of eddy–mean flow interactions. A time-dependent version of the Lorenz energy diagram is formulated and applied to energetic ocean regions from a global, eddying state estimate. The total energy in each snapshot is partitioned into three components: energy i...

The aim of this paper is to determine how an atmosphere with enhanced mean-state baroclinity can support weaker baroclinic wave activity than an atmosphere with weak mean-state baroclinity. As a case study, a Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) model simulation previously documented to have reduced baroclinic storm activity, relative to the modern-day climate (simulated by the same model), despite havin...

Potential vorticity (PV) conservation implies a strong constraint on the time evolution of the mean density at a given depth. We show that, on an f -plane and in the absence of sources and sinks of PV, it only depends on two terms, namely the time evolution of the product between density anomaly and relative vorticity, and the vertical PV flux. This primitive-equation result, that applies at an...

We propose a non-oscillatory balanced numerical scheme for a simplified tropical climate model with a crude vertical resolution, reduced to the barotropic and the first baroclinic modes. The two modes exchange energy through highly nonlinear interaction terms. We consider a periodic channel domain, oriented zonally and centered around the equator and adopt a fractional stepping–splitting strate...

An error in the calculation of the baroclinic pressure gradient term in the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) was identified while modeling the M2 tidal currents near its critical latitude in the southern Weddell Sea. The error arises from the present calculation of density, which involves the subtraction of a background density profile from the density field calculated at each internal time step. Th...

Context. The observations of rapidly rotating stars are increasingly detailed and precise thanks to interferometry and asteroseismology; twodimensional models taking into account the hydrodynamics of these stars are very much needed. Aims. A model for studying the dynamics of baroclinic stellar envelope is presented. Methods. This models treats the stellar fluid at the Boussinesq approximation ...

Diffusive eddy closure theory for estimating the poleward heat flux is reexamined and tested in the context of a two-layer homogeneous model. Consideration of the inverse energy cascade induced by baroclinic turbulence on the b plane leads to an expression for diffusivity in terms of the kinetic energy dissipation and the b effect. A key step in the closure is the identification of this diffusi...